Book Description

As Joseph Zbukvic explains, in order to set the mood in a composition, artists need to set their clocks--their watercolor clocks, that is. The watercolor clock is a simple, but ingenious teaching device Zbukvic created to show artists how to manipulate watercolor materials for dazzling, atmospheric effects.

The "clock" accompanies every visual example in this book, helping artists anticipate how the condition of the paper (wet, dry, moderate, etc.) will react to various watercolor mixes. Based on this teaching principle, Zbukvic guides artists through step-by-step demonstrations that clearly illustrate how to: identify a subject; plan a painting; control color and value; manipulate edges; add the right finishing touches.

With this book, artists can achieve a greater level of mastery with watercolor and deeper, richer paintings. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Stunning effects by manipulating the amount of moisture
The example paintings in Joseph Zbukvic's "Mastering Atmosphere and Mood" are stunning. By manipulating the amount of moisture ON the paper and IN the wash of paint, Zbuvic creates strong contrast between ethereal washes and densely painting architectural or landscape elements.

Zbuvic uses a device he calls a clock, which consists of a circle divided into wedges; the left side gauging the amount of water on the paper (from shiny wet to bone dry) and the right side gauging the amount of water mixed into the paint, from weak "tea" to "butter" or thick paint. This is rather original, but it does communicate an awareness of the moisture levels in both paint and paper to the artist. One example painting that really stands out is a rainy scene of downtown Melbourne, Australia. The street is lightly washed to allow the paper beneath to create the white shine of a wet street; the buildings and headlight reflections are painted more densely to provide either solidity (the building) or glow (the headlights.)

Most books on watercolor demonstrate a layered method of washes followed by glazes (paint over paint.) The end result can often be muddy for beginners in watercolor. This method is quite different in how it describes laying down washes and glazes, and can help the watercolorist achieve transparent atmosphere effects by paying attention to the water. If you've run into a brick wall with your current method of painting, this might be a great book to give a boost to your technique.

buy this book
The approach that Mr. Joseph Zbukvic uses in his book is fascinating. For me, he takes the mystery out of painting watercolor and breaks it down into a more understandable approach. What I like about it is that he explains the different consistencies that paint should be when applied to the paper. His consistency of paint is described as: tea, coffee, milk, cream and butter. The dampness of paper is described as: dry, damp, moist, and wet. He ties these ideas together by using a concept of a clock. The concept of a clock is used to explain when and how paper and paint should be used together. An example of one of his demonstrations: laying in the first background wash to paper, the paper is dry and the paint is in the consistency of tea. His demonstrations in the book are clear and easy to understand especially with this "clock" method. He also writes very well and it is an enjoyable read. I love the way he paints and the price of the book alone is worth just looking at his paintings.

Teaches you nothing
This book has no instruction that is usable. A waste of time and money. Zbukvic may be a respected artist, but a teacher he is not.
One specific--the instruction is based upon the "watercolor clock" which is so much unsuable nonsense. It doesn't even stand-up to its own logic. I'm throwing up my hands and throwing this book in the recycling bin.

No teaching involved in this book!
If you want a book to learn from and instruction, don't buy this one.

Incredible Art...tiresome reading
The art work is of the highest quality...the text is very poorly edited. What are "tyres"? (aka tires, like on a car), the writing is plagued with misspellings (maybe that's the way it's spelled in Australia!). Australiaisms abound to such a degree that I have no idea what their talking about.
Making tea, coffee, milk, etc. from paint becomes tiring. One of the demonstration paintings clearly shows the artist's full arm in the painting during the demostration but yet in the side bar describes the painting as 7"x12" (The Artist must have and extremely short arm!)
However, that said, the paintings are incredible and breathe-taking! I will be practicing and trying to duplicate these moody effects for a long time. It is amazing how much detail can be shown with so few brush stokes. Zubukvic really shines! Don't forget to get his friend Alvaro's book "Painting with passion". You can see how their styles are similar. A feast for the eyes and an insight as to how artists view the world. I wish all art books could be so splended. It's to bad these artist spend so much of their time in other parts of the world, I would love to be in their workshops. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great book!
I am very pleased with Botanical Illustration in Watercolor
by Eleanor B. Wunderlich. It is a beautifully illustrated book both in presentation and in demos. It combines both worlds of wc and botanical illustration in a clear and precise manor. I would highly recommend this book for both beginner and serious botanical illustrator and/or for a good reference book for your art library. It is a very pleasing book just to browse through.

Absolutely the BEST BOOK on botanical illustration
This is the best book on botanical illustration I have found. It is suitable for all levels including complete beginners like myself. Although some artistic talent is certainly an asset, closely following the instructions here will come as close as possible to teaching virtually anyone to paint. From drawing to painting, it offers everything you need to create your own beautiful botanical artwork.

The book starts out by helping you choose a subject with practical advice on fruits, vegetables, flowers, mushrooms, bulbs, roots, trees, ferns, vines and more. Then, creating a space to work in and selecting materials from brushes to paper is covered. I love the many excellent tips on mixing colors.

