No Paint by Numbers here

PaintWorks is a magazine for decorative painters. It doesn't matter what you like to paint on as your canvas, PaintWorks tries to cover several different techniques and surfaces in each issue. Decorative painters will paint on anything, glass, wood, tin, tile, ceramic, clothing, paper, rocks, you name it they will try and paint on it.

In PaintWorks each project is presented by a different artist. Each project is pictured so that you can get a look at what the finished project will look like. Each artist tells you what you will need in line of paint colors, brushes and other supplies such as the surface to paint on, sealers, sandpaper, tack cloth and any other item that the project might need.

Detailed instruction are included for each project and the part that I really like is that several of the projects will have a color worksheet where the artist takes you through the steps of painting the project. I especially like the work sheets that show you how to do the blending to get the effect that the artist wants you to get.

PaintWorks includes pull out patterns for each project. These patterns are the correct size so no need in enlarging them, unless of course you have decided you want your project bigger than what the artist is working with. The pattern section is in the middle of the magazine and can easily be taken out by opening the staples that hold the pages together. You would then close, after removing the patterns, the staples so that your magazine will stay in one piece.

Another thing I like is that PaintWorks artists go through the technique of loading your brush (yes, there are special ways to load a decorative painters brush) and let you know how much pressure to use and where to use it during your paint strokes.

PaintWorks has an index in the back that tells you where you can purchase most of the surfaces they are working on, on the projects in that issue. This is great for someone like me too, that has no craft store close where I might find some of the surfaces such as heart shaped boxes or porcelain ornaments, etc. There is also listed, where you might order brushes and paints

If you start a project and for some reason you have a problem or don't under stand a direction, most of the artist have an address where you can write to them, sending a self-addressed stamped envelope and they will be glad to help you with the problem.

PaintWorks is published nine times per year. The subscription rate is $53.91 for nine issues. The news stand price is $5.99 per issue. I don't subscribe because I do not paint regularly. A couple issues a year keep me in the patters I can accomplish during the year, and I don't always buy every year. I always look through the magazine when I am in the store and a new issue has come out, just in case there is something that I just have to try and paint.

Throughout the magazine there are advertisements where you can order other pattern books by some really great decorative painting artist. There are mentions also, of different decorative painting conferences. All advertisements have something to do with decorative painting.

I just finished up a project that I have wanted to do for a long time. I painted a basket full of ivy with the ivy twining up and around an old wooden ironing board. There is a blue bird sitting on the basket and a nest with eggs down beside the basket. My next project I think, will be painting animals on rocks for my grandchildren. I am sure I will find just the right patterns in PaintWorks.