WATERCOLOR BOOKS, DVD's,VIDEOS - post your REVIEWS here.

[Yorky]

Title
The Art of Urban Sketching
Author
Gabriel Campanario
Author's website
www.urbansketchers.org/
Publisher
Quarry Books
Published Date
2012
ISBN No.
978-1-59253-725-9
Format/size
Quarto, 320 pages paperback
Genre (Landscape/Floral/Portraits/Still Life/Technique/Various)
Landscape, still life, portraits and interiors
Description of content
A collection of more than 500 plein air sketches by members of the worldwide Urban Sketchers community.
Personal assessment of content
An absolute delight and excellent value
Suitability for beginners, intermediate or advanced
Suitable for all sketchers, there is much to learn about sketching techniques.

[Bobar57]

Title
How to Paint Skin Tones
Author
James Horton
Author's website
http://jameshortonartist.com/
Publisher
Chartwell Books Inc.
Published Date
1995
ISBN No.
0-7858-1657-7
Format/size
11 1/4"x8 3/4" 143 pages Harbound
Genre (Landscape/Floral/Portraits/Still Life/Technique/Various)
Portraits
Description of content
A wide range of recipes for skin tones from pale through mid-tones to dark in all medias with comprehensive charts.
Personal assessment of content
Excellent book for all medias.For watercolor I found of excellent value the six charts of color mixing,as well as the exercises in drawing and lighting and tonal values.
Suitability for beginners, intermediate or advanced
Suitable for all.

[Bobar57]

Title
My Vision in Watercolour
Author
Herman Pekel
Author's website
http://hermanpekel.com.au/
Publisher
APV Films
Published Date
2011
Format/size
DVD
Genre (Landscape/Floral/Portraits/Still Life/Technique/Various)
Landscapes
Description of content
In this DVD Pekel paints in London(beside the river Thames near Tower Bridge,then looking down Fleet Street.He then moves to the Cotswolds painting two views of the English countryside in summer.Duration: 90 minutes.
Personal assessment of content
In this DVD the artist show us what can be painted with a minimum of two brushes:ALL.He uses 90 % of the time a rather large rigger with long handle and very sparingly a large squirrel mop.His style is quite impressive,loose,very wet and confident of the strokes he makes.
But still somehow this video left me with the desire to learn techniques,being more a show off of the gifted artist and his talent than a watercolor class.
Suitability for beginners, intermediate or advanced
Suitable for intermediates.

[Mare]

FYI: I bought my books and videos and dvd's years ago from:
info@saa.co.uk
This is the "Teaching Art Ltd" also known as The Society for All Artists. I do get their regular e mails and think if you contact them, they will let you know if the books are available. I have all his books etc and they are wonderful and his dvd's are very instructional. Mare

[wasnapper]

If you are looking for inexpensive books try a site called fishpond. I bought one from there called The Encyclopaedia of Watercolour Landscapes for about $17AUD including post

[renaissancemedici]

Title
Practical directions for portrait painting in watercolours

Author
Mrs Merrifield
Honorary member of the Academy of fine arts at Bologna

Author's website
none, but here is the book online
http://archive.org/details/practicaldirect00merrgoog

Publisher
Windson and Newton, 38, Rathbone place, London


Published Date
1851

ISBN No.

Format/size

Genre (Landscape/Floral/Portraits/Still Life/Technique/Various)
Watercolour portraits

Description of content
It contains everything about painting portraits in watercolour. Description and preparation of materials, how to sit the subject, draw the person, how many sittings it would take, what to paint without the person being in front of you, how to deal with background and clothing, a palette for flesh tones and another for everything else. It gives very practical and detailed directons on achieving colours and effects, as well as how to correct mistakes. It has a few recipes as well in terms of colours, for different parts of the head.

Personal assessment of content

This might sound like an old formula book, and it is I guess, but Mrs Merrifield is an open minded person. I loved reading it, and it has given me inspiration. For one thing, she describes hatching as hes preferred methor of watercolour, and she gives many details on how to do it and what traps to avoid. It's a very hands-on book (if that is the right phrase), no vague abstract theories. I liked it because every word seems to come from her experience, but she is not dogmatic in any way. Maybe not everyone will be impressed, but I will absolutely give a chance to her method. Her english is perfectly modern. I am a foreigner and had no issues at all.