The next section focuses on the many aspects of drawing including setting up a still life, planning the picture and transferring your drawing to watercolor paper. There are detailed step-by-step instructions for drawing a huge variety of botanical subjects including orchids, tulips and foxgloves. I really liked how the author discusses the various shapes of flowers such as round, teacup and tubular and then shows you how to block them out.

The final section covers the painting process. Along with numerous step-by-step demonstrations on painting botanicals there are hints on correcting mistakes, protecting your paper and tips on painting white flowers. Creating the initial washes, adding shadows, shading, layering and highlighting are included as well. To finish your artwork the author gives advice on matting, framing, exhibiting and selling your artwork.

The finished illustrations throughout the book are so beautiful. Each one has information on the kind of paper they are painted on, size and title.

Best book on the subject and beautiful, too
Not only is this a comprehensive guide to painting botanical subjects, but the book is just gorgeous.

Drawings and paintings of wild flowers and fruits bring out their beauty in ways photographs cannot. So this book is a really good resource if you like to sketch and hike, or if you garden and want to make a beautiful record of what you see. This is also a great resource if you are getting into journal writing and want to put in pictures of plants and flowers (many people keep a garden record journal, for example.)

The instructions are very good, from how to draw and sketch plants to choices of color. There are good examples to copy to learn the technique. I don't think there is a better book on this subject, nor a more beautiful book.

This is a book to love and cherish
Since I started learning botanical illustrating I have seen many books on the subject but few have held me spellbound like this one. The intelligence, helpfulness and sensitivity of the instructions would make it a book worth having on their own, but the glorious illustrations will keep you referrring to the book again and again. Their complexity and detail will hold you enthralled.

For everyone who loves to paint with watercolors
If I had to sell all of my watercolor books except one, this is the one I would keep. Ms. Wunderlich takes the artist on a journey as if she understands that everyone needs to know both elementary and advanced techniques. Nothing is left out in her demonstrations as she easily SHOWS with wonderful pictures and TELLS with few words. I've been painting watercolors for two years, have borrowed or bought almost every book on the subject, have listened in classes, watched in seminars, and made every mistake possible until I got her book. Her simple demos gave me the greatest understanding of glazes/layering and texture application. I felt so confident with her guidance that my first painting was on a full sheet and became my favorite. The book's illustrations can be framed and referenced again and again. After I got this book, I sold and gave away half of my other watercolor books. ... Read more

Book Description

Following in the footsteps of Watercolor: Simple, Fast, and Focusedis Mel Stabin's latest: The Figure in Watercolor: Simple, Fast, and Focused.Capturing a figure's unique personality and multifaceted quality in watercoloris challenging-but Stabin demonstrates, step by step, how the new artist cancapture the figure by painting simply, directly, and with intense focus on the"essence" of a person. Readers will discover tested techniques and hands-on tipsfor painting portraits, people in an environment, and groups of people, as wellas for painting people from photographs. They'll also find a treasury ofvaluable advice on design, composition, shape, value, color, and more! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A GOOD BOOK RUINED BY SPLITTING PAINTINGS
I rate this a good to very good book on loose watercolor figure painting. Stabins flowing line brush drawings of the female figure are outstanding.
THE REASON FOR ONLY 3 STARS,THERE ABOUT 10 OF THE BEST PAINTINGS COMPLETELY RUINED BY BEING ON TWO PAGES. ONE COMPLETE PAGE AND ABOUT 1/3 ON THE ADJACENT PAGE. PROBABLY THE BEST IS OF A DANCER SITTING ON THE FLOOR, AND HER FACE AND SHOULDERS ARE BURIED IN PAGE TO SPINE CURVE. I HAVE THE BOOK AND ONLY WAY I CAN SEE FULL PAINTING IS DISSEMBLE THE BOOK. WATSON/GUPTILL, ARE YOU LISTENING?

Great book, but light in the "how to" department...
One problem I find with watercolor instruction books about painting the human figure is that so few of them are in a style I actually like. Charles Reid has a few, of course, and there are some others that offer insights, but even so the styles are not always what I'm aiming for. Mel Stabin's "Figure in Watercolor" is a happy exception to that lamentable rule, although not without its shortcomings.

Overall, this is a fairly inspiring book with great paintings and a few nuggets of information about painting the figure, but I found that the actual instruction was a bit thin. There are a few step-by-step examples, but most of the book consists of Mr. Stabin's wonderful paintings, along with a paragraph or two about basic composition, studio conditions, or back story behind the painting.

Perhaps the artist was going on the assumption that the student should be given inspiration over step-by-step instruction. That can work very well in some instructional environments (such as college-level courses), but I think I would've found more of the step-by-step examples helpful. What few step-by-step examples there are in the book (three, I think), are condensed at best, and really don't give the student a good sense of how the painting was made (kind of like watching the opening credits, end credits, and a scene in the middle of a movie, and trying to understand what the movie was all about). Here we see an early step, a somewhere-in-the-middle step, and the finished painting. Even with the accompanying text, the complete evolution of the work is still something of a mystery.

