I was very excited to see this book, as i thought the subject would be fascinating and helpful. Unfortunately, as many other reviewers have pointed out, there are no pictures to help you visualize the ideas. I cannot recommend it.

Full of ideas to help the creative process and experiment with techniques using a variety of supplies. However, rather than the full-page inspirational quotes from artists and writers, I would have preferred to see samples of the ideas mentioned. Perhaps this was not the purpose of the book. However, for beginners, samples would be helpful. Nevertheless, the book is a valuable asset to get one's creative juices flowing.

Certainly there are many interesting ideas for artists and craftspeople, but this kind of topic really would benefit from illustrations of many of these, as it was often hard to visualise. Without a visual idea, I found myself skimming over many parts as it required some concentration to imagine each technique without even knowing whether I would find it useful to me personally. So, a good idea, but would be so much better if expanded and illustrated with examples.
Thanks to the publisher for a review copy.

Disclaimer: I received a digital download of this book from NetGallery in exchange for a fair and honest review.


Well...when I promised an honest review, it may be brutal.

While many have noted that this book is full of great ideas for the artist, I will not be purchasing a copy or suggesting to other creative friends.

Reading this was like flipping through Pinterest for techniques, without the photos to demonstrate the idea. I would rather spend the time sitting at my computer for inspiration than invest my bookshelf space.

I was left cold.

This book is a real treasure chest, filled up with hundreds of useful or at least interesting ideas about acrylic, oil, mixed media, drawing, etc. very valuable resource for painters. It's a pity that none of them is illustrated in any way. The only pictures in the book are the first pages of any chapter, they are blurred out (and used as a background for the artistic quotes). They do not explain or illustrate the content. As the book is dedicated to visual artists it should be desirable include some images too. This not only with intension of embellishment or easier and more enjoyable reading, but at least for the unusual tecniques. I think it's a serious handicap of this else very useful and creative book. Bonus: there are considerations about safety issues and making art with children.

Art Studio Secrets is the perfect book for any creative looking for a touch of inspiration. Unlike a lot of art books, Art Studio Secrets doesn’t spend chapters (or even the whole book) focusing on one specific subject. Instead it covers dozens of different mediums, ideas, and techniques.
The ideas and techniques explored in this book are all relatively brief. Most of them are only a paragraph or two at the most. And most have no photos along with them. That may sound like it shouldn’t be a bonus; but when you’re looking for a style to inspire you sometimes you don’t want to be influenced by another artist’s works. So I personally think that this was a brilliant move. It’s clear that the author was seeking to truly push the reader into creativity here, instead of trying to teach them their particular style.
This book includes eighteen chapters of ideas, plus a chapter on references, and an additional section on resources. I love how much work and thought was put into the whole thing. It covers everything from creative acrylics to finding your style. It’s perfect for an experience artist looking for change, or a newly budding artist looking to find the perfect style for them. I can see this book helping a lot of people.

Art Studio Secrets is divided into 19 chapters and includes 300 techniques or alternive methods to use surrounding painting, crafting and collaging.
There were a lot of techniques in there that I haven't heard of or tried out myself. I just wished there were more photos or examples printed in the book, then it would almost become an encyclopedia.

Thank you Netgalley and Dover publications for providing me with a digital copy.