The North Light Artist's Guide to Materials & Techniques

An excellent survey of painting and drawing media. In each section, the author covers the basic tools, materials, and techniques for a particular medium, as well as some common pitfalls to avoid. As a mixed media artist with no formal art training, I found this book to be a valuable resource. The more I can expand my knowledge of materials and techniques, the wider my palette becomes. I first read this book when I checked it out of my local library, and liked it so much I purchased a copy (even though it was out of print).

Since I had little to no background in art, I enjoyed this book because it gave me a brief summary of so many different media. The book includes wonderful shopping lists for each of the categories covered, so that the beginner need not make repeated trips back to the art store. Watercolor, Acrylic, Gouache, Oil, Pastels, Pen and Ink, Charcoal, Pencil, Egg Tempera are all covered.