Customer Reviews:
Painting Nature in Watercolor.......2007-08-23
This book provided step by step progessions and explanations that were easy to follow. Great for beginner or intermediate painter.
Watercolor painting.......2007-06-28
Great book for learing to paint. Good examples and explanations for techniques. I recommend it.
Watercolor Painting for the Beginning Artist.......2005-04-25
By profession I am a scientist, but I have always had an interest in the visual arts. Only in the last few years have I had much time to devote to such endeavors and even then it has been rather catch as catch can. My main interest in art is in the capture of natural images (I took scientific illustration in college), but I appreciate the fact that art and stark realism may express somewhat different truths about the subject. As a rank amateur in watercolor art I also appreciate deeply such roadmap-like guide books as Ferdinand Petrie's "The Big Book of Painting Nature in Watercolor." At first the title turned me off, but in perusing a copy (and later acquiring it) I found it to be an excellent guide to capturing the essence of a natural scene in one of the most difficult of all media- watercolor (only pen and ink may be more demanding from my experience!)
The coupling of Petrie's step by step paintings and the exquisite photographs of John Shaw has produced a book that is both visually beautiful and informative. Using the techniques described and with one's own reference photos in hand (or under an open sky direct from nature) a novice painter can slowly gain the knowledge and skill necessary to succeed in producing credible paintings.
A while back a scientist colleague of mine asked me why make a painting or drawing when you can photograph any subject with clarity. As a person who takes my own reference photos and enjoys doing so I can say he has a point, but reality does not necessarily come only from an exact replication of a scene. In the process of painting from nature (or from a reference photograph) you often notice more complex details, even in apparently simple subjects, then you would ordinarily notice in a photograph by itself. Petrie has emphasized the observation of these complex details and their interpretation in watercolor. If nothing else the instructions that point the artist toward this close observation of complexity in nature are worth the price of the book.
Good variety and information for various angles.......2005-01-23
This book is one to read through to learn -- not just do the practice paintings. Being a newbie to watercolor, this book has really helped me to view nature through a different set of eyes. He helps you see the "what do I want this picture to focus on" instead of microdetailing every possible detail in view. I am now finding myself looking at nature figuring out the details and what would I want to paint as the focus. I think this book goes very well with Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Watercolor by Marian Appellof -- good pair with minimal redundancy.
Numerous step-by-step watercolor techniques.......2004-03-04
As a beginning artist, I tend to accumulate technique books. "The Big Book of Painting Nature in Watercolor" has been one of my most useful watercolor books. It is, in fact, the book that my watercolor instructor uses for reference material for her students.
The book covers a wide variety of techniques, each in the context of a short, complete, step-by-step project which results in a good-looking painting (I occasionally frame one). Techniques covered include seeing colors, mixing, washes, underpaintings, tilting paper, dry brush, use of wet vs. damp vs. dry paper, various uses and methods for lifting, reflections, lighting, contrast, and many, many more techniques, settings, and approaches to challenging scenes. I learn something different from each project.
One implicitly learns the art of simplification and watercolor expression by comparing each projects' nature scene photograph with its respective final painting. That mindset, plus the book's setting-specific techniques, carries over to painting similar scenes outside of the book. It is important to supplement the cookbook nature of the book by applying the same techniques to one's own photo references, and to painting live in nature.
Book Description
This inspiring guide provides artists with the knowledge they need to paint watercolor landscapes. It features easy-to-follow exercises illustrated in an accessible format that invites readers to jump in and begin painting right away. Artists of all skill levels will learn from:
-30 step-by-step demonstrations
-Chapters that focus on basic landscape elements, such as land, water and sky
-Special mini demos for capturing important details, including trees, mountains, waves, clouds, sunsets and more.
Most importantly, this guide's instruction teaches artists the foundations of strong composition and encourages them to pursue their own individual style to create landscapes that are compelling and unique.
Customer Reviews:
Nice book to buy but .......2007-08-23
Its a nice book but if you already have the other book from Gordon Mackenzie, I wouldn't recommend it. Basically half the book almost has the same things.
If you don't have any book from him.... its a nice buy. you will enjoy reading it.
