Book Description

This is the third volume in Jerry Yarnell's exciting new series, with ten beautiful painting projects to enjoy. Jerry Yarnell thrills beginning and intermediate artists with the tricks and techniques they need to perform "magic" on the canvas. He encourages readers to master the basic technical aspects of painting, such as composition, design, perspective, negative space, color mixing, values and color coordination. Each step-by-step project is designed to provide a unique set of new artistic challenges to overcome.With insightful advice and practical instruction, Jerry makes it easy for every artist to improve and expand their repertoire of skills and build true artistic confidence. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Painting Magic by Jerry Yarnell
Excellent book!Very detailed step by step instructions for each painting right down to colors to mix and brushes to use.Highly recommended.

Instruction, Inspiriation and Fun
This book is a welcome addition to the vast repository of teaching materials by Jerry Yarnell.The paintings are more intricate and challenging than in the previous two books. There are moody seas and skies, dramatic cliffs, serene settings, quaint buildings, and birds, elk and a variety of wildlife in the compositions.The step by step instructions are comprehensive, with excellent and detailed color photos of each step.Mr. Yarnell does a terrific job of reiterating and expanding on the fine art techniques that form the basis of all of his teaching material.If you are looking for an instructional painting book that is beyond the beginners level, then you should find this book inspirational, challenging and fun. ... Read more

Book Description

Here expert watercolorist Cathy Johnson shows them how in herpractical step-by-step manner.Johnson shows how to create 83 different textures,including fruits and vegtables, hair, glass, metal, fabric, flowers, fur, skin and variousnatural textures. Each texture, and their many variations, is demonstrated by Johnson's watercolorsketches, all with specific call outs to illustrate individual techniques. Artists can applythese techniques to their own work to create fabulous watercolor paintings that almostseem to "breathe."

Cathy Johnson is an artist/writer/naturalist. She is also the author of two additional NorthLight Books: Painting Nature's Details in Watercolor and Watercolor Tricks &Techniques. She lives in Excelsior Springs, Missouri. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A good resource
A good resource for skill building and to keep on the shelf for future reference. If the style isn't for you, then you can use some of the concepts. Check out the pics first.

Good tips for textures
This book will not go into detail of what materials you need to paint in watercolor, nor will it teach you how to compose a picture or prepare you for creating masterpieces.

This book will teach you simple tips and tricks to creating different textures such as a rock surface or the bark of a tree. If one is not interested in painting mother nature, the book also demonstrates ways to create brick walls, animal fur, and even human skin.

The book depends on pictures to demonstrate its lessons but also provides some text to explain the lesson to the reader. All the images are in color and most lessons are in step-by-step format. I gave this book four stars instead of five because I feel it could have provided a bit more information of other textures. However, I did learn a great deal from its lessons and therefore cannot complain.

All in all, this book is a great asset to anyone who is attempting to learn how to paint textures in watercolor. The lessons it provides are most useful to amateurs but may prove useful to intermediate artists as well.

Very Helpful Reference
This is a great book that I refer to over and over again when I need a quick reference for a technique. While I love reading, sometimes when painting I don't want to have to read a lengthy version on techniques. This is the perfect book to have on hand for that reason. There are other books that may illustrate how to express deeper passion (paraphrased in another review listed here) but this is nice to use when you don't want to read a lot of technical how-to's.

The best book about water color textures i have ever read!
This is the best book about water color textures. Even textures then looked hard were made easy thanks to Cathy Johnson. Very good!

Simply Wonderful
This is a great book for those starting out with watercolors. The format makes everything very simple and gives illustrated step-by-step directions that are simple to follow and easy to elaborate on using your own creativity! I love this book because the author doesn't talk down to the reader, but explains everything in a matter-of-fact way that's easy for beginners and refreshing for the more advanced. Sparse on words and full of pictures/illustrations, I'd highly recommend this book for anyone looking to improve their grasp of watercolor painting. ... Read more

Book Description

With these dozens of double-page spreads and close-ups, explore the full range of watercolor cloud and sky studies, from intimate sketches of wispy cirrus clouds to majestic storm-bearing cumulonimbus. Follow the charts and tips as you choose the time of day, year, and weather to express moods ranging from illuminating sunrises, foreboding thunderclouds, or meditative wintry grays.
... Read more

Reviews (1)

