Paint Magic

by Jocasta Innes

Book Overview

The bible is back! Now comprehensively updated, "Paint Magic" has undergone a complete makeover since it was first published in 1981. Cool, sophisticated finishes have replaced the busy finishes of the 1980s, and there has been a worldwide switch from traditional oil-based to environmentally "greener" water-based paint media. This book reflects all the changes and shows how to get started with paint projects. 140 color photos.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394746546
• ISBN13: 9780394746548
• Release Date: May 1986
• Publisher: Pantheon Books
• Length: 239 Pages
• Weight: 1.95 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Worth it, even if you aren't painting your house

Books shouldn't be judged if you buy them for purposes they weren't intended to fill. But this book did a great job for that alternative purpose, and I'm delighted to recommend it for book artists, which is why I purchased it. Looking for some new techniques to create backgrounds for my raw-art journals, I flipped through the pages and found a section on using gesso (a background that prepares a canvas or board for paint) and another on stenciling. Each technique has a description of the effect, then includes preparation, materials, equipment, how-to and some variations. There are wonderful photos of the finished result (on walls). Sure, the book includes rubber stamping on walls, but for journals, I recommend Graining (p. 106), marbling (p. 114) and ragging (p. 53). The techniques can be easily adapted and give delightful results.

Informative and well explained

This book makes creating decorative finishes easy. All the techniques are well explained and illustrated. A great primer for the beginner.

Paint Magic by Jacasta Innes

Very informative and thorough. Would highly recommend to anyone seeking knowledge about Faux Painting.

Not really impressed

I will start with what was good in the book...there were perhaps five illustrated techniques which I found good, particularly a few wood finishes. The bad news is that most of the instruction is just written and not photographed step by step. Most of the photos in this book are of the finished product.

Excellent instructions;wonderful photographs;many techniques

Antiquing; bambooing; bleaching; colorwashing; combing; decorative painting; dragging; dyeing; gilding; graining; graphiting; japanningh; lacquering; lining; marbling; prphyry; ragging; rag-rolling; rubber stamping; rubbing; spattering; sponging; staining; stenciling; stippling; tortoiseshelling; trompe l'oeil; vinegar painting - all beautifully photographed and described. Makes one want to buy a house and (old) furniture just to do some of these wonderful finishes! Primarily for traditional homes, but this book is well worth having for anyone considering decorating.