• I wish The Art of Mosaics: A Guide to the History, Materials, Equipment and Techniques had been around years ago when I was teaching myself to do it. Author Joaquim Chavarria has written a professional guide, not a "craft" book. Lavishly illustrated, the book includes ten step-by-step demos, such as how to cut different materials, layout methods and systems for completing projects with assorted mosaic materials, such as glass, rocks, and stones. A glossary and a bibliography are useful resources. A summary of the history of mosaic is very interesting.

• Pastel Painting Techniques by Guy Roddon was re-released in 2001. The book includes 17 projects with varied subject matter and illustrations by different artists. From making your own pastels to creating tint charts of your colors, Roddon covers the subject thoroughly. Different techniques are shown in step-by-step demos. In addition to a good summary of the key points of composition and color, the book has a glossary and a section on framing pastels. The writing is very clear in this book, one reason it's a classic.

• 10 Factors for Creating Marketable Artwork is art-marketing guru Sue Viders's new book. The book contains handy check lists and charts of items to consider when you're thinking of offering your work to the art market. The book takes a slightly different approach from her popular Producing & Marketing Prints., a step-by-step guide for marketing art reproductions. Visit Sue's web site to view more tools for artists who want to sell their work.

• The Sumi-e Dream Book by Yolanda Mayhall is subtitled "An Impressionist Approach to the Art of Japanese Brush Painting. Illustrated on every page with helpful numbered demos that aren't hands-on. Basic and advanced strokes are shown, with information on creativity, composition and color. Some great ideas for experimental sumi-e techniques are crowded onto one page. The artwork is charming.

• In Watercolor Expressions: 126 artists create moods with brushes and paint, Betty Lou Schlemm selects a wide variety of subject, style, techniques and skill levels. However, although very well done, the paintings are mostly realistic value paintings. Some abstraction is included, but very little experimental work. One large illustration per page is accompanied by the artist's statement about the expression in the work. This is not a techniques book, as it has no materials lists or demos, but it is interesting to compare different styles and to study the design in the artwork.

• Pat Dews's book Creative Composition and Design. covers design in collage and mixed media, incorporating watercolor, pastel and encaustic techniques. Beautifully illustrated, the book has great step-by-step hands-on demos and instructive tips and sidebars. The design explanation is brief, but concise. Several artists have contributed artwork and demos that are very interesting. This user-friendly book includes a section on how to finish a painting, along with a bibliography and a critique of student work.

• Linda Stevens Moyer's Light up Your Watercolors Layer by Layer. is one of the best recent watercolor instruction books I've read. The book includes hands-on demos and beautiful illustrations. A total beginner might be intimidated by the finished works, but the lessons and assignments are doable and Moyer explains and demonstrates basic techniques well. Intermediate painters would benefit from this book and advanced artists would pick up some tips and get some good review.

• The Ultimate Color Printer Craft Book by Susan Krzywicki and Laurel Burden shows you how to use your inkjet printer for paper and fabric projects, from bookmarks to wallpaper and t-shirts to quilts, plus much more. The book contains clear and non-technical explanations of how to use technology to make exciting craft-arts, plus diagrams, patterns, and many illustrations of finished projects. Each project is shown step-by-step. Collage artists might enjoy this one, as well as crafters.

• Creative Computer Tools for Artists. This book, by Jann L. Pollard and Jerry J. Little, is subtitled "Using Software to Develop Drawings & Paintings". There are many demonstrations of prep work and finished projects, showing work by different artists. Using Photoshop, Photoshop Elements and PaintShopPro, the authors explain basic terms, including how to use layers and filters. Cropping, blurring, adjusting values and many other computer techniques are clearly explained.

• Linda Kemp's Watercolor Painting Outside the Lines: A positive approach to negative painting demystifies negative painting with clear step-by-step demonstrations and illustrations that are easy to follow. Planning is the key to building successive layers of paint, painting around objects to create their shapes. The book includes good design suggestions and a section on understanding properties of watercolor paint that warmed my exploring color heart. The techniques are effective and doable.

• Plein air painting is very popular now, but Lois Griffel's 1994 book is an early text on the principles underlying the color theory taught by Charles Hawthorne and Henry Hensche at the Cape Cod School in New England. Painting the Impressionist Landscape consists of lessons in interpreting light and color, using optical or visual mixing. Using colored blocks, Griffel explains how to see and paint outdoor light on the subject. The book is well illustrated with a few demonstrations and historical notes.

• Lee Hammond's Draw NASCAR is instructional and fun at the same time. There is good drawing instruction for colored pencil, showing how to represent the shiny surfaces of cars and the detail of decals on the much-decorated NASCAR racers. Hammond mingles instruction on cars with portrait drawing of leading drivers.The section on drawing techniques is concise and informative. You'll learn a lot about auto racing. I'm married to a motor-head and he learned a few things, too.

• George Schaub's Using Your Digital Camera. is the best book I've found on all aspects of digital photography. Schaub not only explains how the camera works, but how to download images, edit and print them and use them in email or on the internet. There is a great chapter on Picture Projects filled with ideas for using the features on your camera and software, plus a comprehensive glossary and a list of Web resources.

Be sure to check out my Awesome Book List page for hundreds of recommended books with direct links to Amazon.com for reviews and ordering.

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