Free Watercolor Techniques: Painting Light And Color In Landscapes And Cityscapes Ebooks To Download
"No other medium is as magical and enjoyable as watercolor." So says artist and author Michael Reardon. In Watercolor Techniques: Painting Light and Color in Landscapes and Cityscapes, Reardon covers it all, from answers to beginners' most vexing problems (What is the proper ratio of pigment and water? How do I lay down an even wash? Why do my paintings look so washed out?) to understanding the trifecta of perspective, value, and color. He shows how to paint whites that sparkle and shadows that glow and how to conjure the atmosphere of a particular place and time. Painters of all skill levels will see--and feel--the difference in their work.Packed with expert advice for infusing scenes with light and colorIncludes special tips and techniques for painting architectural subjectsIllustrated with inspiring paintings of scenes from around the world8 start-to-finish demonstrations show key concepts in action"Light, as it glances off a facade, glimmers off the water or gleams off polished marble, is always inspiring. Color, with its infinite array of hues, is always irresistible. Searching for ways to make them harmonize and tell a story can last a lifetime."
Hardcover: 142 pages
Publisher: North Light Books (March 29, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1440340765
ISBN-13: 978-1440340765
Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 0.6 x 10.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #49,674 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #22 in Books > Arts & Photography > Painting > Watercolor
I have bought many books on watercolor painting over the years and have learned a lot of valuable things in them but rarely have I encountered one like Michael Reardon's Watercolor Techniques! Michael is an incredibly gifted artist as well as a fantastic writer. His book is packed with easy to understand illustrations and text as well as incredibly enlightening demonstrations. Michael's book is a "must have" for the beginning and novice watercolorist. If you're an advanced painter that desires to push your work to a higher level, you'll be thrilled by the discussions on light, luminosity, color value, shadows, shade and mood. Color theory can sometimes be confusing to novice and advanced painters alike. Michael tackles this subject in a masterful way! His discussion regarding complementary colors, luscious greens and shades of white and gray will literally transform the way one paints in watercolor. Chapter 7 alone is worth the price of the book! Learning to paint in the watercolor medium is truly a "lifetime journey". It is truly an incredibly satisfying journey of learning and discovery! If you are just beginning the trip or many years down the road, I can assure you that Michael Reardon's Watercolor Technique will be an invaluable companion.
My self-imposed no more book buying moratorium... well, I totally forgot it when I saw Michael had written a book on watercolor. The printing by North Light is beautiful. The paintings by Michael are wonderful. And the instruction and illustrations of stages of how he painted a piece is the best part, and offered explanation for techniques I'd long wondered about. He's also very generous about showing his setup and the gear he prefers. Travel minimalists will like his plein-air no-easel setup, showing him sitting on steps with his things scattered around him. Three thumbs up!
If I had to whittle down my vast collection of watercolor painting books to just a few, this one would be at the top of the "keep" list. It is clearly written, gorgeously illustrated, and clearly laid out and printed, but more importantly, it breaks down the elements of watercolor painting into many bite-sized chapters that will give painters of all levels something new to think about and try. His discussions on staining vs non-staining colors, creating greens, mixing colors, warm vs cool shadows, and atmospheric techniques are things most experts use but rarely take the time to explain. Every color mixture is explained throughout the book, in the warm personable style of the author. If you're looking for a book for someone who has never painted in watercolors, this isn't it -- for that I'd recommend Gordon MacKenzie's The Watercolorists' Essential Notebook; but for all of the rest of you who have painted a little (or a lot!) and want to move your work forward, Michael's book will give you an amazing array of techniques and ideas to focus on. In addition, the examples (of which there are *so* many) are glorious and extremely inspirational. This book is really a spectacular effort: it covers a lot of ground and is a great value at the price--I've paid much more for books worth much less. One thing to think about: you can also buy this book directly from the publisher (North Light Books) but their packaging is *so* awful that I everything I've bought from them has arrived damaged and had to be returned. So buy it from , and prepare to be amazed, inspired, and a better painter!
