Most books that include step-by-step tutorials are infuriating. They skip steps, the style is too wispy to follow, the content is uninteresting (most commonly an obsession with naked bodies). Not this one. The Ultimate Guide to Colored Pencil includes enough steps with enough detail, the style is concrete so I know what I'm looking at, and the content ranges from a wooden wheel spoke to human hands to a stream with rocks. More impressively, it addresses techniques used with different kinds of colored pencils like watercolor or using solvents to turn the pencil into a paint ready for creating a base layer.

The author's approach also varied from my favorite botanical illustration book by Ann Swan, so I'm slowly learning which techniques are broadly accepted and which ones are more personal preference. Do I keep the graphite under drawing like Ann Swan or do I trace around it with colored pencil and eventually erase the graphite like Gary Greene? Do I use graphite to aid in shadows and do the shadows first like Ann Swan or do I use only the graphite for initial outlines and work with light colors first like Gary Green? In time I'll know my own preferences and come across others.

I love the subjects for the tutorials. Like mentioned earlier, some books--most?--use a lot of nudity complemented with other urban and anthrocentric images. This simply doesn't appeal to me. I appreciate still life, but I largely prefer animals, countryside, and nature. This book included those and had an overall rural feel. Despite the use of student grade materials I love how my donkey face and wintry barn scene turned out. Meanwhile I definitely need more work on reflective surfaces like bottles and pans, but they were a fun challenge between nature subjects.

In the section about materials this is the first book I've read that includes detailed information about solvents. I already returned the book to the library so I can't mention what other materials Greene mentioned, but I was relieved that isopropyl alchohol can be used--one less item for me to get at the art store!

This book was also the first I've read that clarified what you call an artwork done in colored pencil--indeed, it's called a painting. I wasn't sure if it was a drawing. Sometimes it's awkward to put so much time into something and call it a drawing. Drawing sounds more like a quicker investment or a preliminary layer to a painting. When you consider watercolor pencils and solvents it makes it even more weird to say drawing. Good thing it's a painting!

I do caution that with this book in particular that it's better to have a complete artist tool box. To properly do all the tutorials you'll need artist grade pencils and paper--otherwise you'll a had time layering and burnishing, which are two of the demonstration sections. The other two require solvents and watercolor. The last section is a combined techniques section, including a fun-looking environmental portrait of someone release an elaborately-colored hot air balloon.

The Ultimate Guide to Colored Pencil: Over 40 Step by Step Demonstrations for Both Traditional and Watercolor Pencils is easily my favorite general art book so far. I bypass many books because they're hard to follow, have a distasteful style, or don't have appealing subjects, but all of these issues are nonexistent in The Ultimate Guide. It suits my learning style and interests almost perfectly. ( )

This is a great how-to book that also contains a 1 hour CD of the author creating a painting of a rose with colored pencils. This is a must have for colored pencil artists.

While Gary Greene has written several books for beginners I think this book is better suited for the intermediate to advanced artist. The book does contain some beginner information on materials and tools that every colored pencil artist uses as well as how to use a reference photo. However, the intermediate and advanced artist will find information on photographic anomalies in reference photos and errors that colored pencil artists make when attempting to put two or more reference photos together into a composite photo. One feature that I have never seen in any other colored pencil instructional book are Greene's comparison charts of the pencil colors of 9 different colored pencil manufacturers.

The technique chapter addresses all of the techniques common in a beginner book but the techniques demonstrated are for the artist who has already done a few drawings and has come across a few problems. Greene is very detailed when talking about the use of solvents with colored pencil and has a chart showing how 5 different solvents work with both wax based pencils and oil based pencils. He then has a chart showing how to mix colors with the solvents. Burnishing techniques are discussed in extensive detail. It is covered in 36 pages! No other colored pencil author has given the subject of burnishing this much attention. Part of this information includes demonstrations. Likewise, underpainting is covered extensively in 37 pages! This is incredible and you won't find this information in any other colored pencil book. I would know because I have them all. The remainder of this book consists of demonstrations of techniques and combinations of techniques that the reader should work on independently.

This Ultimate Guide really is an ultimate guide. There is information within its pages that you will not find in any other colored pencil instructional book. If you are a colored pencil artist, this is one book that you must have in your personal library. ( )