One of the few really frustrating things about the book is that several of the large paintings that start the chapters are positioned in such a way that the figures (obstensively the most important part of the painting), are placed right between the inside edges, so that it is almost impossible to get a good look at the figure without flattening out the book (and thereby ruining the spine).

All in all, it's still a great book, but definitely aimed for an intermediate level, rather than the beginner. I'm not sure if that was the artist's intention, but it seemed to be the end result. Even so, the beginner will still find value in the book, in the form of inspiration if not direct instruction. ... Read more

Book Description

This instructional book approaches the figure organically, showing readers how to observe its basic shapes and subtle nuances through practical exercises and lessons in the art of seeing with a painter's eye.

Step-by-step demonstrations in contour drawing teach how to capture the overall essence of the human form, then lessons in gesture drawing emphasize the body's linear rhythms in various poses. Painting techniques progress from silhouette to three-dimensional forms through clever uses of light, shadow, color, and value. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

excellent course in drawing people
This book begins with a couple exercises intended to improve your ability at drawing people with pencil. All of these are ones I've utilized before in college art classes. These are followed by several exercises intended to improve your ability at drawing people with watercolor. All exercises focus on quick drawings. His paintings often use exagerated colors, to simplify the reader's task of figuring out what is happening. Together, these exercizes (and a lot of practice) are bound to greatly improve your artistic ability.

Even if you prefer to do slow detailed paintings, the quick paced exercises are an invaluable tool to improve your ability to draw people.

Excellent place to start painting with watercolors...
I just recieved this book today. I read most of it as soon as I got it. And then I started painting right away. The directions are simple and easy to understand. And each lesson will give you satisfaction as you complete it. This book concentrates more on abstracts, shapes, and colors. If this is the style you are looking for this is a great place to start.

Colorful, sketchy and loose style
In general there are very different styles of portraits or figure painting, from very photographically detailed and accurate to rough sketches. This book is about a kind of very rough watercolor figure sketches with strong and varied colors. The colors are exaggerated and more of expression than accurate "true" ones. Some like this style and some don't, for those who like it this book is a gem!

For me that like the more naturalistic figure it is still a source for inspiration even though I won't copy his style.
I can recommend the book, not as your first or only figure painting book, but as your second or third, it will spice up your collection.

As a side note, the book is printed with a paper/ink combination that smells so bad I have had to let it lie for a while before I can read it... That part of the impression of the book is not worth even one star :-)

An interesting and inspiring book
I was captivated by this book when I first flicked through it. The striking pictures of naked women probably helped but Charles' unique style really is what captivates. For example, one of my favorite pictures is of an old man fly fising. This book inspired me to first reproduce some of my favorite pictures from the book and then to do a series of paintings myself -- a good learning experience. The book is well illustrated (of course) and layed out, and would be a great tutorial in watercolor painting and/or painting people (clothed or otherwise). Charles also wrote a similar book on painting flowers (not of interest to me) and an older less colorful book on painting portraits -- which I was fortunate enough to pick up cheaply and new in a second-hand store. This book is the best of the three though.

Excellent Watercolor Figurative Instruction
Mr. Reid has a unique style which I love but which may not be for everyone. His book will be most useful for those chosing to emulate his style but will also be very informative for those following a different style. ... Read more

Book Description

Flowers are an ideal subject for painters. They can be chosen to suit one's mood and arranged however desired. Even a garden of modest size can offer a profusion of subject matter.And watercolor is the ideal medium for painting flowers.This unique watercolor artist's guide offers easy to follow, plant specific information on how to paint over 50 of the most popular flower species.Along with step by step photographs, details and instructions for capturing the essence of each flower, the book includes information on the appropriate techniques and color mixes to use. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Tried and True Techniques
I found this book to offer a number of useful pointers on techniques to use when painting a number of common and not-so-common flowers. Brush techniques, suggested color pallets and so forth were set out clearly for each of the plant specimens shown in the book. Use of these techniques and examples will help to add life to your botanical paintings whether you prefer a "botanical illistration" or a more painterly approach to watercolor. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great for Beginners
For new enthusiasts, this book is a must get for painting realistic birds of many varieties. The instructions are easy to follow and the illustrations are top notch. The author even gives the exact colors that are used in each painting.

Painting Garden Birds with Sherry Nelson
I love Sherry's book. I went from knowing nothing about oil painting to painting bird pictures I am proud of and my family is raving over. Sherry uses step by step instructions with pictures of each individual step. She gives helpful hints for making the birds and flowers look very life like. She tells you what products she uses and why. If you want to learn to paint birds, DEFINITELY GET THIS BOOK!!!!

