Craftsman's Handbook (Dover Art Instruction)

I first encountered this classic whilst still at college. I suffered from a tutor who equated modern conveniences like pre-stretched canvases and commercially made panels with laziness. (We all suspected that he would have liked us to spend our first years grinding our own pigments and boiling glue from hides.) I inadvertently gained his approval by using old wood scavenged from skips and material bought from jumble sales and street markets so I could afford new LPs.While searching for information on turning my finds into good painting surfaces I came across Cennini and was fascinated. Not only does this give a detailed insight into the work of a 15th century Florentine studio but also makes any painter of today profoundly grateful for the materials that we have at our fingertips. Even if you don't want to make your own brushes or roast your charcoal from scratch - two processes that have changed little over the years - there is a lot that can be learnt from this little book.Any painter or student of art history will enjoy this and I recommend it.

This is a most interesting little book. It was written by Cennini in the 15th century and is full of all sorts of interesting points and advice for aspiring artists. It is a real little curiosity, written, of course, for artists of his time and therefore some of the advice is rather strange, for example, how to make a good black out of oak galls. Luckily, we do not have to go down that road now. However, is is an invaluable little book especially for artists who are interesting in getting involved in conservation as it teaches procedures used during the Renaissance. I would recommend this for anyone interested in art.

Bought this as my interest is calligraphy and writing in general, especially quills. Learnt a lot about colours from the book and am steadily going through it learning all the way.

A must for any artist interested in technique - fascinating.

A fascinating book and a good insight into medieval and early Italian Renaissance painting techniques. The information is surprisingly easy to rear and Cennino's spirit fills each page. There's not a great deal for the modern artist apart from inspiration, although some of the sections on gilding remain surprisingly relevant. A rite of passage for any serious painter. I'd like to update my rating but I accidentally clicked three stars and don't seem to be able to edit it!

this is a classic

Book was recommended by a friend. Only read a particular chapter, but found it very useful

Bought as a present for an art history student who is completely a course. She absolutely loves it and says it gives her another dimension to understanding painting technique in this era.