The Painter Wow! Book [With CDROM]

As I'm always trying to learn how to handle Painter X in more depth, but so far I've only just scratched the surface, (same with Photoshop), I purchased Cher's book. She definitely packs a lot into it, and is an excellent publication and learning tool, but, I don't feel it is for the first timer. I have messed around with Painter X for about six months, and still feel I need a "this is how you do this". I thought Cher's book was a bit of a "chuck 'em in the deep end", thing. If you have covered all the basic's and are handling them well, then this is the book for you. However, if like me, you are still coming to terms with a lot of Painter X, then I would look furhter for something that provides more basic steps and explanations, and easy exercises to complete, so you know you have successfully learned the steps. Try "Digital Painting Fundamentals with Painter X - Rhoda Grossman", first, then move into Chers's book, then you'll have everything you need to really make Painter X work. Cher's book is a great tool, worth all 5 stars. 01/03/2010 - Okay, since my review above, 24/04/2009, I have a further comment that may help Painter X users. For those having problems coming to terms with the program, try doing Painter 1 & 2 at LVS Online, these are two great six weeks courses that I can guarantee will get you into Painter X without pain, and if you have purchased Cher's book, you will make great use of it as I am. Hope this helps and goodluck.

TITLE: Painter X Wow! wows even longtime Painter user David Purnell, M.A., CMI NEW YORK WEST Medical Illustration Studio [email protected] September 16, 2007 This edition -- "The Painter X Wow! Book" -- of the book series by Cher Threinen-Pendarvis, like its predecessors, is beautifully done, and packed with valuable, accessible information. I am a professional medical illustrator. Illustrations I create in Painter are the backbone of my work; of my business. I reserve Photoshop for image editing. But for original art that simulates natural media, I don't believe Painter can be beat. One aspect of this book I especially appreciate are the many examples of how different artists have made use of various Corel Painter features. I find these "case studies" in Threinen-Pendarvis's book to be not only extremely informative, but highly inspiring. As much as I've used Painter (since 1994, Painter v2.0), there is always more to learn. Within five minutes of perusing this new edition of Threinen-Pendarvis's book, I found something basic that I never knew. This new information will allow me to perform a frequently used task quicker and easier than I knew was possible. Now here's something important I think new users of Painter should know. Painter, in my opinion, isn't difficult to learn. That is, it doesn't have a steep "learning curve." But what it does have is a steep "experiential curve." This is because it has so MANY fabulous features, tools, brushes, and effects. Even after all these years, there are features of Painter I've never explored. But I have a sense, generally, of the features available -- should I need to use them, or wish to explore them. Painter is a rich gold mine of digital graphic tools waiting to be experienced. And Threinen-Pendarvis's "The Painter X Wow! Book" is a valuable road map to those riches.

And as always in this new edition, Cher Threinen-Pendarvis does not disappoint. The Painter WOW! X Book is clear and concise with regards to layout and organization. It's easy to cross reference, and visually stimulating. I suspect you'll find, as I do this is a book that's tough to put down! As I said, the organization is such that you can jump around finding what you need quickly and easily. It's an exciting book too! I can't remember flipping through, and not getting the urge to "make stuff". You'll find tips and tricks in this book that you'll find nowhere else! I've examined similar Painter manuals, and find that they are either repetitive, hard to understand, and surely not as all-inclusive as The Painter WOW! X Book. One of the great things about this particular book is that it matters not whether you are a photographer, illustrator, fine artist or graphic designer. Nor does it matter what your style or aesthetic, figurative, illustrative, fantasy, photorealism, modern, or even if you're into typography! There is truly something in here for everyone; there is surely a doorway to your next great inspiration! I've been an Adjunct Faculty teaching Painter at an art college in Boston for years. And I've been highly recommending this text, edition after edition for as long as I've been teaching. There is none better! Regardless of your level of expertise, this book is a MUST HAVE for any digital artist that's using Painter. Oh, and if you've sitting on the fence with this purchase due to the fact that you have an older edition of this text, do not delay, as the application grows, so does this book! Enjoy!

First, I have every single edition of Cher's books, and am a fan and friend. Why trust a review I give? Because I do not hold back when something isn't quite right, and am interested in people truly enjoying their art experience, whether on a computer or using more traditional means. If one doesn't understand the medium one can not rise to the best of their abilities. That being said, I unreservedly endorse this edition of Painter WOW as the current standard in Painter education. Corel's new edition of Painter brings back old familiar tools and introduces new ones, including the RealBristle Painting System, tools for photographers such as Underpainting and Auto-Painting, Divine Proportion, and more. For professionals, each new edition of the family of PeachPit's WOW series is a thorough and inexpensive way to quickly assimilate vital information to keep current, and Cher has always proven reliable in producing clear and relevant examples - one of the reasons I trust her books. Right now, as I write this review, this edition of this book is sitting next to my side of the bed, with a bookmark for where I left off yesterday afternoon. (A microbiology book is on my wife's side, so I consider myself by far the more fortunate.) In two hours the bookmark will be a bit further along. For anyone starting with Painter, this is THE book currently available. Cher does not try to produce clones of herself or any other artist, but instead aims (and succeeds) at equipping beginners, novices and experts alike with information particularly pertinent to them. For example, I am much more comfortable with Photoshop and enjoy traditional media, so when I want to work with oils I can feel totally overwhelmed. Her explanations on how to use oil brushes, and then manipulate them to my particular desire, is both straightforward and immediately useful. Yet with the new painting system unique to Painter X a mystery to me, and something I want to master right NOW, I am spending time on that particular subject, which is handled clearly and is immediately helpful. From one version of a book to the other there is obviously going to be carry-through on some art and exercises, simply because the program itself isn't reinvented at each release. Many of the articles do NOT carry over from previous editions, and ALL of them have been carefully reviewed and reworked wherever necessary to reflect the changes occurring from Painter IX to Painter X. This particular edition has been thoroughly edited to cover both minute and major changes/additions to Painter, and the gallery examples contain extensive new work that, like every other edition, challenges and inspires. The galleries show how Painter and the Painter community has grown. If you're new to Painter or to Cher's materials, you can't go wrong with this edition. If it's been awhile since you bought an edition of Painter WOW and want to find out what's going on in the world of Painter, it's time to "upgrade" to Painter X WO

This book is a superb reference for beginners and intermediate users. It won't teach you the absolute basics of the program - you need to figure them out yourself but it delivers in every other aspect. Artists with diverse sets of styles show the steps on how you can use the many brushes in Painter X to your advantage and explanations with lots of detail help you along the way. Galleries of professional work throughout the book serves as inspiration as you study. It covers so many things that you can do with Painter that you'll sometimes find yourself overwhelmed. Despite that, the book is well organized, the techniques are explained thoroughly, and most important of all: the information is great. Truly a great book; the extra goodies like brushes, textures, etc are icing on the cake!