In this new film, David shows us how to get mood, atmosphere & light into our paintings. He sketches in Snowdonia, Pembrokeshire & the Cotswolds, painting a summer sunlit farm, a splashing mountain waterfall, a bridge, an early morning misty lake & a rocky cove. He then produces two finished paintings from these sketches, working in his studio. ...

For many years a tutor for Sketching Party Holidays, Joy gives her aesthetic impressions, her approach to the various challenges & her rapport with the wildlife encountered in the New Forest. Tree magic – the New Forest, it is all there. Colour, shape & form, textures & excitement, all waiting for pen, pencil or paint & a discerning eye & enthusiasm! Primarily this book is about watercolour but it also shows all the different directions into which I was led both in subject matter & media. ...

Now every artist can learn directly from the modern masters. This book shows painters how to create great artwork through great composition
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Follow artist & art instructor Julie Askew's journey around our diverse planet through her beautiful sketches & paintings, depicted here along with notes from the artist herself. This stunning book features over 200 of her works, showing how she has used her extensive travels & her love of the natural world as her inspiration. From dramatic African landscapes, to India's magnificent wildlife, & on to portraits of Indonesian traditional dress, the range of subjects is immense. Her comments & remarks combine artistic tips & diary extracts charting her voyage, thus offering a rare insight into an artist's mind. This beautiful book is perfect for those wishing to see how Julie has tackled her vast range of themes, & who would like to benefit from her tips & experience. It's also great for those who are simply admirers of these gorgeous artworks. ...

Billy Showell is a well-respected contemporary artist whose watercolour flower portraits have earned her the respect of watercolour artists all over the world. Worked to the same degree of accuracy as traditional botanical paintings, Billy's compositions are given a more contemporary twist, combining her unique eye for design with her love of flowers. In this book, 40 flower portraits are presented, arranged in alphabetical order, each one accompanied by small studies, details, step-by-step instructions & the colour mixes used to accomplish the finished work. At the start of the book there are useful sections on the materials & equipment needed & the main techniques used, including wet-into-wet, colour blending, lifting out, layering glazes, dry brushing & colour mixing, & at the end of the book Billy gives her own unique slant on composition & discusses the importance of creating a sketchbook. Whether you love to paint, or simply love flowers, this book will delight & inspire you. About the Author Billy Showell graduated from St Martins School of Art with a B.A. in fashion design, but was irresistably drawn to painting & illustration. In 1993 she set course for a career as an artist & now paints, illustrates & teaches botanical painting at her studio & art clubs in the UK, USA & Australia. She lives in Tunbridge Wells, UK with her husband & two sons. Billy has been awarded five Certificates of Botanical Merit from the Society of Botanical Artists & her first book on watercolour flower portraits has been hugely successful in the UK & abroad. Billy's paintings are collected by her followers the world over & many are available as limited edition prints. Review from The Artist October 2010 Issue Lavishly & colourfully illustrated from start to finish, this book is a feast for the eyes. Its the third book by watercolour artist Billy Showell & in it she explains how she produces her detailed watercolour flower paintings with their unique, contemporary edge. Approaching her subjects with the same level of accuracy as botanical artists, Billys flowers are meticulous & realistic, but infused with her distinctive sense of design to give them a modern twist. She says that, for her, achieving the right design & composition are as important as attaining the true colours & shapes of every individual flower. The first part of this book gives information on materials & equipment needed, as well as clear instructions on the main techniques used, including wet-in-wet, laying glazes, dry brushing, lifting out, using body colour, masking & creating texture and pattern. There are details on colour mixing & on how to get the best out of brushes as well as insights into composition ideas & on keeping a sketchbook. Then, arranged in alphabetical order, are detailed step-by-step instructions showing how to paint 40 specific flower portraits, each accompanied by small studies, first drawing stages, methods of applying paint & a colour swatch illustrating the palette & paint mixes used for the finished work. If you are a Billy Showell fan
- & she has many throughout the world
- then you will need no further recommendation. If you are new to her work, you will be delighted at the clarity of instruction, the delicacy & vibrancy of the paintings, & the invaluable advice & inspiration this book offers. Susie Hodge

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As the interest in non-representational art grows & artists become more adventurous, this important book helps the reader make the move towards abstract art through the use of colour
- the hallmark of Claire Harrigan's work in mixed media. Fantastically illustrated throughout & with sound technical advice, the book covers: Understanding Abstract Art: concepts & influences; Beginnings: inspiration, starting points & preliminary work; Varied subject matter: still life, flowers, buildings & figures with details on how they evolved from the original inspiration; Basic Design: composition & the importance of structure; Surface &

Colour: create mood, harmonies, contrast & tone; plus combining texture with techniques & colour; Considering & choosing different media: characteristics of acrylic, gouache, watercolour, oil, pastel & collage; & Mixed Media: the painting process of specific paintings, the compatibility of different media, both technically & visually; It also uncovers: Visual Impact: a look at, & discussion of, various examples; Analysis & selection: the process of abstraction & semi-abstraction may involve analysis, simplification, distortion or exaggeration as well as an emphasis on elements such as line, shape & colour, all demonstrated in different paintings; A step-by-step look at Claire Harrigan's paintings; &, Pure Abstraction: a look at paintings without any evidence of the initial subject matter or inspiration.


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Whether you want to purely abstract your ideas, thoughts & feelings into colour & mood, or whether you want to base your pictures on subjects that interest you, such as landscapes, flowers, or music, you will find much to guide & fascinate you here. Rolina van Vliet is an enthusiastic teacher, & she offers a brilliant insight into what makes good paintings, with 50 stunning projects, each accompanied by expert tips & a full palette of exciting & fun techniques. With help on what materials to use & how to use them, she

Includes:: many photographs illustrating different ways to create smooth, textured, collaged, vibrant, powerful & atmospheric abstract art. Beginners will love the way Rolina encourages experimentation
- there are no rules, & more experienced artists will find much here to inspire them.


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Painting Landscapes in Oils Realism in landscape painting is the goal of many fine artists & leisure-time painters. This book shows how to achieve that goal by using the right colours, values & textures to express near, middle & great distance. It

Includes:: demonstrations for all seasons: winter, spring, summer and autumn.

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This book looks at artists using acrylic's potential to create unique styles, addressing methods & techniques for finding your own voice in the medium. It presents a variety of successful acrylic painters, each using acrylic in unique ways to create their own original styles. By looking at how other artists find ideas along with the book's 29 step-by-step demonstrations, readers will be able to explore ways of personalising their own art. ...