Fine book to learn from, if you will practice........2007-08-09
I bought the "Watercolorist's Essential Notebook"(WEN) and this "WEN - Landscapes," fearing they would be the same with a few different illustrations. (I was specifically looking for ideas on mountains). I was surprised that the first 20 pages contained the same material, but presented with landscapes theme. The rest of the book had many ideas and suggestions, not just rehashed WEN. There was enough new material to warrant this purchase. I should keep trying the presented techniques, but there was enough to satisfy my desire. For less than the cost of a lesson (I consider shipping/handling the same as using my vehicle to drive to the lesson) I have hours of experimenting ahead of me. The illustrations of the effects of each technique are very good, and the "step by step" illustrations aren't cookie cutter recipes, but suggestions for your own experiments. As a "new watercolorist" (meaning I haven't sold anything yet, but I am at the point of feeling I now could), I was surprised at how well I took to, and how much I learned from, both WEN books. I would say suitable from the start for beginners, and advanced students to working.
Beginner or advanced, if you paint you NEED this book!.......2007-07-13
I was so pleased with this book that I bought the author's previous one, "The Watercolorist's Essential Notebook" and was just as happy with it! I learned so much from this book, and still continue to learn from it. I consider myself a beginner as I have only been studying watercolor for less than a year, but I took it to class and showed it to my instructor. She was so impressed by it that she bought it to use in her classes. Even with an MFA, she found information that was new to her. The author has a wonderful, playful style that makes learning exciting and fun. Whatever your skill level, you owe it to yourself to own this book!
Excellent for beginners and all.......2007-07-12
Mr. MacKenzie shows techniques which all can utilize. I have been doing watercolor paintings for about two and half years with some success. I find his suggestions a great help. He is precise and forthright in his endeavor to share his artistic techniques with each reader. It's a great book.
The Watercolorist's Essential Notebook: Landscapes.......2007-05-09
Excellent review of ways to do landscapes. Good techniques and interresting form.
Book Description
This giant treasury of watercolor florals brings together a popular medium with a popular subject matter. With North Light's Big Book of Painting Watercolor Flowers, readers can:
* Paint all their favorite flowers in watercolor--everything from wild daffodils and gladiola to hollyhock and mums
* Brush up on the basics, including composition, wet-into-wet washes, mixing color and stretching watercolor paper
* Create finished pieces in no time with easy step-by-step demonstrations
Page after page of gorgeous artwork and clear instruction make this the perfect choice for artists of all levels. Painting flowers has never been easier!
Customer Reviews:
North Light's Big Book of Painting watercolor flowers.......2005-08-23
Very nice book,looked like a new book
nice book.......2005-04-15
Very instructive. Many different styles of painting demonstrated in a way easy to follow. Very well worth the money.
Customer Reviews:
This is not a review, it is a question........1999-10-19
I have an old book by Mark Catesby. Half is in French and half in English, it is supposed to one of two volumes, it is not in very good shape,and most of the plates are missing. Do you have any thing more you could tell me about this book?
Average customer rating:
- Serves a specific purpose well, as titled
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First Impressions: Sketching Nature in Watercolor
Edward Norton Ward
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Watercolor Painting
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Drawing
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Painting
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Watercolor
| Painting
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
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Watercolor, You Can Do It!
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Making Color Sing
ASIN: 0823018202 |
Customer Reviews:
Serves a specific purpose well, as titled.......2006-11-30
If you want to loosen up your work and/or paint outdoors efficiently and effectively, then this book will be a big help--as it has been for me. Even if you want to paint in a more representational, detailed style, than is represented here, getting the basics first as this book presents them could still greatly simplify things to make your process easier.
Edward Norton Ward's watercolor "sketches" (They are signed, so I assume he considers them completed paintings.), which are abundant throughout the book, at first might appear more simplistic than they are. In other words, there is experience and knowledge behind creating an effective, yet simple, watercolor. Mr. Ward has been generous in sharing this knowledge and the thoughts that are behind each painting. His discussions about simplifying the subject and the effects of light on color are particularly good. He also explains his painting process.
This book is useful in any case, but more useful if you paint outdoors, as that is its focus. His tips on traveling lightly and the materials he uses/prepares, has a couple valuable tips that I will use, even though after painting for a number of years I have already gone over the endless supplies combinations for painting outdoors.