Excellent for beginners
This book is excellent for beginners. This book provides excellent step-by-step instructions on how to paint birds and is an asset to anyone in painting birds and some flowers.

a must for anyone who wishes to paint birds
Ms.Nelsons step by step,part by part,instructions keeps ones focus on one detail at a time,and almost makes a bird appear magicaly.I paint with acrylics,and have successfully used her patterns and tecniques.Now I am able to go on to paint birds useing my own field study photo. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Great teacher
I had the best results from Mr. Szabo's watercolour books. I could actually follow the instructions and come up with something that I wanted to frame.

I have seen better books!
This book is not a good self teaching book, since there are little projects that you can follow and do by yourself. The landscapes are messy and unclean works of Mr. Szabo, that I didn't like at all!!
I wouldn't recommend this book to anybody and I feel lucky that I borrowed the book from Public Library and didn't pay for it!

One of the greatest landscape painters of our time
Zoltan Szabo was truely a master of watercolor landscapes. I was fortunate to be able to atteend one of his classes in Nashville, ID in 2002. If you ever experienced his teachings you would enjoy his books a great deal more. He was a watercolor purist in every form of the word and a teacher with a great deal of patience. The art world lost a great one in early 2003 when he passed away. Now Zoltan will paint with colors that he could never have imagined on a heavenly canvas.

Good looking book.. but...
Well, it was a nice book, nice paintings, some nice watercolor tricks...but it just didn't inspire me..something was missing.
Maybe it was the "cold how to do" approach, that came up all through the book and the lack of originality. Im sorry to say i was disappointed.

Zoltan Szabo's 70 Favorite Water Color Techniques
The best part of this book is Zoltan Szabo's explaination of watercolor paint. He explains transparent colors, opaque colors, reflective colors, sedimentary colors, staining colors, and nonstaining colors. I've read many books on watercolor painting and this is the first one I've seen that explains the nature of the paint. Also covered in this book are many techniques of applying paint. Several exercises are included. ... Read more

Book Description

Giving meticulous detail to each compelling chapter, E. John Robinson guides artists to the heart of creating breathtaking scenes of the shore and water.

Clear instructions and step-by-step demonstrations ensure that readers have all the essential information they need to pick up a brush and produce a gorgeous painting every time.They'll also find advice for capturing translucent water, sea spray, lace effects, surface patterns, rocks, beaches and headlands. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

a beautiful wise book
i devoured this book with the same pleasure i'd get from reading a beautiful children's book. the illustrations -- step by step images of simandle paintings in process -- are beautiful to look at. the stories -- how to put together a painting, from first sketches to last touches of detail -- are simple and engaging. simandle's approaches to brushwork (including the palette knife), mixing colors, preserving white and developing visual rhythms are well worth learning. a very fine guide for the intermediate painter looking for more poetry in their watercolor technique ... one of my favorite watercolor books.

FOR EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO BECOME A LIGHT WATERCOLORIST
I am a Swedish girl who bought this book by chance and it turned out to be just what I was looking for. A wonderful book, a "must" for everyone who like bright, light, sparcling and fresh watercolor paintings. M Simandle teaches you really how to capture light and how important it is to use, as she calls it, "broken color" - many, many fragments of bright pigment, sparkling and contrasting with the white of the paper. A book that I HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Wow! This is perfect for any watercolorist!!
I found Marilyn's unique approach and palette knife techinique a real find in the world of watercolor instruction books. The beautifully designed step by step latouts and gorgeous subject matter really hit the spot for the starving artist in all of us. Each lesson makes everyone an editor so we can go on to design and illustrate our own personal world in watercolor. I love this book!! (like you didn't notice) ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Invaluable
This was the first book I came across where the author is speaking from his heart, his style is right up my alley, and he keeps it simple. I paint on-site and his approach is an inspiration. I come back to this book regularly to get an energy boost and remind myself of the concepts. Another similar book I enjoy is "Trevor Chamberlain: Light and Atmosphere in Watercolour: A Personal View" (Atelier Series.)

Best of it's style out there
I keep coming back to this book and it is becoming my main mentor and guide on my watercolor path. Stabin is of the one stroke, no glazes, on location in an hour school of painting, and if that is what appeals to you, he is the master. I have collected several books on this approach but both his actual paintings and his tips are far superior to the others. Under his tutleage I have grown as a painter far more than with any other book or teacher. Highly recommended.

Attractive and inspiring -- good philosophy for watercolor
(4.5*) I thought I had given up buying watercolor books but this inspired me enough to purchase again. Probably not a beginners book -- but good for somebody that already has the basics nailed and is looking for inspiration to move to the next level or perhaps looking to develop a looser style (although Mel's work is hardly loose for the most part, it is refreshing clean and relatively simple yet effective). The images rather than the text was my mean reason for buying (although I like the concepts presented) -- I am beyond the beginner books now, so it is important for me that the images are inspiring.

The images presented cover a nice range, including tropical and local scenes, water scenes, figure drawing and portraits.

Highlights:
- I love the pictures, Mel's style, subject and composition appeal greatly to me. Personal taste I guess.

- love the philosophy: simple, fast, focused -- that is what watercolor is all about to me and what I strive for.

