How to Paint: Water Colours

Nov 08

This new series from Search Press concentrates on the absolute basics and assumes very little prior knowledge on the part of the reader. It's one stage on from those omnibus how to paint everything in every medium books that are - or claim to be - an even more elementary introduction for the general reader. Some of them are good, but a lot are aimed at people who know someone who wants to paint and assume that a fat, suspiciously inexpensive, tome is the way forward. That the recipient probably never gets further than the first 20 or so pages and one half-completed watercolour means that their real value is never really tested.

I'm sorry, we seem to have got a bit off-topic there and I should add there are some really quite good big fat introductions around that are the ideal starting point for someone who's reasonably serious but hasn't got as far as deciding which is their medium yet.

But, back to our sheep [revenons a nos moutons]. If you've got as far as browsing this series on the shelves, you've also got as far as making a decision on which medium you're going to pursue and that's the first rung up the ladder. So, we'll assume that you know what a brush is and what paints are, but that you don't really have much experience in using them. And this is where this series comes in. There's a very good section on materials and media that will show you the basics of colour mixing and brushstrokes and then a series of 3 fairly straightforward demonstration paintings that will get you started.

64 pages isn't enough to offer an exhaustive study, but the point is not to bog you down, but to give you something to achieve reasonably quickly so that you can move on with a sense of something already achieved.

Nov 08

Jeremy has written this book covering many of the techniques he personally uses as a watercolour artist. There is a wealth of information in this book that Jeremy has assimilated from reading books and watching other artists work, and from personal trial and error.

He covers use and choice of basic materials and a range of different techniques used by watercolour artists. There's a very useful section on colour and colour grids and tone. This is essential to understand in order to achieve a pleasing overall effect of your artwork. There are a few helpful exercise such as negative painting and monochrome painting, and these will all help further the aim of feeling competent to create your own artwork. He then goes on to show one of his own paintings and how the differing techniques were used within it. Its very useful to see how they all work in harmony on the finished work.

Jeremy, like most artists, feels a sketch book is an essential tool for capturing scenes that may be useful reference for later artworks. The main focus of the book is on three very detailed easy to follow demonstrations, each using some or all of the techniques he has so clearly explained. Each demonstration contains clear instructions on paper, brushes and colours so that it is very easy to re-create following Jeremy's methods.

This book would be an excellent reference tool for anyone new to watercolour with its clear, easy to follow instructions that will allow even a novice to watercolour to create beautiful artworks.

Summer Catalogue 2014

The book covers a range of subjects from flower portraits to landscapes and in the accompanying DVD Jeremy demonstrates how to complete three remarkable paintings with ease.

Jeremy Ford studied graphic design at the Southport College of Art, and Illustration at the Harrow College of Art. He has been a freelance illustrator, artist, demonstrator and teacher since 1978 and has illustrated a wide variety of books and greetings cards. He lives in Yorkshire and runs popular painting workshops and holidays.