The Painter's Handbook

by Mark David Gottsegen

Much more than just another guide to artists’ materials, The Painter’s Handbook is an amazingly useful resource, with information on everything from the canvas the canvas itself, plus paper, sizes and grounds, pigments and binders, solvents and thinners, varnishes and preservatives. Dozens of step-by-step recipes for make-it-yourself paints, pastels, varnishes, gessoes, sizes, supports, and equipment take this indispensable guide way beyond the competition. Authoritatively written by Mark David Gottsegen, chair of the federal government’s ASTM committee on artist’s materials, the revised Painter’s Handbook considers the enormous changes in the art-materials world since the first edition was published in 1993. New materials, new health issues, new information on outmoded and even harmful supplies and practices mean that every painter needs a copy of The Painter’s Handbook .

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Reference

360 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1993

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is quite possibly the best book a painter could ask for. I especially enjoy such things as guides (or recipes) for stretchers, primers, and how to successfully create a fresco mural.

I think the main reason i got it was to avoid toxicity, oil paints a primary concern. It explains and expands upon the latests health and safety in materials.

I also found out that gasoline has a flash point of -20 degrees!

:)

[Trunatrschild · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive handbook on many thinks that a painter needs to know to be on top of their art/profession. It has at least a little bit of Basic tools and equipment, supports, sizes and grounds, binders, solvents and thinners, varnishes, balsams, driers, preservatives and retarders and PIGMENTS. Some on making your own paints of different kinds to encaustics pastels and mural painting and techniques to picture protection and conservation and restoration.
This is not indepth on these topics, but a good round up, it's probably more for the beginner to intermediate... but it's all in one book.

[Marta Teixeira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book, to be perfect it should have clear indications if the pigments are transparent or not in all mediums and if they are near the warm or cool spectrum or right in the middle.
If you know of such a compendium please tell me!

[Sheree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful reference book. Packed full of information in great detail. I wish I could keep this book instead of returning it to the library. May have to add it to my permanent collection.

[Dirk Jooste · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you actually open & read this book on the app before rating it?

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells you absolutely everything you could ever want to know about painting; it gives the techniques and materials as well as the pros and cons to those different techniques and materials. A valuable resource, however the writing is dry and exceedingly boring.

[Mark David · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best, least biased book on art materials on the market.