The painting on the cover is a good representation of Ward's work and one that I like (although not my favorite). I admit that some of the paintings in this book do not appeal to me as the parts seem too detached and there are too many isolated dabs of paint. Others, however, elicit a sigh of appreciation, because they represent what I would like to be able to do: paint directly from nature in a very direct(impressionistic)style that doesn't involve a lot of fussing in the studio later--if I do not wish to do that--and still end up with a painterly thing of beauty. This book shows me how to achieve that goal more than any others I have studied.
I have just sorted through my rather extensive library on painting in watercolor with an eye to thinning down the collection to about half--to the ones that I deem most essential. I am keeping this book over several boxes of other watercolor books, a number by better known artists, simply because there is something valuable here that I want to learn, and I feel that I will use it as a reference for some time.
Average customer rating:
- Nice, but material is duplicated in another of her books
- Yuk!
- Another Excellent Book by Ms. Nice
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Painting Nature in Pen & Ink With Watercolor
Claudia Nice
Manufacturer: North Light Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Watercolor Painting
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Drawing
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Drawing
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Pen & Ink
| Drawing
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Specific Objects
| Drawing
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Painting
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Watercolor
| Painting
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0891348131 |
Book Description
Anyone willing to learn can celebrate the wonder of nature with Claudia Nice's techniques for combining pen and ink with watercolor. Offering clear, step-by-step instruction for painting a range of subjects, she focuses on the little details first, from soil and leaves to wildflowers and birds. As artists are guided piece-by-piece through the wonders of different panoramic settings, they will learn to combine these elements into full-scale projects--quiet forest scenes, coral reefs teeming with color, prairies, deserts, ponds and mountains--all alive with the beauty and joy of nature.
Customer Reviews:
Nice, but material is duplicated in another of her books.......2004-06-07
This is an excellent book... IF you don't already own "Painting with Watercolor, Pen and Ink" by Claudia Nice. The material in this book is entirely duplicated in the "Painting with...". Please do not buy this book if you already own a copy of "Painting with Watercolor, Pen and Ink". I did and was thoroughly disappointed that there was no new material in the "Painting Nature in Pen & Ink with Watercolor".
Now, if you own the other book "Creating Textures with Watercolor, Pen and Ink" then I highly recommend this book as it has subject matter that was not covered in the "Creating Textures..." book.
If you don't own any of her books, then buy the "Painting with Watercolor Pen and Ink" ISBN 158180265X because it completely combines the material in both "Creating Textures..." and "Painting Nature..." books.
Yuk!.......2003-01-01
I really don't see why anyone would buy this. I'm a real art fanatic, and I love Ms. Nice very much. Her past books fill one's pleasure and contentment. I recommend Creating Textures in Pen and Ink with Watercolor (by her) rather than this.
Another Excellent Book by Ms. Nice.......2000-04-23
I bought this book based on the strength of Ms. Nice's previous book Creating Textures in Pen & Ink with Watercolor. I was equally pleased and delighted with this one as much as with her previous work.
It first starts out with some very basic pen & ink strokes and techniques along with some watercolor texturing techniques (such as using crumpled plastic wrap which gives a surprisingly snow crystal-like texture).
The next chapters move quickly on to using these techniques as applied to creating wildlife paintings and/or scenic landscapes. For example, in one chapter she starts out showing step by step details of a bird wildlife painting. One of the interesting things is that the bird pen & ink was done in sepia ink rather than the more typical black. The next page showed a step by step of the ferns in the painting along with moss and wood. The last page in the chapter showed all of these things pulled together into the final painting. Each painting gets the same "how-to" treatment. The result is that someone could easily duplicate each of the paintings in the book.
There are also a wealth of mini-demonstrations such as leaves, frogs, birds, seashells, fish, starfish, flowers, grass, trees, etc. All of them most likely pulled from actual full paintings she has done but probably not included due to space and page-length considerations. Each one of the mini-pictures provides another step by step build-up so you can practice first without neccessarily committing to a big project. In short, it just looks like fun.
One interesting side note: comic book artists have long used this technique of watercolor with pen & ink. I am a big fan of comics - DC's Vertigo line and some Image comics in particular feature breathtaking illustrations with pen & ink and watercolor. Any fine artist should do him/herself a favor and see how beautiful and "grown-up" some of these comics have really become. They routinely feature beautiful art for its own sake and the stories are geared toward an adult market.
