Painting Watercolour Snow Scenes the Easy Way

August 2017

Sadly, this is going to be my last review of a new Terry Harrison book. His death left a huge hole in the world of art instruction and many readers are going to be asking where they will go now. Terry was one of the best explainers and his relaxed style of both painting and demonstrating made his results look, while easy, not too easy. You think, 'with a bit of effort, I could do that too' and the real secret is you can. Terry always gave a polished performance but there was never any sleight of hand, no secrets he kept to himself. Follow the instructions, maybe even use his own range of brushes (they really do what they promise) and the results will follow. He many be gone, but there's a substantial legacy of books and articles that we can refer to for many years to come.

This new book was one he most wanted to write. Given his free choice of topic, it was the one he chose and I've been told he saw the proofs and was delighted by the result. Snow is one of the hardest things to part, harder even than water, which is all about reflections. Snow looks white, but isn't. It's blue, it's grey and it's every colour in between. It obscures familiar shapes but creates new ones and has a structure and perspective all of its own. All the techniques are here, along with exercises and demonstrations that cover tracks, trees, mountains, water, buildings and much else. There are even some well wrapped figures and one snowman! Snow is an impermanent thing, but Terry gives it the substance you'd expect.

It's both ironic and typical of him that Terry chose to subtitle this 'the easy way'. As we all know, there is no quick or easy way to paint and it's a private joke between us and the author that there might be. This, though, is Terry saying 'trust me' and very gently showing you the way without leading. If it was mountaneering, he'd be holding the rope, but still letting you do the climb. He may be gone, but all the belays are still there.

November 2017

Terry Harrison who sadly died earlier this year, has left a huge legacy to amateur painters though his teaching books and DVDs. Painting Watercolour Snow Scenes the Easy Way is the last book Terry wrote for Search Press and is certain to be every bit successful as those that have gone before. Dealing with that most difficult of subjects, snow, Terry shares his techniques on how to capture it in watercolour using clear and easy-to-follow instruction, and his own collection of brushes specifically designed for beginners to achieve results quickly. Clear images show step-by-step stages in great detail and the booik is packed full of tips and techniques to make the best of your skills, including working from photographs and how to change a summer scene into a winter one. Six projects are included for you to follow.

Terry Harrison grew up in Norfolk, UK. His early art education was basic and he never dreamed that he would one day become an artist. At fifteen, Terry moved to Hampshire and, inspired by his brilliant art teacher, won a place at Farnham Art School at the age of sixteen. After graduating he became a graphic artist but continued to paint in his spare time. In 1984 Terry gave up his job to paint full time and never looked back, teaching and demonstrating his watercolour techniques throughout the world, developing his own range of brushes and paints and writing over 20 best-selling books that have been translated into many languages. Sadly, Terry passed away in 2017 but his legacy lives on. His gift for explaining his methods in an easy and accessible way has encouraged countless people to take up painting, and his beautiful works of art, inspired by the English countryside that he loved, will continue to be enjoyed by people all over the world.