Baldwin introduces her techniques in great detail. It is a great 'Technique 101' bible. The lessons on composition are inspiring, as are her layering techniques. If you've never taken brush to canvas but have the need to try, start here. If you already create mixed-media art, continue here. Everyone will learn something from this valuable book.

This book is chock full of information and exambles, and arranged in an easy to read and follow format.
This is by far the best of several books I have purchased on this subject-a must for any mixed media artist.

This is a very good book, very informative and good pictures and techniques. For the advanced artist not a beginner book. I returned it, it was not what I expected.

I first discovered Ann Baldwin many years ago when surfing the net in search of collage examples for a mixed media collage class I was teaching. At that time she was doing collages with authors as the main focus. She's branched out since then, and I like the direction she's taken. A few years ago I bought her video, "Telling Stories with Collage & Paint." It's an excellent resource, so when I saw she had written this book, I made sure to buy it. It has many new examples of her work, and includes chapters on abstract design, materials, composition, combining words with paint - something I love to do as a calligrapher, using digital photographs and even encaustic painting. Ann is an excellent instructor and doesn't leave gaping holes in the process as many authors of how-to books tend to do. I'm looking forward to exploring this book more thoroughly, but I've already seen enough to convince me of its worth.

I have done a lot of mixed media work, but I'm a total novice when it comes to adding paint as an element. I bought this book after looking through it carefully, and found helpful suggestions immediately. I am very happy with it. I own tons of books and find some of them inspirational, and some of them instructive. This I think of as instructive. I have no idea if it would be helpful to someone with a painting background - since I don't have such a background. I am only beginning to using paint and need a book that takes me step by step through the process. I don't plan to be a painter per se, but I can see what a difference it makes to add it to mixed media collage. As for inspiration, the book is fine in that regard, although I have so many books that are full of inspiration that I really don't need this one to fulfill that role. Nuts and bolts how-to is what I bought it for, and that is what I've found.