Painting the Landscape in Pastel Reviews

• Painting the landscape in pastels-Albert Handell

  
  By A1W21903VEYJA6 on 2001-06-26
  I am a professional portrait artist who specializes in pastels so I am familiar with Albert Handell through several pastel magazines. He is a master at the western (ie:New Mexico, Arizona, etc.) landscapes with his remarkable color pallette of those regions! I don't think any pastelist paints rocks and trees better than this man. The writing style is a little elementary but the information is refreshingly straightforward, informative and easily understood. You won't find vague, ethereal wanderings from this guy! The many photos are clear and beautiful. His "step by step" sequences actually show the reader something useful and attainable.:-). This is a must have addition for the library of any pastel artist....
  
  

• A wonderful Must Have for All Pastelists!

  
  By on 2000-10-23
  Mr. Handell generously shares his great knowlege & know how. He simplifies & organizes the pastel palette, its so easy to be a plein air painter. I strongly reccomend this book as a bible for all pastelists.
  
  

• Another Winner from a Master!

  
  By A2ITHMEOOEYFM2 on 2001-03-02
  Albert Handell with Anita West has written the difinitive book on location painting in pastel. A visual masterpiece, each painting reproduced will excite anyone to get out on location and get to work. The text is informative and very straight forward. All of his books are keepers and this one is as well. He is the master of the medium and we should all be grateful he shares so much. Thank you Albert and Anita.
  
  

• Very Lightweight

  
  By A1179RZON69VSO on 2002-12-19
  I am a beginner to the art of pastel painting/drawing. This book is below the level of a beginner. It is long on talk about color, hues, values, and lots of things that a beginner doesn't really care about. When it comes to ACTUAL TECHNIQUE, HOW TO PUT PASTEL ON PAPER AND MAKE IT LOOK THE WAY YOU WANT IT TO, THIS BOOK IS VIRTUALLY SILENT! I have recently checked a book out of my university library that is the best book I have seen yet (the author's name escapes me now). It has about 10 demonstration paintings where the author goes through the various steps of creating a pastel painting. In contrast, Painting the Landscape had 1 or 2 such demonstrations and only about a page of nitty gritty on technique (actually applying pastel to paper).

  Stay away from this book. It isn't worth your time.
  
  

• Handell has the best ever pastels

  
  By A2JUK3J8EZD5JP on 2005-01-15
  I bought Albert Handell's book because for someone painting in pastels his works have reached a level that ordinary pastel artists might think impossible. They are so rich in texture and color blend and capturing the essance of the painting. From buying the book I did not really get a handle on how he did the paintings- he probably reveals that in his workshops- but the book is a visual delight and worth it just for that- Jason Alster - publisher- Creative Painting For The Young Artist
  
  
• Nice read, but not what I expected
  By A2Q6SARNS2CGGH on 2006-11-10
  When I purchased the book, I thought I would find more "step by step" examples for learning to paint landscapes in pastel. The book is nicely written, but not what I expected.
  
  
  
• ... But keep your eyes open
  By A1A07CWEQUQE7H on 2007-10-23
  (I'm not clear on the contribution by author Anita Louise West; the text is largely in the first person singular -- Handell's.) This is a decent, if short-winded, introduction to common, fundamental art concepts (color temperature, intensity, complementary colors) and a few pointers specific to the pastel medium. There is little that you cannot get elsewhere in more depth, and some puzzling statements ("A toned paper helps the artist enhance contrast in values" -- p. 20) that beg elaboration. Many of the points are theoretically demonstrated by Handell's own paintings, with a paragraph each of his discussion; but his comments often seem arbitrarily chosen, if not downright wrong for the painting in question. For example, p. 40, he states "these light green colors [of the spring outside the studio window] contrasted with and complemented ... all of the darker interior colors of the studio," but the highest-key portions of the painting are in the interior. On p. 39 a view of a pier shows a flag at half staff. Hendell states, "I purposely played down the detail of the flag," yet it is in plain sight and eye-catching. In fact, the most interesting thing about an otherwise trite scene is the flag (I would have titled the picture "Half Mast") because it adds particularity and involves the viewer ("what's going on?"). The painting is divided exactly in halves horizontally, classically a compositional no-no, so I would have liked to read the artist's discussion of this choice. In some other paintings the artist seems confused (or unconcerned) about the principal light source -- although since Wayne Thiebaud routinely gets away with this, maybe it's not a big issue. In summary, this book is a lightweight, and hopefully encouraging, introduction to a wonderful medium, but the discussion of individual paintings should be read with one's critical faculties in place. Plus, it never hurts to browse another artist's works, even if the lessons contain nearly as many "what not to do's" as "what to do's".
  
  
• Visual Delight
  By A33PF4OYAX0I9W on 2006-11-08
  I have been painting in oils for a few years and want to explore pastels. I am familiar with Handell's work and always believe you should buy a book by someone whose art takes your breath away. In that aspect, this book will not disappoint. However, for a beginner in the medium of pastels, you may want to explore a book with more demos. Am I going to keep this book in my library...you bet! Thank you Albert Handell and Anita Louise West!
  
  
• Painting in pastel?
  By A17K95SEU3J68U on 2007-12-31
  Handell"s current work doesn't impress me as much as his former style. Sometimes longtime artists get carried away with their own notoriety, and get just too artsy. This is more a"coffee table " book than something to learn from.
  
  
• Academic painting.
  By A2KRULW4IAO8T3 on 2005-10-24
  Far too academic. Fails to consider the sponteneity this media evokes and the inherent emtionality of each individual.
  
  

• Painting with Pastels: Easy Techniques to Master the Medium
• Landscape Meditations
• On Location - Plein Air Painting In Pastel
• The Pastelist's Year: Painting the Four Seasons in Pastel
• The Pastel Book