-- Mel provides some useful insights that help get the right mindset for this approach

Low points:
None really. If pushed:

- Mel's attractive and distinctive figure drawing style could easily be mistaken for that of Charles Reid, very similar -- but it is a great style that I want to see more of, so I can't complain.

-- the fairly sparse text is less inspiring that the images. The images are great though, so they are tough act to follow --
and this is an art book!

It very attractive and inspiring watercolor book. Recommended!

This is a beautiful book!
I find the concepts easy to grasp and the demonstrations clearly laid out. A few more demonstrations would be useful but not necessary. I've been struggling to move to a looser, more emotional painting style and this "simple, fast and focused" concept seems to be just what I need to point me in the right direction.

Mel Stabin captures the essence of watercolor
Using Stabin's formula of the "big three", simplify, think and focus, will lead to beautiful, clear and appealing paintings. Very helpful for beginning to experienced painters. Color illustrations of Stabin's own work provide an excellant example of capturing the essence of watercolor. ... Read more

Book Description

In this complete guide to flower painting, Jan Kunz teaches how to capture the brilliant glow that all watercolor artists want in their floral compositions.In six detailed, step-by-step demonstrations she describes the finer points of painting flowers, covering everything from materials to setting up a subject to her special floral painting techniques.

Chapters include insightful tips on exactly how to:
* simplify every flower into shapes that are easy to paint
* draw or paint from life or from photographs
* capture the illusion of sunlight
* create dramatic compositions that focus on a few important blooms
* mix clean, brilliant darks and subtle glazes for special effects

By applying the simple ideas and techniques Kunz offers in her book, artists will soon be painting beautiful, light-filled flower paintings that truly seem to glow. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Magnificent is the only word
This book is detailed, well illustrated, well written, and filled with clear instructions for all levels, but even a novice could paint a respectable flower picture in minutes by following the techniques in this book. Intermediate students should be able to paint one that would sell in minutes.

A must for floral artists
A very straightforward instruction book which helps one achieve a wonderful glow in florals as well as other subject matter.

One of the BEST books on watercolor floral painting!
This is one of those books that you read from cover to cover, cause you just can't get enough! After following Jan's instructions on the 40% rule of shadows, my florals now not only glow, but they have taken on a real three dimensional look!!

Excellent book for the beginning to intermediate artist
This book is perhaps my favorite watercolor book. Jan Kunz is very clear and informative about color and light, design and technique, and she gives great step by step examples to illustrate how to paint.

I've taken her classes, and the book is almost as good as working with her one on one. ... Read more

Book Description

Filled with inspirational artwork and solid instruction, this guide will delight loyal acrylic painters and encourage artists from other mediums to cross over. Greer's instruction capitalizes on the brilliant colors available in acrylics and shows artists how to paint with them using proven "watercolor" and "oil" techniques. Starting with 16 mini-demos, artists are encouraged to jump right in and follow step-by-step instructions for mastering techniques such as masking, splattering, underpainting, washes and more. They will also learn tips and tricks for rendering many elements of landscape including trees, flowers, roads and reflections. The second section of this book features four complete painting demonstrations that challenge artists to exercise their new painting techniques through a variety of landscape subjects. Two demonstrations also show artists how to use acrylics as an effective base for other mediums. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Gained knowledge from the first page on
I appreciate the complexity of nature and the way this book relates to the observing and using your inner feelings to paint. Thank you for such a good book to paint from and use often.

Wonderful technique!
HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM THE GREAT TECHNIQUES IN THIS BOOK. i RECOMMEND IT HIGHLY.

Somewhat Lacking
I bought this book hoping it would give me basic information on color mixing, brush technique and composition. It did not. The book has some beautiful examples of the author's art but gives very little information as to how he got there. It is not a step-by-step instruction book. Mr. Greer does not tell how to handle the acrylic medium as for as how to mix and apply the paint to get various results. If you are a beginning landscape painter looking for basic instruction in acrylic painting techniques, buy another book. If you have the basics down pretty well then this book may be for you. The author is a good landscape painter but not the greatest teacher.

Disappointment!
I am a beginner and I was looking for some supplementary instruction to my classwork. This book was unable to give me much help unless I wanted to paint a picture just as the author paints. There was little color mixing or actual technique explained here, and not much on basic brush usage. Perhaps this was meant for a more experienced painter. It has little to offer us beginners.

A good reference book on acrylics landscape painting.
In painting, I am an experimentalist. What it translates into is that I inadvertently keep my checking account on a diet plan! (Hope you get my joke!) Although being a die-hard oil painter (en plein air landscapes and figure painting), I am also using acrylics in figure painting (and other media such as watercolor, charcoal, and ink occasionally). I find this book a good one to own.

Acrylics, "the medium of the 20th century" (or so I'm told), combined with landscape painting, "the mind-opener to artists", are the subject of the book.

