Colour and Light in Water Colour (How to Paint) [Paperback]

This book is, quite simply, mouth watering. Jean Haines is a unique and imaginative artist. She has an incredible talent for creating watercolours that appear spontaneous and are flooded with light and saturated with translucent colour. Although she uses her experiences and understanding of the medium to inform her work, in the book she explains how to achieve different looks in a straightforward and enthusiastic way, so it seems as if with concentration and effort, anyone can do it. She begins with helpful suggestions about materials to use, a list of the 11 pigments she has used throughout the book and suggests that instead of trying to control your watercolour, you 'enjoy its many facets,' allowing it to run and blend without fearing the results, to give your paints the freedom to move on your paper without worrying that they might misbehave. With lots of stunning images and several demonstrations, the vibrant, light-filled paintings and instructions guide readers through those most difficult of problems - of knowing when to stop, when to relax and when to take control.-The Artist Jean shows us in this book how to create light in our paintings by way of her clear simple instructions, using a few simple guidelines. She describes in the introduction how for her the capture of light is an addiction - she aims to show us how to look for reflected colours and how to use colour to its fullest extent to create drama and vibrancy in our work. She begins by explaining what colours she uses and why, and that some colours are naturally granulating and some naturally flocculate. She shows us how to use these natural paint properties to best advantage. She also covers what brushes and paper to choose to get the best effects and adds a few tips on other useful materials such as salt, inks and gouache. Jean tells us how to mix and play with colours to really get to know their properties and how they react with one another. Its an important step for any artist and she encourages us to experiment and see what results. When showing us ways to create light she uses some simple illustrations that make it easier to see what she is telling us, and that light is not simply a strip of lighter colour on a highlighted edge but can take many differing forms, such as dark against light, white sections, using transparent colours and colour fusions. She has some interesting illustrations showing us how to focus on composition in an unusual manner to create paintings full of life. The three demonstration paintings cover different approaches using the techniques of colours mixing and texture creating discussed previously and by using them one learns more about the value of these approaches to create stunning loose and lively paintings. An amazing book full of tips for those who want to create stunning paintings full of life and light.-Jeanniezelos.com Occasionally, an Art book comes along that makes you re-evaluate the way you work. This is such a book. Jean paints in a free and loose style without any preliminary drawing. These words alone are enough to frighten many watercolorists out there. Fear not, however, Jean shows you, not only how, but also why, you owe it to yourself to try her methods. In a clear enthusiastic style she introduces you to the materials and methods needed to complete the examples, and projects of your own. Her discussion of pigments is a delight, did you know for example, that some pigments are bossy and want to push the others around? I now find myself analysing the characters on my palette, (is that the men in white coats at the door?!) In all seriousness though her way of working can liberate your watercolour painting and inject new life into even seemingly simple subjects. Her demonstration of Honesty seed heads in a bunch is superb, and importantly, can be replicated by the student. In case you might be thinking that this style must be limited in what can be tackled, the last project in the book is a portrait, painted directly and freely. I can honestly say that this book, more than any other I have read (and there have been many), has directly influenced my work and way of thinking. Jean Haines is an Artist whose time is now. She is at the top of her game. You need to study the best. Buy this book.-swap-art.com How to Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour, by Jean Haines, is a lucious book full of the artist's vibrant paintings and her jewels of wisdom, as she shares her style and how she achieves it. And that style is unique, characterized by no pencil sketching before painting--just loose and joyful applications of color, light, and imagination. While painting Jean likes to "break rules", letting the water and pigment flow, forgoing conventional efforts to control the medium. Instead, she aims for a painting that gives a fresh and unique interpretation of the subject leaving plenty of room for the viewer's imagination. This means blooms (watermarks) and drips are welcome, as well as, exciting and unusual combinations of color. She encourages every artist to practice, experiment, and above all, smile and enjoy the process of discovering their own unique style of painting. For the eager artist student, Jean introduces her favorite materials, important things to know about using color, ways of seeing light and painting it, a range of watercolor techniques, and some basics to keep in mind while arranging a painting's composition. The last chapter is devoted to three demonstrations that the reader will find useful for practice. And throughout the book, you will find easy to read boxes with quick tips and "try this" exercises to get you painting. My favorite sections of this book are the two chapters on light: Light and how we see it, and Painting Light. Jean introduces the topic of painting light, by saying: "If you think seeing light is exciting , try deliberately setting out to paint it! Put the subject completely out of your mind and focus only on where you can see light" That caught my attention. Put the subject out of your mind and paint the light---an intriguing idea that made me eager to get started. And in these two chapters, Jean suggests a number of ways to achieve this. An exciting book you won't want to miss for its ability to loosen up your watercolor practice, and stimulate your thinking about color and light.-vickiehendersonsketchbook.blogspot.com

Encapsulating Jean Haines' enthusiasm and passion for art, this stunning book, packed full of ideas, tips and expert advice, opens up a whole new world filled with colour and light that will not fail to inspire and excite you. Drawing on many years' experience as an accomplished and well-known watercolour artist, Jean guides you through every stage of the painting process, filling you with enthusiasm for painting beautiful watercolour paintings of your own in her characteristic loose and expressive style. The book includes sections on materials and techniques, composition, colour and light, and there are three step-by-step projects to help you put everything you have learnt into practice. The huge range of subjects covered, including portraits, still-lifes, animals, flowers and landscapes, has a truly international flavour, reflecting the experiences Jean has gained from living all over the world.