Suitability for beginners, intermediate or advanced
For everyone I guess, but beginners will appreciate it a lot.



If I may, here is the link for watercolour painting, with many books free online
http://archive.org/search.php?query=...0paintin g%22

[renaissancemedici]

Title
American water-colourists



Author
Gallatin, A. E. (Albert Eugene)

Author's website
http://ia700409.us.archive.org/7/ite...4016789608.pdf
The book free online

Publisher
New York, E.P. Dutton & company

Published Date
1922



ISBN No.

Format/size

Genre (Landscape/Floral/Portraits/Still Life/Technique/Various)
Watercolours

Description of content
A brief introduction with info on american watercolourists
Then, illustrations of the following artists

JAMES McNeill whistler
WINslow homer
JOHN S. SARGENT
DODGE MACKNIGHT
JOHN MARIN
CHARLES DEMUTH
CHILDE HASSAM
WALTER GAY
MARY CASSATT
CHARLES BURCHFIELD



Personal assessment of content

Very nice, mainly for the illustrations. Some of them are black and white, but still good to see.

Suitability for beginners, intermediate or advanced
For everyone.

[Andrew]

Title: Watercolor and Gouache Painting the Techniques of Erik Tiemens

Author: Erik Tiemens (Gnomon Workshop series)

Author's website: http://www.watersketch.com

Publisher: The Gnomon Workshop

ISBN No.: 1-59762-843-3

Format/size: DVD 148 minutes

Genre : Landscape

Description of content: From Gnomon- The essence of an exciting idea can be captured successfully using a limited palette gouache and watercolor thumbnail technique. Artist and designer Erik Tiemens presents a compelling demo and covers multiple topics, including how to start visualizing thru multiple mini-sketches that take into account lighting, atmosphere, high-key and low-key plans, palette mixing, and brush control. Additional areas covered include paint consistency, working on toned paper, and zeroing in on your final direction. The lecture concludes with a detailed step-by-step demo for creating a finished small-format painting

Personal assessment of content: Personally I loved it. It really helped me get a new and refreshed view of approaching watercolor and gouache. I also have been able to apply the lessons to my acrylic work as well.

Suitability for beginners, intermediate or advanced I think all levels could get something out of this video workshop, it is IMO primarily geared to intermediate and more advanced students.


Andrew

[reikiart]

Title: "Expressive Watercolor Portraits"



Author: Janet Rogers

Author's website: watercolorsbyrogers.com

Format/size: DVD

Genre: Portraits

Description of content: "an inspiring approach to creating a fresh and expressive portrait by helping students "see" simple shapes. Janet shows students some warm-up exercises that will help in the final painting of the portrait - trying to capture the "essence" of the person rather than "laboring" over a likeness. Painting image is of a young girl in a hat." 75 minutes

Personal assessment of content: I loved this video! I watch it over and over. What I really like so much about Janet is that she is so easy going and makes you feel very relaxed. She even makes "mistakes" and just goes with the flow and keeps going right along.
She starts with warm up exercises like blind contour drawing, gesture drawing, color swatches, and a "head case" practice run at putting the paint down. Janet goes through the colors she uses, and shows how she gets her "puddles". Then she does a full portrait, which includes the first wash, the second application, and the final touches. She closes the video with her final thoughts. I would recommend this video to anyone who would like to be a little looser or more expressive in their portraits.

Suitability for beginners, intermediate or advanced: I would rate this at maybe intermediate. It is perfect for beginners at portraits, but the only reason I would not rate it for those who are just beginning in the watercolor medium is because this is not a video that covers the basic watercolor techniques. You would enjoy watching the video no matter what level you are at, but to paint along with Janet you would need to have a basic knowledge of watercolor techniques.

[jpierce102]

Richard S. Taylor wrote several books. I purchase any of his books that I don't already have. His sensible method of explaining things and his examples in all his books are wonderful. I wouldn't be without his books in my watercolor/art library. They are worth the price to have IMHO