As the title stated, the readers will have a chance to enjoy a broad spectrum of knowledge on light, color, and texture using acrylics. The fact of the matter is "light, color, and texture" are ALL one needs in painting. Well, someone may argue with me that, "What about value, hue, edge, and so on?" Value is light, hue is color, and edge is no stranger to texture. (The legendary realist artist Burton Silverman is not even a big fan of "edge", so I digress.) The bottom line is this book covers the most fundamentals of painting (landscape in particular) in acrylics.

More specifically speaking, the readers will learn from this book:

- using value and light to create an aerial perspective (nearness, farness), as well as time and weather effects

- using a limited palette to create a wide range of colors

- using acrylics in different techniques, such as those in watercolor and oil, to create a variety of effects. These techniques include, but not limited to, washes, glazes, splattering, and others

- All of the above, IN ACRYLICS

This is a good reference book on acrylics landscape painting, although the techniques discussed in the book (with respect to acrylics, that is) can be used in painting other subject matters as well. Before seeing the book, I had had a chance to experiment on how to paint figures to make them look as if they were painted in watercolor, then in oil, and (of course) in acrylics (!). It is a valuable repertoire in my art endeavor. This book is not only an ego-booster (for me only, since I had tried some of the techniques before reading it), but it also widens my knowledge of this medium in painting landscapes. (I only paint landscapes in oil.)

Speaking of painting landscapes, "too much information" is what Mother Nature is so generous of giving to the artists. It is like an ample portion of a delicious meal. The trick is to know how to choose what fits one's appetite most. That "something", or as we all know it as "a center of interest", and how to develop it, is also discussed by the author.

All in all, this is a good reference book on acrylics landscape painting to own! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good book for an absolute beginner
I just started with watercolor and am an absolute beginner, full of expectations and fears. I bought several books "for beginners" at the same time. All of them give you a list of supplies and helpful advises on what kind of paper, brushes, paints you need etc. That helps if you are a beginner. Most of those books then give a short review of different techniques. Than, many of them leave you alone in front of beautiful paintings with short comments. It obviously addressed to people with some experience in painting who may learn from it.
The book of Jack Reid is exactly what it says on it's cover: it helps you to get started. After usual introductions it gives you many projects to develop and practice your skills starting form easiest exercises. (You just play with your brushes and get use to watercolor paints first). That's encouraging and valuable if you can 't attend a workshop. I would recommend it for a beginner as myself.

Excellent book and great paintings
I was completely captured by the reprints of Jack Raid's paintings included in this book. This book includes detailed examples and clear instruction steps, is the best Watercolor beginner's book I ever seen. Jack made the art of watercolor painting looks so simple yet elegant. I hope Jack continues to publish more advanced books for students who can't attend his workshops.

Fantastic way to get started.
This is a really fantastic beginner book that will have you painting very nice watercolors very soon. The instructions are easy to follow. You will be surprised at how easy it is to get started painting in this very demanding medium. Highly recommended for all beginners.

Best Book For Beginners
I had assembled nearly a dozen books on watercolor painting instruction and techniques. I wish I had bought this book first. While the other books do contain useful instruction, the demonstrations--beautiful, inspiring--are often too difficult for the beginning painter. Not so with this book.

The book begins at the beginning, with no assuptions of a certain level of skill. The book then takes you through a series of exercises, based on certain basic skill such as a flat or gradated wash, proceeding to still more difficult techniques. Yet the exercises are sufficiently simple, with easy to reproduce sketches, that you end up with a small work of art: simple, but solidly founded in an essential technique and its mastery.

There are also sections which focus on monochromatic studies to help the student think about and approach the concept of values. The exercises in these sections enable the beginning painter to produce lovely, sophisticated-looking pictures with just a few newly mastered concepts and techniques. I have never before been so pleased with the results of my exercise paintings than those introduced in this book.

I think this book would be an excellent, even essential, item for the beginning painter looking for a solid foundation in this often capriciously difficult medium. I cannot recommend this book more highly. Thank you to Jack Reid for this marvelous book.

Excellent introduction of techniques for the beginner
Jack Reid does an excellent job of introducing the basic watercolor techniques to the novice. These include wash, graded wash, dry-brush, and wet into wet. He also provides insight on materials that will be valuable to those entering those intimidating art supply stores. The techniques are presented in the form of several exercises with limited palettes. This helps the beginner not only in learning the techniques, but having a direction in which to go for practicing them. The book also introduces painters to value, color, and composition. In the last portion of the book, there are more in depth projects that will challenge the reader who has begun to master the techniques presented earlier. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Spirit of Nature translated into the Art of the Abstract
If you are looking for a watercolor tutorial in botanical painting, wildlife or landscape, walk away. This isn't the focus of "Painting the Spirit of Nature." Author Maxine Masterfield is, instead, taking the artist on a tour of an interior landscape, using the metaphors, symbols and shapes and colors of nature to create abstract or abstracted imagery. Look at the cover picture; the painting could represent boulders or broken rock face, but is in fact an abstract. This is the lesson of "Painting in the Spirit of Nature."

