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!

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.

A guide to painting birds and flowers in watercolor, discussing tools, prepration, color, and application skills; explaining how to find and use ideas from nature; examining basic and specific watercolor techniques; and including four detailed step-by-step demonstrations.

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.

This book will help you capture the magical quality of light in your watercolors with: practical information on watercolor techniques; many step-by-step demonstrations; & suggestions on where to look for ideas & inspiration. Chapters: portrait of the artist & writer Lucy Willis; materials & equipment; working with watercolor; the importance of tone; light & shadow; ideas & inspiration; painting watercolors indoors; painting watercolors outdoors; & figures & portraits. The instructions are accompanied by demonstrations of how to paint a teapot, archway, hellebores in a jug, highchair, garden steps, & a person. Numerous color illustrations.

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.

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.