Disappointing
Skies & Clouds by Richard Taylor is disappointing.Beginners should find the text instructive and techniques not intimidating, but the examples contain many errors (often according to his own advice) making them counter productive to the student aspiring to greater proficiency.The author demonstrates merely modest painting ability of the subject.Regretfully the lighting and shadows are not well rendered and contrast values are weak.His clouds are overly ephemeral with little structure.A watercolor of a "Sky and Sea" is the most convincing, because the waves of the sea are well rendered, but the sky is confused with fog and rays of light that look like rain.The book's purpose of being a "field guide" to aid in the artists perception of nature is good, but a more observant eye and commentary is desirable.The watercolors display visual paint textures but fall short of being inspiring Skies or Clouds. ... Read more

Book Description

Mark Hampton, long regarded as the "First Decorator" for his work on the White House for former president George Bush, was one of America's most prominent interior decorators. His clients included Estée Lauder, the Saul Steinbergs, the Mike Wallaces, and the Henry Kissingers, to name only a few. For the people who knew him well, his reputation as a decorator was surpassed by his generosity as a friend. In his lifetime, Hampton painted hundreds of watercolors as gifts for the people who were closest to him. Mark Hampton: The Art of Friendship, by his widow, Duane Hampton, is a collection of 140 watercolors that reveal his wit, affection, and sophistication.

Reviews (1)

Another Classic Mark Hampton Book
For those of us who love the wonderful watercolors of the late Mark Hampton, this book is essential. The watercolors in this book are of a very personal nature, whether interiors, architectural, or otherwise. I am pleased to own this book, and I will enjoy it as I do with the other two Mark Hampton books. Note that the price is somewhat steep (...), but given the way the other two books sell on the resale market for many times their list price, a good investment. ... Read more

Book Description

This quintessential all-encompassing book provides a complete course on how to watercolor. A series of lessons and exercises that include step-by-step demonstrations provide all of the critical things you need to know with more than 1,000 illustrations that point out each technique in graphic detail, covering the fundamentals of sketching and drawing. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

MORE A COURSE ON DRAWING.............
I was extremely disappointed with this volume as I purchased it after being so delighted with RD's complete watercolor set.I thought I would get more of the beautiful and informative art that, that set had, but no......The book is pale and under illustrated and what color work there is childish and uninspiring.
Moreover, the book is almost entirely too much about drawing and not enough about painting.While this might be good for an absolute beginner with little intelligence who is still fixated on words it is not at all for someone wanting the visual stimuli to paint along with great examples.Search elsewhere for a comprehensive book on Water Color Painting! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Straight stuff
This is an excellent book for any level watercolorist.I have read an uncommonly large number of how-to books(being self -taught) yet still found much helpful info here. In particular,her advice to avoid using tube paints that have dried, goes against info provided by every other source I have read----but I am sure she is right. You need to read her section on this subject---worth the price of the book by itself(and I am not being paid for this)!!!

Colorful!
Instructive chapters beautifully illustrated by Treman cover ideas and concepts for the beginner to the advanced watercolorist. She gives watercolor basics and gradually builds to more complex instruction (composition, importance of value, mixing colors). Especially unique to Treman is her chapter on "disappearing purple" which gives insight into new concepts of shading while still maintaining fresh clean colors. ... Read more

Book Description

Too often emerging artists focus on nuts-and-bolts techniques--form--as the key to creating powerful paintings. Here author Gerald Brommer reveals that emotional content is the most vital consideration. He shows how the grouping of elements, the weight given to each and the way they're depicted influence how observers perceive them.

Part one is an introduction to emotional content. The three subsequent parts guide readers through the steps of Brommer's system:

1. Selecting elements: This section includes two in-depth demonstrations on the selection and editing process.

2. Sketching the scene: Quick one-minute sketches lay out possible groupings for the elements selected in the step above.

3. Using color to evoke emotion: Color's impact on mood, temperature, light, dominance of elements, and sense of place. Full-length demonstrations show how to use color to convey emotional content.

A balanced mix of instruction, in-progress illustrations and beautiful completed work make the concepts concrete for all levels of artists. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

great book
This book is great for the begginner in acrylic painting. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A simple resource
This is a lovely practical guide. Most books on color or on watercolor color never quite get to the point of what you want out of it, which is plain information and palettes of color.

The Pocket Palette sets up a palette and clearly shows how each color looks when mixed or glazed (painted over another). There honestly isn't another book of this size and practicality out there. This is not necessarily a book on color theory. It is covered but is not the aim of this at-a-glance, application kind of book.