I highly recommend Michael Reardon's book to anyone interested in watercolor. It is well written and well illustrated to help see how he thinks about painting. It's difficult to say what I like best. The color information is great, and I think the values treatment is important. You see examples of value study sketches and a section on the values of color. It's a great refresher course if you have taken one of Michael's workshops, but really, there is more in the book than could be covered in one workshop. I expect to be referring back to this book often.
Right away, by the title of Michael’s book, I knew that it was going to be the resource that I have been waiting for to help clear up many of the questions that I have developed while taking various workshops from Michael over the years. I have also been fortunate to be able to experience Michael’s work directly through years of monthly get-to-gethers with the Sunday Afternoon Watercolor Society (SAWS). At SAWS, I was always left wondering how Michael’s work could be accomplished with such accuracy, speed and appeal and this book fills in the answers to almost all of the questions that I have had over the years. The very first Chapter where Michael outlines the 15 colors that he uses establishes one of the elements of the foundation of Michael’s work. Based on this, I immediately abandoned half of my colors and set up a new palette with these 15 colors. Also, Michael’s warning not to mix more than 3 colors helped me to simplify my approach! As Michael recommends, a small study sketch with values is imperative. At Michael’s suggestion, I have a sketch book that I have used over the years and it usually takes me a few minutes to complete this sketch before I start the final larger layout. I have started to follow all of Michael’s steps in each of his illustrations and have already learned more in these first few minutes than in the years of my watercolor work that preceded this book. Since I recently received this book, I have yet to benefit from all that it has; but I am looking forward to digesting all that Michael has offered. This is an outstanding resource for those serious enough to spend the time absorbing the information.Joel Tomei, FAIA
Watercolor Techniques: Painting Light and Color in Landscapes and Cityscapes Oil Painting: Learn Oil Painting FAST! Learn the Basics of Oil Painting In No Time (Oil Painting Tutorial, Oil Painting Books, Oil Painting For Beginners, Oil Painting Course, Oil Painting) Acrylic Painting: Learn Acrylic Painting FAST! Learn the Basics of Acrylic Painting In No Time (Acrylic Painting Tutorial, Acrylic Painting Books, Acrylic ... Painting Course, Acrylic Painting Book 1) Acrylic Painting: The Complete Crash Course To Acrylic Painting - Painting Techniques for: Still Life Painting, Landscape Painting and Portrait Painting Acrylic Painting: Learn How to Easily Paint Beginners Techniques with Acrylic Paint. Discover the Art of Acrylic Painting (Acrylic Painting, acrylic painting techniques, acrylic painting books) Watercolor Sketching for Beginners (Watercolor Sketching for Beginners (art, watercolor, sketch, instruction, reference, tuition, painting) Book 1) Drawing and Painting Fantasy Landscapes and Cityscapes Acrylic Painting for Newbies: Guide To Acrylic Painting With 12 Step-By-Step Instructions And Tutorials (Acrylic Painting Books, acrylic painting techniques, acrylic painting for beginners) 1,500 Color Mixing Recipes for Oil, Acrylic & Watercolor: Achieve precise color when painting landscapes, portraits, still lifes, and more Watercolor Painting: A Practical & Easy To Follow Guide For Beginners (Painting, Watercolour Painting Book 1) Painting Beautiful Skin Tones with Color & Light: Oil, Pastel and Watercolor Oil Painting Techniques: Learn How to Master Oil Painting Working Techniques to Create your Own Successful Paintings (Artist's Painting Library) The Art of Painting Landscapes, Seascapes, and Skyscapes in Oil & Acrylic: Disover simple step-by-step techniques for painting an array of outdoor scenes. (Collector's Series) Bold Expressive Painting: Painting Techniques for Still Lifes, Florals and Landscapes in Mixed Media Painting Landscapes in Oils (Oil Painting Tips & Techniques) Powerful Watercolor Landscapes: Tools for Painting with Impact Painting Beautiful Watercolor Landscapes: Transform Ordinary Places into Extraordinary Scenes Basic People Painting: Techniques in Watercolor (Basic Techniques) Seascapes & Sunsets: Discover techniques for creating ocean scenes and dramatic skies in watercolor (Watercolor Made Easy) Karen Sperling's Painting for Photographers Volume 3: Painting Portraits, Landscapes and Composites in Corel Painter