There is a lot about texture, unconventional techniques using things like salt and other methods, how to find imagery in everyday scenes and objects and how to compose a painting. The real value, however, in this book, is in the selection of paintings. You may or may not like them, but if you have been trying to find an "abstract voice"--I'd say this book would be great for you. If you liked "Watercolor Bold and Free", this is along the same vein.

This is not the spirit of nature!
I bought this book since the reviews were quite enthusiastic about it. I have more than 50 watercolor books as well as many other art books, and this is just and justly the worst of them all.

It is about experimental painting, that is true, but it is not about "the spirit of nature". Experimental or abstract painting is simply no excuse. The abstract patterns made through various techniques aren't exciting or beautiful and the techniques themselves can be found in various books where they belong - as a small sidenote. The techniques shown aren't useful at all for a watercolor artist wanting to capture nature.

The enthusiastic reviews gave me a diametrically opposite view of this book than what it was. As a "nature" book it belongs in the trashcan.

What I thought about was some loose techniques for creating texture for nature paintings, but that was not the case, it is all about totally abstractism which was not what I was after.
If you are looking for ways of creating abstact patterns, okey buy it, otherwise don't!

Awesome
If you are looking for ideas and techniques this is a wonderful book. Very well done.

Fabulous Teacher, Fabulous Art
I was lucky enough to have this artist-author as a teacher almost 2 decades ago.I no longer work in this style or medium but when I was working in it, her methods were the most marvelously freeing ones.If you feel constricted with your present results in water color, as if you must "break free" from such rigid control, Maxine is the teacher for you. The art works are totally glorious as well.Many are hers and she uses other artists' work as well. The book has art work on virtually every page. Back when I took her course, I know that her work was also selling for a lot of money to big commercial clients to put in their buildings and to some private homes as well.Thus, she had cracked the commercial barrier too.I applied her techniques in later years to acyrlics and liquid dyes as well and they worked fine there too.

A perennial favorite in my reference library
I also frequently recommend this book to other artists, beginning or advanced. I've had this book for years, and am awed everytime I open it up. It's perfect for jumpstarting the creative juices because almost every pagecontains an inspiring thought, image or technique. Her photos of naturalelements, together with paintings by herself and other artists showseveryone how to use nature as a springboard for creativity. You will LOVEthis book! ... Read more

Book Description

Using inspiring visual examples, this handbook simplifies the complexities of watercolor painting, so artists of all levels can build their skills and achieve better results.

Presented in an easy-to-reference format that covers everything from materials to marketing, this guide provides artists with simple, direct instruction for: using tonal values to create a better painting; creating attractive pen and watercolor drawings; using glazes to create atmosphere and mood; directing the viewer's eye by controlling focus and edges; painting subjects every artist must master.

Wade includes trouble-shooting tips, self-critique questionnaires and helpful hints artists can quickly absorb and apply. With its unique, interactive approach to teaching, this guide is the next best thing to attending a one-on-one workshop. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

awesome book!
This book has become one of my best reading and reference books I own.He takes you through every step of his techniques simply and right to the point.I love the fact that he points out mistakes that he and other poeple have made from their experiences.His humor makes it an even more enjoyable read!I love this book

Simply a great book
Wade's book takes the aspiring artist through all of the techniques and approaches that make him such an engaging painter. He does this with detailed and very systematic discussions and lots and lots of paintings (many more than in most watercolor books). This book (as does Robert Lovett's companion book) covers as much territory as 4 usual books. I've learned a great deal from Wade's book and continue to learn from him. I cannot recommend it too highly. ... Read more

Book Description

Anyone can learn these simple and fun methods for producing outstanding watercolor landscapes and flowers. One of the reasons that Roland's first book has been so popular (Fill Your Watercolors with Light & Color--over 65,000 copies sold) is that his techniques make watercolor fun and successful for a great number of otherwise frustrated artists.

Roland has a gift for simplifying the process of painting into a few readily understood steps. In this book, he expands the teaching of his pouring technique and goes into the underlying structure of a painting. He presents a unique way of teaching composition that will delight the reader. He then presents his three-step process of painting a landscape--masking to preserve the lights, pouring on the atmosphere and spattering the textures. Next, he shows two great techniques for painting flowers, a subject that does not appear in his first book. Also included is a chapter of fun experimental techniques that readers are sure to enjoy and another chapter that answers some frequently asked questions.

* Enables any artist to produce landscapes and flowers, two of the most popularpainting subjects
* This author has a proven sales track record ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Nice loose painting
This is a nice book for soft landscapes. However, I don't use it nearly as much as I thought I would. Check out the authors style first, and if you really like it...then the book is for you. I use some techniques, but the subject matter is a little soft for me. I didn't stay interested enought to use the lessons, but I did read it through and apply concepts to some of my own work.

These techniques are nothing short of fantastic!
I love these books by Roycraft. If you love painting landscape or natural subjects, you cannot go wrong reading this book. Roycraft's techniques look simple (a lot of splashing going on) but they are controlled and well thought out. If you love floral painting you should not miss his examples here of a peony and an iris. JUST Breathtaking. I picked up so many ideas from this book.

