As an art book, this book is very good, but I was looking for tips on how to illustrate a book. The title led me to believe that it was covered in the content, but alas... not so. There are some helpful sections of different type of art mediums and an artist or art student would find it very helpful.

This book is a bit outdated now.
The author of this book currently has a brand of his own paints and materials. He's so caught up on materials and your hands, that he doesnt teach to use your brain or eyes. He's one of those types that's obsessed with finding out the "secret" Maroger medium, the ratio of oil:pigment in old masters paintings, etc.
I dont know how anyone can think that using Raphaels' paints will make you paint like Raphael. It's like putting on Jerome Bettis' football pads and thinking you'll weigh 265 and run faster than a cheetah. It's not going to happen.

He's also big on slavishly copying photographs. I guess that's how a lot of illustrators think, though.

Compare this to books by the golden age illustrators; like Loomis, Rockwell, Leyendecker. . . even guys like Hogarth. They focus little on materials and "techniques," and teach more about learning to think and see.


In the end, you have to realize that Michelangelo could have painted the Sistine ceiling with a mop and a bucket of mud, and it would have been just as well done. Learn the basics of materials (which you can just find online), and find someone who will teach you to think.

I was primarly interested in the book for teaching students the finer points of using Gouache in Illustration. Although, there was nothing particularly new in the text about the material, it was all new to my students who found the material helpful.

This is a good book with a lot of tips , but I belive that works good for beginners. Essential for beginners! But for advanced ilustrators a good book to fix some tips.

the knowledge and in-depth shared in this book is excellent, helps you to go further in the techs, and with tips and trick for the materials and equipment.The only "but" that i find is that it's not a step by step teaching for beginners. Excellente book!!!