What is really refreshing is that Ms. Nice finally shows how beautiful these techniques are when applied to the realm of nature art. I don't really see how anyone could be disappointed with this book. You're bound to learn something new to try with your own paintings. I certainly did. :)
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 popular painting subjects
* This author has a proven sales track record
Customer Reviews:
Fill Your Watercolor With Natures Light.......2007-05-25
Helpful well put together book, which encouraged trying new techniques
Great Service.......2006-08-10
It was a surprise when the book was delivered in a couple days, I had expected a week. It is in superb condition. Impressive seller and delivery.
Nice loose painting.......2003-08-19
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!.......2001-12-24
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.......2001-08-09
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!
Book Description
With this book's no-clutter approach, artists will be tackling two of their favorite subjects--watercolor and landscapes--in minutes.
Reid's quick-start guide gives beginners a basic overview of materials, terms and exercises to get them off on the right foot. Then it's on to tackling more than 25 step-by-step demonstrations that cover all the basic landscape techniques. Readers will learn to paint essential elements, such as water, mountains, buildings and skies, one at a time. These easy-to-follow exercises arm artists with a set of tools, techniques and principles to enrich all their future landscapes.
This highly visual guide also includes detailed advice on how to overcome the challenges of painting outdoors and when traveling. It's never been easier--or quicker--to have fun painting outdoor scenes.
Book Description
Learn how to paint exquisite flower portraits in watercolour, following Billy Showell's highly detailed, step-by-step instructions. Packed with stunning pictures and technical advice, this book is truly inspirational. Billy Showell's exquisite and technically brilliant watercolour flower portraits are beautifully presented in this highly informative, lavishly illustrated book. Packed with information on drawing and painting techniques, colour mixing and composition, it is an invaluable source of ideas and inspiration for anyone who wants to develop their flower painting skills, whether or not they have any previous experience.
Customer Reviews:
Surprise for Painter wife.......2007-04-11
My wife was thrilled with this book that was added to her resources. She has used it already.
It's all in the details.......2006-10-05
This book improves on many previous painting books by giving very specific step-by-step instructions. Each step is beautifully photographed and carefully explained. This makes it a must have for both the beginner and painter.
Billy's paintings bring a contemporary feel to botanical art. Her work is meticulous and detailed. The Artist's talks about all aspects of creating a painting including choosing paints, brushes and paper for the execution of your work. Her comments about composition and her approach to painting help guide you to develop your own approach.
I highly recommend this lovely book.
Book Description
A unique guide that will teach complete beginners how to paint a beautiful floral watercolour in just one weekend.
Beginners recognise that they need to acquire basic painting skills - but at the same time they are eager to produce their first finished painting. This popular 'weekend' formula allows them to do both in a limited amount of time - to build skills gradually and to produce an attractive, frameable painting that they can hang on their walls by the end of the weekend.
The author starts by introducing the materials required, and then leads readers through a series of watercolour technique exercises designed to provide a basic grounding in the skills needed for this subject area.
This instruction is followed by six weekend projects for painting a range of popular floral subjects: a single flower; a group of white flowers; an indoors still life; an outdoors close-up; autumn flowers; and wild flowers in the landscape. Each course starts with practice exercises to be completed on the Saturday; readers are then ready to complete the full watercolour painting on the Sunday.
Clear instructions accompany step-by-step photographs throughout, and technical information is given in special feature boxes.
Customer Reviews:
Thanks, Jill!.......2004-04-11
After months of sitting with my preschooler at the easel and painting nothing but crude daisies, I bought this book. It's been three days and I am already painting flowers that look like flowers. The techniques are simple and are explained well with text and photographs. I find that many how-to-paint books are filled with the artist's own finished works but never show the intimidated beginner how to get there. This book is different in that it takes the reader through a step-by-step process that begins with the first stroke and ends with the final product. I highly recommend this book to the beginning watercolorist.
Books:
- The Big Book of Painting Nature in Watercolor (Practical Art Books)
- The Chinese Brush Painting Bible: Over 200 Motifs With Step-by-Step Illustrated Instructions
- The Colours of Infinity: The Beauty, The Power and the Sense of Fractals
- The Colours of Infinity: The Beauty, The Power and the Sense of Fractals
- The Encyclopedia of Colored Pencil Techniques
- The Glass Castle: A Memoir
- The Nature and Properties of Soils (13th Edition)
- The New Acrylics
- The Old Man and The Sea
- The Science of Orgasm
Books Index
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