Collins Artist's Studio

Ann Blockley is a very successful artist, known for the innovative way in which she uses texture as a key element in her work. This book, in Collins Artist's Studio series, looks at how she achieves her stunning effects and provides essential guidelines for the intermediate painter wishing to develop this aspect of their own painting. Creating texture in watercolour can be quite a challenge but this book provides a fresh approach to the subject. It focuses on a wide range of unusual techniques, some of which depart from the more conventional methods, revealing how to portray texture by a variety of means. Ann explains how to manipulate the paint by lifting out colour, scraping and scratching the paint, and by using additional materials such as wax, clingfilm, salt and metallic pigments. She also explains how the surface itself can play an important role in the effects that can be achieved, and experiments with acrylics, inks, gouache and collage as well as watercolour. In later chapters Ann looks at the creative process and provides insights into how to develop ideas, then concentrates on how to portray texture in specific subjects, such as flowers and foliage, animals, still life, buildings and landscapes. Practical exercises, projects, step-by-step demonstrations and studio tips are included, as well as the work of several guest artists - John Blockley, Moira Huntly and Shirley Trevena.

In this beautifully illustrated book in “Collins Artist's Studio” series well-known artist Hazel Soan reveals 9 key secrets of watercolor painting that will enable painters with some experience to develop greater confidence and a more professional attitude to their work. Successful watercolors require something more than simply good technique, important though this is. Often it is the artist's attitude to their work that can make the difference between a merely competent painting and one that really stands out from the crowd. Confidence is the key, and for the intermediate painter this comes not just by practicing techniques but also by developing a deeper understanding of the underlying tenets of watercolor painting. In this book Hazel Soan looks at the key secrets of watercolor painting that are often overlooked in the desire to capture likeness—these concern good materials, working practices, the nature of the medium, focusing on what is really important, choosing the right colors, balancing tones, developing confidence, knowing when your work is finished, and how to exhibit it. Plenty of practical exercises, projects, step-by-step demonstrations and studio tips are included to help you to build up confidence in your skills. In addition to Hazel's evocative watercolors, the work of several guest artists is also featured, including Mike Chaplin, John Yardley, Shirley Trevena, John Lidzey and Jenny Wheatley.

This illustrated ebook, in the Collins Artist's Studio series, is aimed at the intermediate painter and explains how to loosen up your watercolours and develop a more spontaneous style of painting. Judi Whitton has specialized in teaching and painting watercolours in a loose style for many years and in this book she shares her experience to enable you to liberate your creativity and achieve more freedom of expression in your work. The book covers many of the traditional watercolour techniques and procedures, such as 'lost and found' edges, wet-into-wet, simplification and decisive brushstrokes, but all with an emphasis on maintaining spontaneity and a lively style. In addition, there are helpful sections on using colour creatively, planning your paintings, painting vignettes - a much overlooked technique - and working outdoors. A number of paintings by other well-known watercolourists, such as John Yardley, Charles Reid and John Palmer, are also included to show different styles of painting in a loose way. Practical exercises and projects, step-by-step demonstrations, studio tips and discussions on a variety of issues combine to make this an ideal book for all those artists who are looking to take the next step and develop their painting with confidence.