| Water
is one of the most challenging things to paint; it is wet
to start with, constantly in motion and reflects light. Here
is a whole book dedicated to teaching watercolorists how to
master this tricky technique.
This is one of Search Press’ rare hardbacks, so expect
something a bit special. I could probably be heard from some
way off clapping when the author said you could use student
or artist’s quality paints, didn’t need to buy
too many materials and did not even mention an easel. I loved
the list of dos and don’ts for brush care, and the list
of ordinary items that can be found around the house. This
is a book about painting, not spending money and is packed
with projects. I was also impressed by the way Mr. Dowden
showed a photo, and pointed out various parts of it showing
different water effects. Then he does the same with a painting.
There are sections on mixing relevant colors, short exercises
on painting various water effects and then it is on with the
projects. Anybody who has worked through any of the excellent
Ready To Paint series on watercolors will be ready to tackle
these, and in grand Search Press style expect plenty of stages,
each one showing what to add next. Some of the projects run
to over fifty stages, so beginners are amply catered for which
is good. Paint beach scenes, lakes, rivers, seascapes and
more gradually learning more and more about painting water.
This book is a whole course in itself, and one of the best
and most exhaustive this range features. Ideal for anybody
who wants to learn how to paint water in watercolor.
If you cannot find a good range of watercolor materials
locally try www.searchpress.com
for a list of suppliers.
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