As this book is concise, this review will be concise! This book, plus a color wheel and a short book on color theory (a Walter Foster book will even do) should fill out your arsenal for dealing with watercolor color. (That might seem like a lot, but for a lifetime of using watercolors it is the least you can do for yourself.) This book is an excellent value, even if it is short, and it IS portable, perfect to bring along with your sketchbook and notes.

Misleading, best to do it with your own materials
I purchased this little book with high hopes that it would be a timesaver, but I was disappointed enough to return it. There are several types of problems. First, although I could find no statement of this, all the paints used are Winsor & Newton; if you use even similarly named paints from another company, the printed results of mixing and overpainting will be irrelevant. Second, only the Winsor & Newton names for the colors are given, and no pigment information is supplied. This is inexcusable, since formulations change even with a single manufacturer, and "Bright Red," fpr example, means one set of pigment ingredients and properties for Winsor and Newton, but completely different ones for paints from other companies. Third, a statement is made that all paints depicted are durable. This is untrue and potentially disastrous for anyone who trusts this statement. For example, it is well known that alizarin crimson and genuine rose madder (both in the primary palette oin this book) are easily damaged by light; permanent alternatives must be used if a painting is to be hung in a normally lit room. Finally, results will vary depending on the paper you use, and -- this one is not the fault of the book -- color reproduction in printing can never truly match what really happens on the paper. It's a pretty little book, well put together physically, but it is often misleading and is in no way a valid substitute for making your own notebook of color mixes and relevant information. This is essential both for understanding the properties of your pigments and paper in the first place but also for recording the compositions and behaviors of mixes used in your paintings.

Fun, fun, fun and useful too!
If you want to learn how to mix watercolor without getting "mud" then this is for you. It is not a substitute for the real experience of mixing colors for yourself and watching what happens (such as any blue with cadmium red. Did you get a purple? Hmmm! Interesting!)

The section on mixing flesh tones is especially helpful. It's fun just to browse this book and enjoy the tonal variety. A really nice book, in a small, portable format. One of my favorites.

Helpful color mixing.
Being new to watercolor painting, this book has been extremely helpful to me in determining the mixtures to use to create the colors I need. I've just sent one to a friend who is just beginning classes in watercolor and I'm sure she'll enjoy it as much as I have.

Helpful in the Moments of Frustration
As I sat in my watercolor class, I tried desparately to just play with my palette and combine colors on my own -- but why struggle without guidance? My teacher showed me the book, and I was sold. The book is helpful in showing the budding artist which colors to mix in hopes of a certain one! ... Read more

Book Description

All in color! Delve into the secrets behind the artist's method with the help of renowned watercolorist Ray Campbell Smith. In analyses of 50 of his masterful landscapes, he explains why he chose his subjects and how he was able to bring them to life in watercolor. Along the way, he examines the importance of preliminary sketches, planning color and tone, and simplifying a scene effectively. The friendly advice and inspiration contained here will be invaluable for anyone who has ever gazed upon a striking painting and wondered how the artist captured the moment so perfectly, or who longs to know how to express the magic of a scene in watercolor. Trim size: 11 x 7 1/2. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An excellent introduction to the water color painting.
Ray Campbell Smith's Watercolour Work-Out (presents fifty landscape projects for beginners who want to learn how to paint landscape pictures. A kind of one-volume introductory workshop ideal for even the most novice painter to learn the medium. ... Read more

Book Description

Best-selling author Claudia Nice provides all the information artists need to create gorgeous country garden art. She reviews basic watercolor techniques, including glazing and texturing, along with basic pen and ink techniques for producing a variety of line textures.

