When reviewing an earlier DVD in this series I said I needed a cup (or was it a mug?) of Earl Grey tea and a bun to complete my indulgence in an hour’s enjoyable marquetry tuition.

If that form of rating was used as my yardstick, then I would certainly say this new and latest disc from, not only a master marquetarian, but seasoned tutor into the bargain Peter White, should certainly command two large Bath buns, two mugs of Earl Grey tea and a generous slab of fruit cake to complete this full visual and educational marquetry feast!

(For details of how to purchase this tutorial DVD, or indeed any of our tutorial DVDs, just click this following link:
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It really is amazing at just how quick two and a half hours can vanish when you are watching good marquetry tutorials such as this, they are absorbing and fascinating in equal degrees. But don't just take my word for this, Let's take you through what you will find on this disc.

For a start, not only do you get more than that two and a half hours’ worth of marquetry and art tuition with this DVD, you also get two supplementary booklets of complete reprints of the long running ‘Know Your Woods’ series which first appeared printed in the Marquetarian.

This is indeed a most complete package on the subject of artistic considerations and associated veneer choice when applied to marquetry.

Unless they are a natural photographer or artist, most marquetarians find they have a fair amount of difficulty when it comes to the prospect of selecting or choosing the next subject for their latest marquetry project.

If it so happens that they are using their own photographs as the basis for their next work they are then faced with the difficulty of setting up the photo for the best possible visual impact
for the intended marquetry project.

So, how would you go about selecting, balancing, cropping and substituting various -

component parts of the content of your photo without it turning into a veritable patchwork quilt of unsuitable elements for what was actually intended to be a wonderful marquetry picture?

Well, the answer is here for you with Peter’s latest disc. ‘Artistic Considerations & Veneer Choice in Marquetry’ is the title of this latest two part DVD.

As you can see from that title, the disc is divided into two related parts, the first part or tutorial covers the difficult subject of the artistic considerations you should apply in selecting your subjects in such an understandable way that you will find yourself ‘cottoning on’ to how easy it all really is, once you know those techniques.

Part 2, being titled ‘veneer choice in marquetry’, guides you through choosing the appropriate veneers to fit in with the many varied elements of your marquetry project.

Artistic considerations begins with a brief look at Florentine Mosaic, which is an artistic craft that has strong parallels to marquetry.

An example of that actual Mosaic work can be seen three pictures above this paragraph.

Copious examples of marquetry pictures are used and I am pleased to note that all the picture titles and marquetarians are credited with captions.

Peter demonstrates how things such as vanishing points, proportions, balance and the golden ratio apply not only to art, they also apply to marquetry. Geometric elements as found in highly respected pictures and paintings also apply equally to marquetry. Again, you are guided through all the aspects of these tricky subjects by Peter’s knowledgeable and easily understood narration.

As I said earlier, there is also a second part to the tutorial which luckily deals with the ofttimes difficult topic of veneer selection.

How many of us get into the situation of not quite knowing which veneer would be the right one for a particular element of our marquetry project? Tricky sometimes isn’t it?

But don’t fear because Peter is here (on the DVD only I’m afraid!) to advise and show us how to select and choose the appropriate veneer for whatever part of our marquetry picture we were having trouble deciding over.

All in all then, if you are wanting for an easy to understand tutorial on the subjects of selecting appropriate original subjects for your marquetry and arranging the various elements of the design in order to make a superb and original marquetry picture; then, as well as the design side, that tutorial also acts as a guide for your veneer selection, you just can’t go wrong with this latest tutorial production of Peter’s.

As I said at the beginning of this review, you will find there is more than two and a half hours’ worth of highly interesting video tutorial on this disc.

So, sit down, have a cup of tea and thoroughly enjoy the DVD.

One last thing to come back to is to remind you that there are two accompanying booklets you’ll get alongside the disc.

They list and describe the properties and uses (in marquetry) of many hundreds of veneers.

The detail in most of these descriptions is prodigous and will guide you through selecting appropriate veneers for your marquetry projects.

These are excellent reading in their own right, as an adjunct to the ‘veneer choice in marquetry’ section of the disc, they are an invaluable reference source.

Reprinted, as I said, from the original Marquetarians, they cover several years worth of wood, timber and veneer descriptions by the likes of Graeme Chick, Dave Bullock and Jacob von Holzen. If any people should know their woods, these are those very people!

To find all those articles combined into two covenient booklets which actually form part of the package is indeed a special bonus and is one I fully endorse. I’m learning more with each reading!

Please note: All of the illustrations included in this review are genuine screen shots captured from the tutorial disc itself.

The two coloured stone photographs as seen above in this review are © Scarpellimosaic