A lifetime of watercolor expertise - at your fingertips! In Charles Reid's Watercolor Secrets, professional artist Charles Reid offers you an inside glimpse into his sketchbooks, sharing actual pages along with critiques and insights he's gleaned through years of practice. With each entry, you'll learn how to improve your own watercolor technique. Discover how to: Simplify your shadow shapes Create form using silhouettes Use edges to create a crisp or soft effect Prepare your supplies to paint outdoors Balance your use of detail by focusing on the essentials Quickly capture the essence of the environment in which you're painting Five detailed step-by-step demonstrations guide you in creating watercolor masterpieces of your own. With Reid's concise and encouraging explanations, you'll feel as if you've found your own personal teacher.
In this book, Tom Lynch reveals his dynamic strategies for success and approaches them from 5 different points of view so you can understand them better. Full scale demonstrations show you how to make each strategy work. Assignments and lessons let you experience each strategy in only an hour--Cover.
Create Space and Depth in your Watercolors! &break;&break;Psst! If you want to learn the secrets to creating depth and realism in your watercolor paintings, take a look in this book! You'll find easy tricks for fooling the eye into seeing your paintings in three dimensions - from the basic rules of linear perspective to size and space variations, overlapping, aerial perspective and other techniques. Everything's explained in simple language with step-by-step demonstrations showing how to apply the principles to a variety of subjects. With this clear and practical instruction, it's easier than you might think to put your paintings into perspective!
The painter Charles Reid gives insight to his work through critique of his sketchbook. Including what works, what doesn't and why, his own illustrations are annotated and demonstrations included.
The how behind the wow Dive deeper into the creative waters that have made North Light Books' Splash: The Best of Watercolor series today's most celebrated showcase of contemporary watercolor paintings. Watercolor Secrets invites you into the studios of 15 Splash artists as they reveal the creative processes behind their stunning work. From meticulous glazes to loose, luscious color, these artists joyfully embrace watercolor in gloriously individual and expressive ways, sharing their unique journeys inspirations and techniques. Step-by-step demonstrations, sketchbook pages and inspiring finished art from 15 modern-day watercolor masters Expert tips on creating stunning color, capturing the magic of light, turning on-location sketches into personal keepsakes, designing compositions with impact, and more A variety of subjects, including flowers, landscapes, waterscapes, city scenes, interiors and portraits Whether you are a watercolor artist looking to make a big splash in your own paintings or simply an admirer of this most magical medium, Watercolor Secrets puts you on the inside track to outstanding art.
Improve your skills, explore new techniques, and immerse yourself in the joy of watercolor painting!
Watercolor painting is a popular and satisfying art form that offers vibrant, luminous results, encourages spontaneity, and rewards creativity. Though it may present challenges for beginners, these are valuable opportunities to enhance your skills and grow as an artist.
In 101 Watercolor Secrets, painter, illustrator, and teacher Anna Bucciarelli shares invaluable knowledge from years of experience. This book is packed with insights, techniques, and tips that will enhance your skills, no matter where you are on your watercolor journey. Each topic is accompanied by clear explanations, instructions, and visual examples of Anna’s beautiful work.
You’ll learn all about:
• Using Watercolor Tools: Gain a deeper understanding of papers, brushes, watercolor mediums, and other essential tools.
• Color Mixing: Master hues and color mixing for greenery, skin tones, and beyond.
• Building Your Palette: Curate a palette that reflects your unique style and artistic vision.
• Mastering Core Techniques: Learn wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, lifting, glazing, underpainting, and more.
• Overcoming Common Challenges: Learn how to avoid overpainting, control water flow, achieve crisp edges, and balance tonal values with confidence.
• Painting Popular Subjects: Discover the secrets to painting flowers, birds, fur, skin tones, and white subjects like snow.
• Crafting Beautiful Compositions: Explore rhythm, movement, color harmony, and other key principles to create intricate and visually stunning watercolor compositions.
Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned artist, 101 Watercolor Secrets is an indispensable resource that offers practical guidance, artistic inspiration, and a wealth of knowledge to elevate your craft.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Decoding Pigment Labels Chapter 2: Exploring Color Families Chapter 3: Building Your Signature Palette Chapter 4: Tools that Matter Chapter 5: Essential Techniques Chapter 6: Favorite Subjects Chapter 7: Dealing with Challenges and Common Frustrations Chapter 8: Composition Secrets Chapter 9: My Favorite Tips & Tricks Chapter 10: Unveiling Your Potential: Strategies for Growth in Watercolor Painting
This beautifully illustrated book is an indispensable compendium of essential know-how and ten inspirational projects using watercolor. It includes over 200 tips and step-by-step techniques organized to help you build on each skill you learn. Aimed at all painter levels, Watercolor Secrets is packed with expert advice on every aspect of watercolor painting. Beginners can follow processes step-by-step, while more experienced artists can dip in and out for help with specific problems. "Try it" and "fix it" panels placed throughout the book suggest ways to practice and develop new skills and avoid or correct common painting mistakes. Learn how to: Create subtle and dramatic effects Use household materials to save money Pick the right paints, brushes, and equipment to suit your project Choose a proper subject Choose interesting color palettes Each topic, self-contained in a one- or two-page spread, is fully explained and illustrated with photographs and more detailed diagrams where helpful. Advance your artistic understanding, dexterity, and ingenuity with the over 200 secrets included to help you practice the skills you've learned.
"What makes this book special are the high caliber illustrations by an accomplished watercolorist/teacher and a text by a widely published reference author that go far beyond the typical how-to art book. In clear, step-by-step fashion, the authors explain concepts-not only "How" but "Why"-as well as the techniques of watercolor. Instead of just providing examples to imitate, this guide provides the aspiring artist with the fundamentals of light/shadow, shape, value, harmony/conflict, and order/chaos, along with exercises and assignments to make the concepts fully understood"--
Paint Lively, Expressive Watercolor Portraits Ready to unlock the secrets of watercolor? With the masterful instruction of Carrie Stuart Parks and Rick Parks, success is within your reach. In this beginner-friendly guide, Carrie and Rick shares their 30-plus years of experience as artists and instructors to give you the tools and techniques for painting lively, realistic watercolor portraits you can be proud of. Detailed step-by-step demonstrations and lots of tips and sidebars help you avoid mistakes, stay loose and have fun. In addition to complete information on supplies and materials, each chapter focuses on a specific aspect of watercolor portrait painting, visually teaching you how to: Handle watercolors with confidence using washes, masking, underpainting and a "less-is-more" approach Map out great compositions by using grids, transferring the drawing, choosing colors and applying masking in the right places Convey light and dark values with precision and impact for striking, lifelike portraits Paint beautiful hair in all styles, colors and textures by building tones gradually Avoid common watercolor missteps (and learn to fix the ones you couldn't help) by following a whole chapter of advice just for those "oops" moments Gain the confidence to "step out of your comfort zone" and work to establish your own distinct and expressive painting style Leave your frustration and fear of watercolor in the past. With Carrie Stuart Parks and Rick Parks you have all the guidance you need to paint the faces you love with skill and style. Get started today! "I want you to have every secret, every tool, every technique, every shortcut, and every success in your painting. I want you to feel that you've found your true artistic style and expression with this medium." —bestselling author and artist, Carrie Stuart Parks