Readers will find valuable step-by-step demonstrations utilizing a variety of media. They'll begin by drawing in pencil, then add watercolor and/or pen and ink. In addition to flowers, Claudia shows how to illustrate a variety of leaves, vines, moss, ferns and other country scene details, including rabbits, dogs, statues, birdbaths, wagon wheels, weathered wood arbors, fences and more. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The most recent in my collection!
I admit it: I am hooked on books by Claudia Nice. Pen & ink can be quite an intense media. Claudia Nice simplifies the techniques and conveys the instruction as only as master can, and does it in her trademark informal, friendly manner. Another aspect I love is her use of watercolor to bring her works to life. The reader gets the treat of two complimentary media in one book: pen & ink and watercolor.
For the beginner, I might recommend starting with her other books before attempting the more advanced exercises and techniques in Painting Country Gardens. The perfect introduction is Sketching Your Favorite Subjects in Pen & Ink, followed by Painting with Watercolor, Pen & Ink, and then perhaps Creating Textures in Pen & Ink with Watercolor.
There are more technical books on pen & ink technique for advanced students, some intimidatingly so; but for the beginning to intermediate artist, no series of books is as valuable for developing sound technique. And certainly no other books are as intimate, casual, and just plain fun as those by Claudia Nice. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is perfect for beginning watercolorists and artists in othermediums interested in trying something new-particularly decorative painters. It assumesthey have absolutely no prior knowledge of watercolor and proceeds from there. Thebasic questions all beginners ask will be explained and illustrated in simple, step-by-step,fail-proof presentations-questions like:"How wet should my paper be?" "What brush should I use?" "How full of paint should my brush be?" "At what point do I stop and what should my painting look like?"

Claudia illustrates not only the terms and techniques associated with watercolor painting,but also shows many examples of common problems beginners have, whey things can gowrong, and how to fix them. She also includes step-by-step exercises to help readers learnand practice each new watercolor technique.Most of all, this book makes learning about watercolor fun by eliminating frustration andgiving beginners a solid foundation on which they can build.

Claudia Nice is a multi-media artist, but prefers pen, ink and watercolor when working inthe field. She has been an art consultant and instructor, has authored fifteen art instructionbook and travels across North America conducting workshops, seminars anddemonstrations at schools, clubs, shops and trade shows. She has recently opened herown teaching studio near Mt. Hood, Oregon. ... Read more

Book Description

Believing that strong feelings make for strong art, this insightful book shows painters how to scratch the surface of their unconscious to generate powerful emotions that unleash more meaningful work.

The author encourages readers to tap into childhood memories and other aspects of the inner self as revealed in animals, self-portraiture, and real or imagined landscapes. Using this approach, plus the fluid properties of the watercolor medium as it drips, forms puddles, and responds to every stroke of the brush, the reader develops paintings from the inside, with inner life as the model, and from the outside, with nature as the model. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The most important legacy of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf IIis the Mira calligraphiae monumenta, a manuscript comprised ofilluminated pages of calligraphy. Around 1561 a master calligrapherwrote the text as proof of his preeminence among scribes. After hisdeath, a master illustrator was employed to illuminate his writing, andthe outcome is a rare combination of words and images in small-scaledrawings--considered one of the wonders of Renaissance Europe. Thisbook culls different plates from the collection that are each unique,consisting of lavishly executed text in Roman and Hebrew lettersaccompanied by realistic and detailed drawings of plants, animals, andinsects. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Medieval Butterflies, Sea Shells, Plants = #41 Manuscripts
If you want to see colorful manuscipts that show a varity of medieval insects, plants, flowers, fruit, sea shells, initials, designs, and even a few animals, then this is the book for you. There are 41 full color manuscripts to choose from. At the end of the book, are discriptions of each manuscript, listing the medieval name for each. Example: The identifications of specimens proceed from top to bottom and from left to right. Common names have been provided whenever possible. In the case of the insect identifications, British English common names have been used, since most of the specimens represented do not exist in the United States. Where a different American common name is known, it has been included following the British Name, seperated by a slash. The names of higher taxonomic groups (families and orders) have been printed in roman type, while genus and spicies names appear in italics.Folio 1 Rotunda script in "trace letters"Vinca minor L,: Common periwinkleMalus domestica Borkh,:Common appleLacerta(?):LizardFolio 5 Antiqua scriptMatthiola incana (L.) R. Br.: GillyflowerEphemeroptera: MayflyDiptera Cyclorrhapha Heleomyzidae (?):FlyPulmonata Helicidae Cepaea sp.: Garde SnailEnd Example.A great sorce of Medieval Nature.

A beautiful little book
"Nature Illuminated" is wonderful collection of illuminated manuscripts from the Getty's extensive holdings. Perusing these pages shows that the chasm between (representative) art and science is really not so great.

Good things come in small packages
For such a small book, this is crammed with new ideas for both calligraphy and drawing from Nature. You have to look close, and have an idea of how techniques can be applied, but this book will serve as an inspiration for my work for years to come! ... Read more