ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS PAINTING

In oversize (10''x13'') format, information and inspiration for young painters: kinds of paint, how colors are mixed, tools, creating the illusion of light, volume, or movement, perspective, composition, pattern, texture, and more. Each topical spread includes reproductions of fine paintings; photos of subjects and of hand-held tools at work; and, often, paintings by children experimenting with similar aims and effects and intriguing suggestions for similar exercises. The text is comprised of the usual DK scattering of captions, hints, instructions, and scraps of information; the format works better than in much of their museum exhibit-style nonfiction—the clutter is under control on these busy spreads, but the eye is still distracted from site to site while the mind craves sequential development of ideas. Still, an attractive book, rich in concepts, practical tips, and provocative ideas for artists of any age. Index. (Nonfiction. 8+)