Art Magazines:
| American Art Collector Magazine For the artist, a magazine such as American Art Collector can serve many purposes. Each issue is motivating and inspirational. I zoom in on my favorite pieces of art and then go online to find out more about the artists and their work. The publication exposes readers to a variety of styles and galleries from across the United States. For those interested in art market trends, the personal insights of 6-8 gallery owners are also profiled in each issue. My favorite part of the magazine is the preview of over a dozen exhibitions. It's a great way to learn what motivates the exhibiting artists to select the subject matter and the techniques they use, as well as to see a sample of their work and price ranges. |
International Artist claims to be "the fastest growing artist magazine in the world." And I can see why. This magazine is packed with 160 pages of good things: images of art from all over the world, step-by-step instructions, portrait news, a monthly competition, and a regular awards roundup. Just as a smile is understood in every language, so visual art is a great connector of people from diverse cultures, languages and backgrounds. I enjoy the connection this magazine provides artists. Find inspiration in watercolor, oil, acrylics, chroma, pastels and colored pencil. Articles by well-respected artists, including John Lovett and Harley Brown. Published 6 issues/year. |
Southwest Art defines itself as a magazine covering "Fine Art of Today's West." It is truly a beautiful and informative magazine for the practicing artist, as well as the serious art collector. I always go to the "My World" feature first to read an insightful interview of a successful artist who might disclose anything from unique studio elements to artistic techniques to range of sales prices for their artwork. I appreciate, too, getting photographic glimpses into the artist's studio. The "Artists to Watch" feature offers succinct introductions to artists whose careers are on the rise. Check out the magazine's website for more columns. And did I mention the beautiful art? If you are a watercolor painter, you'll definitely want to find the June 2006 issue. Published 12 issues/year. |
Art Calendar is known as "The Business Magazine for Visual Artists". Each issue lists opportunities for artists to sell and exhibit their work, including awards, conference and trade shows, corporate art opportunities, fairs and festivals, film and video festivals, galleries, grants and fellowships, internet opportunities, internships, juried shows, competitions, museums, residencies and scholarships. While I was initially drawn to the magazine by its comprehensive market listings, I found myself returning to read the very practical articles written by artists. For example, the June 2006 issue has a helpful article entitled "Fairs and Special Events: 12 Tips for a Successful Show" by Connie Bowen, a pet portrait artist. Art Calendar publishes 11 issues/year.
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Art E-Books:
Creating Texture with Watercolor & YUPO Synthetic Paper
Author: Janice Tingum
Publisher: Watercolor & More
Packed with 20 demonstrations and over 60 illustrations, this ebook provides instruction for painting with watercolors on YUPO synthetic paper.
Art Books:
| A Celebration of Light: Painting the Textures of Light in Watercolor Author: Jane Freeman (2007) Publisher: North Light Books This is a beautiful book, filled with wonderful artwork, clear instructions and helpful color charts. Whether she's painting a flower, a crystal vase, a lace doily or woodgrain, Jane's artwork is rich with texture. In this book, Jane reveals the glazing techniques she uses to build up layers of transparent watercolor. But it's more than glazing that makes her artwork sparkle and Jane graciously shares her approach to composition, backgrounds, darks and shadows, as well. In addition to learning from Jane, the book includes painting advice from Arleta Pech, Susan Harrison-Tustain, James Toogood and numerous other artists. Chapter Six is packed with over a dozen step-by-step painting demonstrations. |
| Landscape Meditations: An Artist's Guide to Exploring Themes in Landscape Painting By: Elizabeth Mowry Publisher: Watson-Guptill Publications This book speaks to the artist who is serious about painting landscape scenes, delving into the mature subject of theme. It is about important things, like noticing a motif in nature, exploring place, finding a focal point, general and specific topics in the landscape, transient subjects such as mist, and visual narration through a series. With her beautiful illustrations, mostly in pastel and oils, Mowry brings the reader to a better understanding of why we paint landscapes. Click on the image to the left and peek inside this wonderful book. |
Watercolor Tips & Techniques By: Arnold Lowrey, Wendy Jelbert, Geoff Kersey & Barry Herniman Publisher: Search Press At 376 pages, this is a big book of painting advice and inspiration! The featured artists all share a beautiful, loose style of painting and provide practical, step-by-step instructions. This book is perfect for a beginning watercolor painter, covering materials, sketching, color, perspective and painting techniques. The book is a useful reference for more experienced artists, as well, who want direction on how to paint a specific effect, such as still water, a summer tree, breaking waves and much more. |
Painting the Elements: Weather Effects in Oil, Acrylic and Watercolor Editor: Kelly Messerly Contributing Artists: Sean Dye, Hugh Greer, Jane R. Hofstetter, Margaret Kessler, Craig Nelson, Barbara Nuss, John Seerey-Lester, Mark Willenbrink Publisher: North Light Books This book is filled with practical advice for landscape artists, covering topics such as "Adjusting Greens for Different Times of Day" and "How Atmosphere Affects Color". The book is loaded with composition tips, including "Saving a Bummer of a Painting". Hey, we've all been there! The artwork in this book is stunning and inspiring. The chapter devoted to Sunlight & Shadows covers all the possibilities, from sunny to overcast, sunrise to sunset, the effects of side light and more. If you're looking for help in painting clouds, mist, rain and snow, check out Chapter 5. |
