Title: Let’s Paint with the Master Artist
Author: Dorothy Slikker
Publisher: Readers Magnet, LLC
ISBN: 978-1-948864-27-5
Genre: Art Instruction
Pages: 71
Reviewed by: Barbara Miller
Pacific Book Review
A fine art painting, to many, is a daunting display of skill and talent; yet by following the techniques, advice and rules provided by master artist and author Dorothy Slikker, many examples of selected paintings can be reproduced by readers committed to following her guidelines. In her instructional revealing book and her life as an artist titled, Let’s Paint with the Master Artist, Slikker gets right into bringing her knowledge gained by her experience along with the famed teachings of artist Robert Warren. Following a brief introduction, Slikker has inserted a reproduction of a Color Wheel, used by Robert Warren, and explains the mixing of colors from a practical artist’s viewpoint. She points out how to prep the canvas with various shades of orange or green, to bring the surface paints into an illumination. She then lists a few dozen “rules,” of which I found fascinating. Rules such as clouds should have a flatter bottom further away, as do waves in the ocean also flattening near the horizon. Not only is her advice given on painting techniques, but with life in general; such as keeping away from people who are “negative,” and to ask advice from people who know. She states her desire to get a student who will work hard as being preferable to one who simply relies on talent.
Working hard and following the methodologies found in her book will result in painting of significant interest, as entertaining the viewer of a painting is as much a goal as impressing them with the skill and details. Slikker shows paintings including: a silhouette of a golfer in front of an extraordinary sunset; a wolf behind a tree, and a horse with a rider at the edge of a beach gazing out into the water. My favorite one was a self-portrait she did of herself, taken from a black-and-white photo of her when she was seventeen, as she discussed how to illuminate the skin tones, proportion the facial characteristics and bring the painting to life.
Teaching others skill sets of painting requires patience. Reminiscent of the late Bob Ross’ TV series The Joy of Painting, as he gently mumbled out his thoughts while painting, the perfunctory lessons within Slikker’s book will guide readers through many of the choices of color and placement, layering and most importantly knowing when to stop – not to kill the painting with too much work.
Let’s Paint with the Master Artist is an ideal gift to a friend or loved one, or to yourself if you paint so to aspire to a new level of skill. To a young adult, it would be a perfect present to accompany a paint set with brushes and blank canvases. Once engaged in the process of reproducing one of Slikker’s paintings, readers will feel as if the “master” is beside themselves, helping, by providing good advice – yes, from someone who knows what they are talking about.
Follow Us