Capturing the Magic of Light in Watercolor


Book Description

Transform your paintings from ordinary to extraordinary - with light! Want to paint light-filled watercolors that reach out and draw viewers in? In this book, award-winning watercolorist and teacher Susan Bourdet shows you how. Through simple concepts and detailed step-by-step demonstrations, Susan demystifies the process of successfully depicting light in watercolor. You'll learn how to: • Create convincing light effects and rich shadows • Depict different light angles and times of day • Render light on a variety of subjects, from feathers and fur to flowers, water and textures • Take reference photos with exciting light and combine them into a believable composition that speaks to your viewers It's all the information you'll need to capture the magic of light in your watercolors! Includes 23 step-by-step demonstrations!




Painting the Allure of Nature


Book Description

Weber shows you how to mix and load paint, shape your brush and apply a variety of intriguing strokes in nine easy-to-follow demonstrations.




Capturing the Magic of Children in Your Paintings


Book Description

The irrepressible nature of children makes them charming subjects for paintings, as well as a real challenge to actually paint. In this book, suitable for artists working in all of the most popular mediums, Jessica Zemsky shares the lessons she's learned in her many years of painting children, including:- Nine step-by-step demonstrations that illustrate her personal techniques- Special guidelines for portraying children being themselves--at play, with siblings or pets--rather than in formal portraits- Advice for everything from finding natural poses to rendering the varied textures of children's skin and hair- Tips for working in watercolor, acrylic, gouache, oil and pastel- Plus delightful anecdotes and firsthand lessonsJessica Zemsky and her artist husband share a cabin studio in the Beartooth Mountains of Montana.




Painting Spectacular Light Effects in Watercolor


Book Description

From soft, atmospheric effects to powerful images, this guide provides artists with the insight and instruction they need to illuminate their paintings with the magic of light.




Capturing Light in Watercolor


Book Description

Paint along with Marilyn Simandle as she inspires us to explore the full potential of light and shadow watercolor techniques in this informative step by step guide. In collaboration with Lew Lehrman, this book provides demonstrations in design, white space, and dynamics of color. A must for any artist wishing to create works alive with intensity.




Painting with Light


Book Description

Master the skills you need to transform everyday scenes into breathtaking works of art Throw your preconceptions about light-painting out the window and prepare for a creative journey that will revolutionize your photography. Light painting is a classic photography technique that involves selectively illuminating sections of a dark subject by moving a light source (like a flashlight) over the subject during the course of a seconds- or minutes-long exposure. This results in uniquely nuanced depictions with a high level of technical artistry. As Eric Curry shows, however, today's hardware and software allow you to produce light-painting images that are anything but traditional! In this book, you'll learn, step by step, how to plan and execute incredible, nuanced images using simple gear, a whole lot of imagination, and today's powerful postproduction software. With these techniques, your imagination is the only limit to what you can create! AUTHOR: Eric Curry earned a BA in photography from the Art Center College of Design in 1980, then moved to Copenhagen, Denmark, where he ran his own advertising photography studio for over ten years. There, he worked with the largest agencies in the country, shooting brands such as Novo, Bang and Olufson, Pfizer, Maersk Line Shipping, LEGO, and Philips Electronics.Upon returning to the U.S. in 1992, Eric gradually transitioned to location industrial photography, because it afforded, as he comments, "a much broader palette of avenues for creativity." After thirty years of shooting as a professional, and an additional five years working on the series "American Pride and Passion," Eric is now sharing the secrets of how some of his most effective shots were made--and how you can make similarly powerful photographs yourself.Currently, Eric creates photographs exclusively on location for select clients and himself, taking full advantage of the depth and possibilities afforded by each and every new challenge. SELLING POINTS: * Learn to choose the best light sources for the shape and texture of the surface you're lighting -- and for the effect you want to create * Devise a detailed plan for lighting each frame and maximize your post-production finishing options * Determine the optimal exposure settings for the scene and light sources you've chosen







Watercolor Pencil Magic


Book Description

Water-soluble colored pencils are portable, versatile and much more forgiving than traditional watercolors, yet many artists have only just begun to tap into this medium's creative potential. This book explores the amazing possibilities of watercolor pencils, providing artists with basic instruction for taking full advantage of them in their artwork. Beginning with an overview of necessary materials and basic techniques, artists will learn from simple mini demos how to mix colors, create washes, layer colors and more. Artists will then see how these painting techniques are employed to capture a variety of popular subjects, including landscapes, flowers, animals, water, people, skies, trees, bridges and buildings. the last chapter of the book demonstrates how to mix watercolor pencils with other mediums to create all kinds of new and interesting effects. Cathy Johnson is the author of five North Light books, including Creating Textures in Watercolor and Watercolor Tricks and Techniques. She has also authored Sierra Club Guide to Sketching Nature and Sierra Club Guide to Painting Nature. She lives in Excelsior Springs, Missouri.




Capturing Light


Book Description

In almost all photography it’s the quality of light that makes or breaks the shot. For professional photographers, chasing the light, waiting for it, sometimes helping it, and finally capturing it is a constant preoccupation — and for some an obsession. Drawing on four decades of doing just this, Michael Freeman takes a simple but practical approach to reacting to, and capturing photography’s most important commodity. There are just three sections titled Waiting, Chasing, and Helping: Waiting explains the kinds of lighting that photographers can anticipate and plan for, while Chasing explores the transient, serendipitous light that photographers have to work quickly to exploit. Helping, the final and most technical section, focuses on the skills and techniques for enhancing, reducing, or otherwise controlling light, covering everything from in-the-field shooting choices to technical transformations to post-production.




Sunlight and Shadows in Watercolour


Book Description

Lucy Willis is a well-known and successful watercolourist, renowned for her atmospheric paintings full of sunlight and shade. In her third book , Sunlight and Shadows in Watercolour, Lucy Willis shares her professional tips and expertise on painting inspirational landscapes and interiors full of light. There are several step-by-step demonstration paintings on how to achieve the different effects of light – bright sunlight, shadows, dappled light and night-time scenes. In addition, Lucy shows how to paint from photographs, how to mix colour, and stresses the importance of tone in creating a successful composition. The themes and subjects covered are Landscape, Water, Gardens, Architecture, Interiors, Still Life, Portraits and the importance of keeping a sketchbook. Lucy Willis encourages all watercolourists, whatever their level, to exploit the versatile effects of watercolour and produce exciting, atmospheric work of their own.