Bring new energy to your sketches of urban scenes with this fresh and simple approach to watercolor painting. Whether you're an amateur artist, drawer, doodler, or sketcher, watercolor is a versatile sketching medium that's perfect for people on the go - much like pen or pencil. Accomplished designer and illustrator Felix Scheinberger offers a solid foundation in color theory and countless lessons on all aspects of watercolor sketching, including:
- Fundamentals like wet-on-wet, glazes, and washes
- Materials and supplies to bring on your travels
- Little-known tips and tricks, like painting when water isn't handy and seeking out inspiration
Vibrant watercolor paintings grace each page, and light-hearted anecdotes [why do fish make great subjects to paint, you may be wondering...] make this a lively guide to the medium. With an open mind and sketchbook, you will be ready to capture the moments around you in luminous color with confidence, creativity, and ease - no matter what your skill level may be.
Applicable to both the professional and hobbyist alike, Urban Watercolor Sketching best serves as a reference manual. It is a fun, educational and very thorough guidebook for any level of artistic familiarity.
Felix Scheinberger's kaleidoscopic artwork decorates all of the 154 slick pages illustrating the insight and lessons of watercolor painting. Seasoned with a bit of humor, an occasional Columbo-esque "one more thing" is offered up alongside little sideline tips on nearly every page. These random or related observations such as definitions, quick opinions, or brief advice are shortcuts to help you with your creative endeavors.
The artist explains a fascinating aspect of comprehending and incorporating negative space into each piece of art, and how it actually becomes integral to the painting you are intending to manifest.
Personally the color theory segment is much appreciated. Stemming from a more monochromatic background predominantly in pencil, pen and ink, charcoal, graphite and scratchboard mediums, the prismatic world can sometimes be a foreign realm in which I am needing deeper analysis and concentration. Scheinberger discusses the process of harmonizing colors. The origin and history of color, such as with lapis lazuli and cochineals (the latter which are still utilized in various markets, including food and cosmetics) are taught in conjunction with the cultural differences with color perception and implementation.
Another intriguing chapter of note covers the surrounding atmospheric conditions of your painting environment whether it be snow, mist or fog, and how to depict these elements. Scheinberger curiously suggests replacing water with alcohol in frigid temperatures.
More methods are demonstrated as with the potential removal of watercolor when necessary, the use of such items as salt for special effects, and several techniques for splattering. The selection of paper options in addition to stretching your piece to prevent the frustration of the inevitable water-laden warping are cautiously outlined. An interesting part on wetting your paper prior to the use of watercolor pencils is explored, as well as instruction on painting reflections in water for best results. The artist kindly includes a descriptive illustration on the contents of his travel bag along with the variety of diverse brushes.
More methods are demonstrated as with the potential removal of watercolor when necessary, the use of such items as salt for special effects, and several techniques for splattering. The selection of paper options in addition to stretching your piece to prevent the frustration of the inevitable water-laden warping are cautiously outlined. An interesting part on wetting your paper prior to the use of watercolor pencils is explored, as well as instruction on painting reflections in water for best results. The artist kindly includes a descriptive illustration on the contents of his travel bag along with the variety of diverse brushes.
The book concludes with advisement on how to avoid "painting a picture to death" and the realization of its finalization. This is a great manual to label with sticky bookmarks indexing the many important highlights, which can really be applied to other mediums, especially within painting. Basically, watercolor is near the bottom of my artistic itinerary to delve into, however it has admittedly elevated within my list to embark upon after studying Urban Watercolor Sketching.
Advocating development of your own style as an artist, the author also admonishes that working under pressure requires distraction for seamless accomplishment in your work. I like his way of thinking as a genuine artist: taking educational tools, history and rules into consideration, but not necessarily always abiding by them. Scheinberger encourages the contrary, otherwise "...you might miss some really beautiful sights."
Felix Scheinberger is an illustrator, artist, and designer. He is the author and illustrator of two other books on watercolors and has illustrated more than fifty children's books in the last decade. His work has appeared in magazines including Harvard Business Manager and Psychology Today. He lives in Berlin, Germany.
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This book was provided free for review
by Crown Publishing Group
by Crown Publishing Group
