The Artist's Illustrated Encyclopedia: Techniques, Materials and Terms

Mr. Metzler has done the research to explain all those terms and you see in art books. He explains entries in terms that are easy to understand. Very enlightening book. I am too old to try all the techniques myself, but he tells what they are.

As an artist, this is the book that I've been in search of for several years! There have been many times that I've run across an art-related term or technique in a magazine or book that was not defined or fully explained. I would attempt to look up the term in my standard dictionary or encyclopedia but I would never find the information I was looking for. This book clearly defines those terms and describes specific techniques and materials in a very simple and detailed way. The book is very much "illustrated" as the title suggests. There are numerous full color photos of tools, materials and beautiful artwork to visually aid in the definitions. There tables that describe art movements, paint comparisons, and how to read paint labels. I also own "The Artist's Handbook of Artist's Materials" by Ralph Mayer. That book is also very good but it is much more scientific in terminology and explanation. "The Artist's Illustrated Encyclopedia" is much easier to understand and the illustrations make it more interesting. It is user friendly because it is alpabetically arranged. I would definitely recommend this book to artists of all levels; beginner to advanced. It is a wonderful addition to my personal library!