Watercolor: The Complete Course (Reader's Digest (Please Do Not Use))

Rating:
Summary: Not Child's Play
Review: I just ordered a copy; it was out-of-print a month ago. I borrowed a copy for two weeks and it looked like an excellent book, considering that it was in Japanese, of which I can read maybe 2%. Most watercolor books teach a really stiff technique that is very literal ("First I put an underwash of Alizeran Crimson in the water areas and cobalt blue in the sky...") and totally out of touch with the art world of the last 50 years-- the kind of painters who show in County Fairs and Best Westerns. Smith's style is very loose and expressive, he has a wide variety of interests and subject matter, his images are contemporary, he's fun, and some of his landscapes are wonderful. What I like especially is his ability to present fine detail, yet leave a lot of spontaneity of gesture, and really allow the wateriness of watercolor do its thing-- he lets the watercolor meet him halfway without excessively controlling it. That's a man I can learn from. I learned a lot from chapters on tools, and foundational techniques like wet-on-wet. I bet I'll learn even more when I can read it in English.

Rating:
Summary: The Best I've Seen
Review: I just ordered a copy; it was out-of-print a month ago. I borrowed a copy for two weeks and it looked like an excellent book, considering that it was in Japanese, of which I can read maybe 2%. Most watercolor books teach a really stiff technique that is very literal ("First I put an underwash of Alizeran Crimson in the water areas and cobalt blue in the sky...") and totally out of touch with the art world of the last 50 years-- the kind of painters who show in County Fairs and Best Westerns. Smith's style is very loose and expressive, he has a wide variety of interests and subject matter, his images are contemporary, he's fun, and some of his landscapes are wonderful. What I like especially is his ability to present fine detail, yet leave a lot of spontaneity of gesture, and really allow the wateriness of watercolor do its thing-- he lets the watercolor meet him halfway without excessively controlling it. That's a man I can learn from. I learned a lot from chapters on tools, and foundational techniques like wet-on-wet. I bet I'll learn even more when I can read it in English.

Rating:
Summary: Not Child's Play
Review: This is no child's book but for the adult novice. Many tips from basic to advanced. Colored Photos. I love this book. See also Drawing: The Complete Course.