PhotoShop and Painter Artist Tablet Book

[Tami]

PhotoShop and Painter Artist Tablet Book
Author: Cher Threinen-Pendarvis
Review by: Adaera

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If I could get away with a one word review for this book, the word would be "awesome." Cher's use of colour and layout in this book are both practical and eye-catching. I found myself drawn first to the illustrations, then to the text to see how she accomplished the end result. The oversized pages make this book easy to lay out and follow along while trying Cher's suggested exercises without struggling to hold the book open.


As I own both PhotoShop and Painter, it was also a bonus only needing one book to learn new skills for both programmes. I also found alot of tips and tricks for both programmes I previously was unaware of. Cher has a talent for teaching effectively, and she has successfully transferred those skills into an extremely useful tutorial manual. She makes it all seem so simple, and at times it seems as though her words are encouraging you along even if you aren't achieving the same results as those portrayed in the book. Cher gives subtle creative hints throughout the book, further encouraging experimentation with the design tools-her encouragement is what helped me find a true desire to continue working with the tablet, even though I can't draw very well. By working with different areas of the book, I found some improvement in my drawing ability, which in and of itself was worth the time I had thus far spent working with Cher's lessons.

I feel that many people who are very talented with traditional art tools are perhaps held back by a fear of the new graphics technology. Cher has successfully made the transition, and with Cher's comfortable teaching style, I think many more will venture into the world of digital graphics once they read her book. Cher explains the tools of the trade so well, it's like she is planting the seed of "I can do that" thoughts in the reader's mind and thus making them keen to try something new. This keeness I think helps traditional artists, and new digital artists, overcome their fear of "doing something wrong" and unleashing previously hidden creative processes.

Cher's inclusion of vendors, references and suppliers in her book's appendices is to me a tacit way of telling the reader "you've made it this far, now go ahead and try this." In fact, just by revisiting various sections of Cher's book during the writing of this review, I want to get out the tablet, open PhotoShop and get creating. Very few tutorial books can instigate the same kind of motivation. Well done, Cher.