I have to admit that I’m a fan of Janie Gildow’s work, so it’s not surprising that this book and her other show up on my recommended list. Janie covers a variety of mixed media techniques, from dissolving pigment to painting colored pencil over airbrushed art, and even drawing on 3d or textured surfaces (the polymer clay sculture with the mat is wild). Even if you don’t work in mixed media, I still highly recommend this book as it presents possibilities you may not have considered.

This is my favorite colored pencil book! It covers all the basics, from how to compose and photograph a work, to pencils, erasers, papers, and studio equipment, then moves onto techniques. Beautiful drawings are presented step by step, with materials lists and detailed instructions. The subjects are varied and technically challenging; different textures, reflective, transparent, and luminous surfaces - and all of it is explaine with patient, easy to understand pictures and text. This is a must have book for the colored pencil artist.

Here it is, the book the started it all for me. I was lurking in the art section at Barnes and Noble, looking for something new to try, and I stumbled across Ann’s newly published book. My jaw dropped - I couldn’t believe the work was from colored pencil. I scurried off with the book, promptly bought a box of Prismacolors, and became hooked.
Aside from the excellent step by step instruction presented in the book, the best feature is Ann’s skin tone formula. She presents a color list organized by value, instructions on how to make a reference skin tone scale, and a few simple rules for alternating orange, pinks, and yellows. Using this formula, you will produce radiant skin tones.

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Ann’s second book breaks away from portraiture and tackles landscapes, fabrics, textures and surfaces. It is organized and presented in the same clear, easy to follow manner as her portrait book. The subjects are varied, and breakdowns are very helpful - I found the section on landscapes particularly helpful - especially since it gave great tips on how to render difficult subjects like grass. For textures and surfaces, I tend to like Janie Gildow and Cecil Baird’s books better, but this is still a good addition to your collection.</p>

This is a must have for the colored pencil artist! The opening section includes a great overview of the different brands of colored pencil and their characteristics - this is one of the few books that has laid this all out in table form. The next section covers the usual basics - what tools you’ll need, what makes a good composition, then it’s on to the solutions.

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