This book has pretty pictures - that's all I liked about it. There is basic color theory ( you can find described for free by numerous other artists). I only glimpsed at the book and description before I bought it. I had enjoyed the artist's work and have one of her books. I thought this would be a book of color recipes to show how the swatches were achieved. And also how these colors would be incorporated into the pictures. Instead it is just random swatches. And I guess you are just supposed to look at the pictures and try and match them up to see how she used them.
So this is a $16 book to tell you to make swatches of your own paints ( I kid you not) and to look at different things for inspiration. Obviously plenty of people think this is fantastic but I don't buy many art books at this price. And generally not unless I see a flip thru because so many turn out to be a disappointment. I didn't with this one and have wasted money that could have been spent on another book or materials. So instead of inspiring it is just frustrating that someone charged so much for this.
Color Harmony for Artists
The idea for this book was initially inspired in this one creative activity while in Sedona, but why stop there?
What if we take this swatching exercise and use it as a tool to stimulate the creative process and break out into new painting themes? Even the most accomplished artists can sometimes feel they have fallen into a creative rut or that their art begins to look repetitive. I know that, personally, I have felt this way many times, and this simple creative tool can help one relax as an artist and ease into new ideas and subject matters.
In this book, we selected a series of themes to draw inspiration from, ranging from cities, to time periods, art movements, humans, floral arrangements, landscapes, and skies. I demonstrate how using color mixing as a tool can set the mood for your creative process, and taking small elements from a photograph can spark ideas for complete pieces of art. A rock formation may inspire you to paint a texture you can later integrate into a larger landscape you're thinking about.
Or the style of ocean waves in ancient Thai paintings can inspire you to paint a composition of your own using this one element as a starting point. I always encourage taking elements as inspiration while staying true to your signature drawing style and aesthetic. The idea is to create your own unique universe by mixing what you see in the lustrous world with pictures from your imagination.
Having basic color knowledge definitely helps, and we cover this. But in the end, I think it really comes down to connecting with your emotions and intuition. This is what gives art spirit.
Think of this book as a tool: whenever you see an image that strikes your attention, there is something there. Hold on to that and begin painting!
Inspired Palettes
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Austere De StijlWhen studying art history in college, De Stijl always stood out for me because it was so distinctive. De Stijl, which translates to “The Style,” was a Dutch art and architecture movement founded in 1917. Also known as Neoplasticism, the approach has many strict rules, including using only vertical and horizontal lines and rectangular shapes in black, white, gray, and primary colors (red, blue, and yellow). For this palette’s primaries, use your purest pigments. For instance, a neutral blue like cobalt or royal blue is a better fit than an indigo or navy (both of which lean toward violet) or a turquoise (which tends toward green). For the texture swatch, I decided to create my own De Stijl composition. |
Cosmic MagicThere’s a very special place in my heart for galaxy paintings. They’re one of the first textures that defined my artistic style back in 2011, when my art career was beginning to take off. I fell in love with what watercolors can do when you learn how to mix wet on wet and add white spatter once the layers dry. Some of my favorite colors for galaxy paintings are magenta and ultramarine. Space images like this are usually dark and cool with specks of pinks and violets. A mix of indigo and black watercolor works really nice for the deep space areas. You can use white ink, gouache, or acrylic with a flat brush for the spatter effect. |
Mexican TalaveraGrowing up in Mexico, this type of dinnerware always felt cozy and meant that I was about to eat a delicious homemade, artisanal meal. It’s not uncommon for families to have bits of this type of folk art around the house, but it’s more typical for old Haciendas or classic Mexican restaurants to serve meals on Talavera. Talavera is specific to the Puebla state in Mexico, where you find specific types of clay, including blue, yellow, black, green, pale violet, and orange. I went to college there and I remember this beautiful artwork on plates, ceramics, and tiles. I’m naturally inclined to florals, so this inspiration board was such fun! I painted a bright, bold orange flower with concentrated paint around the edges and a bit more water as I approached the center of each petal. I repeated that technique with the blue flowers on each corner. |
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64 reviews
Amazon customer
Seriously?
26 December 2019 -
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Reasonable Reviewer
Beautiful book that provides motivation for the watercolorist
2 December 2019 -
Published on Amazon.comVerified Purchase
Beautiful book that provides motivation for the watercolorist
Reviewed in the United States on 2 December 2019
The book is lavishly illustrated and the prints are beautiful.Reviewed in the United States on 2 December 2019
This is a book to motivate the brand new watercolorist or as a nice, coffee table book for an office or living room.
Each two page spread has a palette on on the right side with a small rendition below it. On the facing, left side, it has a motivation for the palette and might describe the colors in it and how to mix them (or, it might not, and you have to guess a little).
As a long time watercolorist, I was looking forward to some instructional material on color theory with lavish illustrations of the concepts. There is a theory bit, but is over in less than a dozen pages.
Get this book to be inspired, but do not buy it for instruction.
Images in this review
Rebecca R. Allinson
Not an Instructional Book.
28 December 2019 -
Published on Amazon.comVerified Purchase
Monica Stadalski
You'll be inspired!!
3 December 2019 -
Published on Amazon.comVerified Purchase
bought
Great for learning
6 December 2019 -
Published on Amazon.comVerified Purchase