September 2016
Every so often a book comes along that's so simply and so clearly put together that it takes your breath away. That usually happens when a good idea combines with a clear view from both the author and the publisher that charts a straight path through both the writing and the production.
This is one of those. There have been books on limited palettes before and I've seen three-colours idea too, but usually as part of a preamble to something else. Here. Geoff has run with it and produced nine projects - though you sense that the list could have been a lot longer if there were unlimited pages - that there are more than there were just exercises and produce viable, acceptable results. In fact they're better than many more complex demonstrations proving that less definitely can be more.
The simplicity extends to the instruction too. The technical introduction is diposed of in two pages and each project occupies no more than eight, including all the steps you could need. Just as the painting is pared down to the minimum so is the way of demonstrating it. It's deftly done with the lightest of touches.
The book is ostensibly aimed at the complete beginner and would certainly help someone who's perhaps a bit nervous to find a place to start. However, if you want to reboot your own method od working this will go a long way towards clearing out the cobwebs. It made me smile and a I can't recommend it enough.
* SAA Paint *
October 2016
Popular tutor Geoff Kersey, show us how to paint convincing watercolour landscapes using just three colours, light red, candium yelllow pale and ultramarine blue - and all from the Students' range making them afforable to all. Using this limited palette Geoff shows you step-by-step how to tackle nine watercolour scenes in a no-nonsense way. This makes the book ideal for complete beginners who don't want to be overwhelmed by too much theory in the early stages. There's even advice on how to trace and transfer the basic drawings used in demonstrations which are reproduced full size in the book so there's no excuse not to get started.
* Leisure Painter *
If you are somebody who has always wanted to have a go at painting but hasn't done any, it is not obvious where to start. Any art shop or website is filled with a multitude of materials and an assistant who is eager to sell you things, but this is rarely much help. How much is it all going to cost?
Help is at hand with this book, and it is one that had me cheering. A lot of books purport to be for beginners, when they mean those with some basic knowledge who need a nudge in the right direction and some extra skills. This truly is for the beginner, and the canny person who is either on a budget or does not want to buy up the store and discover art is not for them. All you need to buy to paint the nine pictures in this book are three colours, three brushes and a pad of watercolor paper. This author has not forgotten what it is like to want to start but to be unsure where to do it. The book hits the ground running after a very brief introduction explaining about preparing washes and using brushes with the first simple painting. In true Search Press style, each project is illustrated with plenty of photographic steps with short helpful captions, and with each painting is a list of the skills you learn, a great touch. Scattered throughout are Jargon Buster points explaining terms and lots of tips too. The pictures get more complex as you progress, from very basic beginnings to a lovely summer wood, Glencoe in the snow, a sleepy river and winter trees. At the back is a page about transferring the outlines of the full sized paintings using tracing paper, or you can draw them freehand. I have reviewed a lot of books on painting for beginners but this is the one I would recommend. Well done Geoff Kersey!
* myshelf.com *
Always wanted to work with watercolours but don't know how to begin? This book shows you how to achieve good results with just three colours and three brushes. In this way it limits what you have to spend on materials and concentrates on getting you painting. It shows how to mix paints and has step-by-step guides throughout covering those popular features of landscape painting such as skies, water, woodland and mountains. There are nine easy projects to build your skills. In just a few simple steps, you will feel like a painter. A confidence-building book for anyone interested in watercolour.
* Yarnsandfabrics.co.uk *
This is a brilliantly simple idea brilliantly presented. Working with a limited palette isn't new, of course, but working with an absolute minimum of colours removes a major element of complication that can be a stumbling block for beginners: colour mixing. What's impressive is just how much you can do with ultramarine, cadmium yellow pale and light red. A few mixes, some washes and even a bit of drybrush gives you an impressive array of options that can produce subtle and varied results. The rule of three even extends to the brushes - less, as ever, is more.
The book itself is nicely structured and the early demonstrations are only four pages long. Sure, a cloudy sky and an evening lake are basically a foreground, a background and some middle distance, but it's amazing what you can achieve with this. Results are the important thing and what encourage any beginner to keep going and progress. By the end, you're ready for the simple, but complete, landscape that's on the front cover.
If you're new to watercolour - a complete beginner just getting started, or have maybe had a go and got lost along the way, this simple and clearly laid-out book will get you on track.
* Artbookreview.net *