Not only are Roycraft's paintings beautiful to see, he knows how to communicate his techniques incredibly well. I'm glad I found this watercolor artist's books.

A power tool for watercolorists
Having read "enough" art technique books, I have learned that until one gets "down and dirty" trying out what is discussed in the book, then one does not actually spend the money wisely (on the book).

The same for this book. Beautiful artwork by the author. Did I say beautiful? No, BREATHTAKING, rather. However, to be able to generate beautiful artworks, the readers will need the following:

- An ability to SEE (light, dark, positive and negative space)

- Follow instructions from the book (which is PROBABLY the easy part, since it is rather well-written)

- A decent craftsmanship to finesse the final painting after the "mask and pour paints" phase of the process.

Briefly, I would think this is a power tool for watercolorists. How great the final products turn out to be will depend on the aforementioned factors.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A great resource
I really don't think that any artist can survive with just one book on the shelf. This book is a great resource with beautiful step by step photographs. I recommend it to someone with a little experience and foundation. This book is not too intensive but also does not hold your hand at every step. A resource to add to your library. It helped me relax my style a bit.

Technical rendering....
Ann Pember, author of PAINTING CLOSE-FOCUS FLOWERS IN WATERCOLOR has a BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston in fashion design and illustration. Before she became a free-lance illustrator, she worked as a commercial artist for many years. Photos in her book show the professional studio where she works. Technically, her work is nearly perfect. I don't particularly care for her rendering of her subject matter as it stikes me as too "commercial" and not very painterly at all, but much can be learned from her book if you have had no other exposure.

Ms. Pember's background in fashion design and illustration are apparent in her work. She takes the reader from photographs of flowers to watercolors of those photographed flowers in several steps. She reveals how the eye is attracted by asymetry (offsetting of the center) and the placement of elements; how backlighting and focused lighting affect the appearance of the subject; how surfaces and background affect the paint and matter in the execution of a watercolor. She spends some time addressing color, but Ms. Pember is not a colorist. She is more concerned with line and the arrangement of elements in a design.

The end result from my perspective are flowers that are somewhat overcontrolled, although she gives the unpracticed eye the exact opposite impression. In the end, her flowers are contrived and not original. The watercolorist can acquire some interesting tips for creating pleasing paintings, but if producing art for commercial purposes is not your goal you may find Pember's book less rewarding.

Capturing Flowers "Up-Close and Personal"
I love looking at this book! For years I have been filing away myriads of floral photos with the hope that one day I might attempt to capture them in paint. I muse over these photos from time to time wondering just how a painter might do them justice. I need wonder no more. In Ann Pember's "Painting Close-Focus Flowers in Watercolor", she has been able to demonstrate a variety of step-by-fluid-step techniques to bring high drama to the world of simple blooms. Her close-ups of hollyhocks, gloxinias; and peonies float upon the pages which are jam-packed with carefully chosen, eye-pleasing colors. Thankfully, the vibrancy of Ms. Pember's palette has been well-reproduced in the printing process. There is so much valuable information packed into this book. One should read it from cover to cover initially to pick up all the helpful hints. What a wealth of knowledge Ms. Pember has shared with her readers including: preferences for specific papers, paints and brushes; how to avoid turning paints into "mud"; and my toughest assignment - how to see shapes and values as patterns; to mention a few. Ann Pember's close-up compositions are outstanding. Even if my attempts pale in comparison to this well-seasoned artist's, she is very encouraging. She reinforces the idea that given some degree of perseverence and practice, we too may develop our own means of capturing nature's beauties "up-close and personal". ... Read more

Reviews (3)

What I was looking for
I do not have an extensive art background. Without becoming arcane, the author gives sufficient knowledge and support TO GET YOU GOING. This is the right book for someone who wants to try watercolor but lacks the art background and/or the creative support one would get from an instructor.

The Perfect Gift
This book is great for reference as well as a gift to anyone wanting to explore watercolor! We are given examples and methods as well as how to shop for your supplies. I am giving this to my mom for Mother's Day. I highly recommend this book for anyone at any level.

Great book!
A great book for the person who wants to try a new medium, or begin painting for the first time. Cathy Johnson's step by step instructional demos and great sense of humor make you want to get in there and just do it. The instructions are VERY clear and easy to understand--she never assumes you know what any given painting term means. ... Read more

Book Description

Beloved artist Charles Reid gives readers a rare look into his artistic life with this fascinating book. The paintings on each page have been selected from the actual sketchbooks he has kept for the past 25 years.

These breathtaking illustrations are accompanied by concise commentary and advice from the artist that explains the process behind his work. Charles makes painting easy by keeping it simple; his techniques will show readers how to capture the magic of watercolor.

It's an education in basic art principles and an exciting glimpse into the mind of a master painter. Artists and art lovers alike will cherish this book. ... Read more