Learn to Paint in Watercolor with 50 Paintings is a fantastic way to learn to paint with watercolors. The specific paintings offered, along with accompanying photos, clear and helpful instructions, and step-by-step approach is truly helpful in actually learning how to watercolor.

I only wish my own painting teacher had been so helpful, and as insightful. Great tips and pointers throughout. Chapters offer a great introduction followed by, still lifes, landscapes, cityscapes, animals, and portraiture. Highly recommended.

Pencil art workshop is a text-book worthy “workshop” book — if textbooks were ten times more engaging and better designed than they are now. This is essentially a full collegiate/professional level course in pencil drawing, geared toward beginners, especially those with a little training, or perhaps, lots of doodling “experience.” It’s goal seems to be to lead you toward the professional level, and yet, it focuses on what must be the least expensive art supplies available — a pencil and a piece of paper.

There are chapters on drawing with: line, tone, “quickly” (my favorite chapter), photo-realism(!), and adding color. It focuses on serious, realistic art instruction. The book itself is beautiful, well bound, quality work. I’m enjoying it, and find it is elevating my skills considerably.

How to draw with a ballpoint pen is a stunning book, amazing in its design, layout, binding, breadth and depth of this seemingly humble medium. It is perfect for would-be artists like me to explore at work, rest, or play and without a large artistic budget for supplies.

I love how Keck helps me to elevate what I thought were mere doodles into fine (and fun!) art. There are 44 lessons, rated with three levels of difficulty. I skip around, reading up on Sundays, and practicing what I read throughout the week. It is the most fun art book for real, and would-be, artists who, like Matisse, are eager to learn what they can do with this readily available medium.