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Rating: 
Summary: Novice Beware
Review: From the description and reviews, I thought that this would be quite the helpful instructional book, but I was wrong. I've never picked up ANY sort of paintbrush before, so I'm starting below ground zero. The entire section on mixing the seven different 'colors' of black in with the five different wetnesses consists of a total of two paragraphs. There is no instruction on how to control how much ink gets on your brush, or how to dilute the ink down to one of the lighter shades without turning the brush into a wet dog on the end of a stick. There are exactly nine paragraphs on working with the black ink (which is the basis for most of paintings I've seen) before the book dives into color. ONE of those paragraphs is on how to hold the brush, and ONE paragraph is on different strokes to use. I'm really disappointed in the lack of explanation. How do you do a stroke with the side of the brush and keep the bristles from spreading all over the page? How, exactly, do you adjust the amount of water on the brush. The book says to dab the heel of the brush with a paper towel, but the heel of the brush that came with the kit is sealed, so THAT won't work... When your holding the brush with the tip towards you, should your hand be palm up or palm down? It's the questions like these that aren't even addressed, which is sad. If you're just starting out, try a different book. Trust me.
Rating:
Summary: Novice Beware
Review: From the description and reviews, I thought that this would be quite the helpful instructional book, but I was wrong. I've never picked up ANY sort of paintbrush before, so I'm starting below ground zero. The entire section on mixing the seven different 'colors' of black in with the five different wetnesses consists of a total of two paragraphs. There is no instruction on how to control how much ink gets on your brush, or how to dilute the ink down to one of the lighter shades without turning the brush into a wet dog on the end of a stick. There are exactly nine paragraphs on working with the black ink (which is the basis for most of paintings I've seen) before the book dives into color. ONE of those paragraphs is on how to hold the brush, and ONE paragraph is on different strokes to use. I'm really disappointed in the lack of explanation. How do you do a stroke with the side of the brush and keep the bristles from spreading all over the page? How, exactly, do you adjust the amount of water on the brush. The book says to dab the heel of the brush with a paper towel, but the heel of the brush that came with the kit is sealed, so THAT won't work... When your holding the brush with the tip towards you, should your hand be palm up or palm down? It's the questions like these that aren't even addressed, which is sad. If you're just starting out, try a different book. Trust me.
Rating: 
Summary: great introduction to chinese watercolor
Review: I recieved this kit as a gift, and read through the book and I think it is a great introduction to Chinese brush painting. The kit includes: two black ink sticks, an ink stone; white, yellow orange, and blue paint blocks, a tube of vermillion (red) watercolor paint, a small porcelein bowl, a brass spoon, your very own chinese painting brush and ten sheets of paper(5 grass, 5 Xuan) in the back on which to practice. Granted, there are more brushes and colors and types of paint and paper you could buy, but this kit helps you get started and has everything you need to paint the 14 projects in the book (you will probably need more paper though). You will learn to paint flowers, animals, fish, landscapes and more if you follow the instructions. I think if you master the techniques taught in this book you will have at the least the skill to paint in a beautiful way, and at the most an inspiration to continue to explore chinese brush painting. The book gives step by step instructions, including: how to grind your ink using the ink stick and stone, how to use the brush to achieve a desired effect, including directional arrows and the position of the brush. I think the instruction is clear and the artworks are inspirational enough to get you started and give you practice with different techniques. The only minor problem I had was that the little bowl and spoon had been explained. I am guessing that the little bowl holds the water with which you use the little brass spoon to dip and add drops of water onto the ink stone before you grind your ink. I am also guessing that the blocks of paint should be chipped off as needed to preserve their purity rather than using them like the pan watercolors we had as children. Overall I still give this book a rating of five stars.
Rating:
Summary: great introduction to chinese watercolor
Review: I was a bit stunned when I received this book. It comes with the minimum materials necessary to make your first strokes of Chinese painting, but the "stunning" projects appear to be at the 6th grade level. The brush, ink stick, and ink stone are the primary expenses here, so there isn't much in the way of instruction. The best thing I can say is that the book and supplies will probably allow you to decide if you like Chinese brush painting or not. As such, it is probably a good "first" book for most novices.
Rating: 
Summary: Stunning Projects?
Review: I was a bit stunned when I received this book. It comes with the minimum materials necessary to make your first strokes of Chinese painting, but the "stunning" projects appear to be at the 6th grade level. The brush, ink stick, and ink stone are the primary expenses here, so there isn't much in the way of instruction. The best thing I can say is that the book and supplies will probably allow you to decide if you like Chinese brush painting or not. As such, it is probably a good "first" book for most novices.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning Projects?
Review: I was a bit stunned when I received this book. It comes with the minimum materials necessary to make your first strokes of Chinese painting, but the "stunning" projects appear to be at the 6th grade level. The brush, ink stick, and ink stone are the primary expenses here, so there isn't much in the way of instruction. The best thing I can say is that the book and supplies will probably allow you to decide if you like Chinese brush painting or not. As such, it is probably a good "first" book for most novices.
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