I was lucky enough to be given this book as a Birthday present and at £24.95 it is expensive, but beg steal use your Book Tokens get someone to by it for you, what ?

The updated 2006 edition of Secret Knowledge by David Hockney. Thames & Hudson.

You will understand why there are suddenly many left handed people in many masters paintings,
Why the Mona Lisa is in Soft Focus, but above all you will learn to see in some small way
as David Hockney sees and why the vanishing point may not be such a good thing as we all think!.

You may be put off in the book shops as its shrink wrapped and you can't preview it.
I promise you will not be disappointed.

Thanks for doing this Quills, I will keep a look out for the book. :D

(claphands) (thumbs) (claphands) Sounds really interesting quillion, thanks for the info! (loveh) Sylvia

Oooo that takes me back. I used to work for Thames and Hudson, in the production department. I remember doing a number of Hockney books. Though this one is definately after my time there.

Talking of books to recommend. I was given a book by Joe Francis Dowden on Painting Water with Watercolours. Whilst it's not for the complete beginner, it definately is for someone who has done a bit of painting, but has never dipped their toe in the water (so to speak) of painting water.

Lots of tips and ideas and very good well put together lessons to work through. The lesson's don't just cover painting water, but how to develop the whole painting, including linking sections.

Can't wait to get stuck in. 12painter