How to Paint Watercolor Landscapes: From Photograph to Sketch to Your Very Own Masterpiece in 6 Easy Steps Author: Hazel Harrison (2006) Photographs by Joe Cornish Publisher: Reader's Digest Follow the progression of 60 landscape paintings from photograph to final painting in this practical instruction book. Conveniently coil-bound, the book features the work of thirteen artists, demonstrating everything from the tight realistic style of Naomi Tydeman to the looser style of David Webb. Although it's no-doubt difficult to condense the painting process for every painting into six steps, the demonstrations do a good job of identifying the development of major elements in each painting, as well as the materials used by each artist. I particulary enjoyed seeing how each artist took a scene and made it their own. Also helpful is the section demonstrating basic and advanced painting techniques. Other artists whose work is demonstrated in the book are: Robert Brindley, Moira Clinch, Barry Herniman, Tom Love, Diane Maxey, Jill Mumford, Jane Leycester Paige, Robert Sheffield, Ian Sidaway, James Harvey Taylor and Robert Tilling. |
No Experience Required!: Water-soluble Oils (No Experience Required) Author: Mary Deutschman Publisher: North Light Books Deutschman provides a basic introduction to this relatively new painting medium. For the artist who has never used water-soluble oils, Deutschman provides clear instructions on how to apply the paint and clean the brushes. She then launches into a series of "skill building exercises" and demonstrations that cover color, composition, still life, landscapes and people. The book is well-illustrated with vibrant images and step-by-step instructions. If you're thinking about trying water-soluble oils, this book will get you going in the right direction. |
Fill Your Watercolors With Nature's Light (2001) Author: Roland Roycraft Publisher: North Light Books This book is truly an inspiration for artists. A fellow-artist loaned me this book (thanks, Kathleen) and it is delightful. A reference for painting landscapes and flowers, the book highlights "seven simple elements to structure your painting" and a dozen step-by-step demonstrations. Roycraft brings out the light in a variety of ways, including masking to protect areas of the paper, painting around or negative painting, and wiping out paint from dark backgrounds. And if you're ready to experiment and increase your understanding of composition, explore Roycraft's teaching on fragmentation and diagramming. |
Make Your Watercolors Look Professional (1995) Author: Carole Katchen Publisher: North Light Books Katchen provides a wealth of advice from seventeen successful professional watercolor artists. Katchen explores their approaches to mastering materials, technique, design, value, color, subject and mood. I appreciate that these artists share specific information, right down to the brand of paper they used and why they selected that brand. The book is filled with step-by-step illustrations and concludes with “22 Tips from the Pros”. My favorite is Tip 12: “Experiment. And expect a great big pile of used paper. Don’t be afraid of wasting paper. You learn a lot more by ruining a painting than by trying not to make any mistakes.” If you want to take your painting to the next level, this book will be a useful tool. It has been around for a while, so perhaps you will find it in a local library or at an online used bookseller. Carole has a great website - check out her Techniques page. |
Paint Watercolors That Dance With Light (2004) Author: Elizabeth Kincaid Publisher: North Light Books Filled with tips and techniques to enhance your paintings, this book covers familiar art instruction topics, but with a helpful emphasis on creating luminous artworks. My favorite chapter heading is "Composition: Choreography for the Eye", a section in which she provides advice to strengthen design. Kincaid's own art is beautiful and she provides many illustrations to explain her methods. This book is a resource artists will return to frequently for problem solving and inspiration. |
Progressive Painting: Your Creative Journey (2006) by watercolorist Ellen Jean Diederich is a small paperback book packed with insight and generously illustrated with beautiful images. Diederich gently guides artists through the process of embracing creativity, discovering design, and exploring the elements of a painting. From this foundation, she then offers practical ways for artists to prevail through the process, deal with rejection and negative attitudes, and discover a style of their own. I have been a fan of Diederich's work for a long time and am constantly amazed at the way she "sees" and paints a scene. She will inspire you in your own creative journey. Learn more about Diederich's art and books here. |
Watercolor Wisdom: Lessons from a Lifetime of Painting and Teaching (2003) Author: Jo Taylor, AWS Publisher: North Light Books Watercolor Wisdom is for any painter who wants to mature as an artist. On its surface, this book addresses topics frequently covered in art instruction books, such as color, composition and technique. However, Taylor goes much deeper than that, challenging the reader to "the more advanced goal of achieving personal expression while creating a piece of art with universal appeal." She does this by focusing on "the structural language of art." The book is filled with illustrations, value studies, design exercises and step-by-step demonstrations. Taylor is a first-rate teacher who clearly wants her readers to succeed as artists. |
Design & Composition Secrets of Professional Artists: 16 Successful Painters Show How They Create Prize-Winning Work (2001) Publisher: International Artist. Each featured artist provides an essay describing his or her approach to design and composition. This is supplemented by numerous images of the artist's finished paintings, detailed captions, and instructional diagrams and value sketches. Even if you are only browsing the book, you'll find each artist's key points highlighted in a "Design plans" sidebar. I liked this book because it challenged me to explore new ideas in composition, such as Peter Folkes geometric designs and Myfanwy Pavelic's more intuitive portrait compositions. |
Painting Beautiful Skin Tones With Color & Light in Oil, Pastel and Watercolor (2001) Author: Chris Saper Publisher: North Light Books Saper assures artists that they "can paint realistic skin tones that glow with life". Saper's own paintings illustrate that "glow" and she carefully shows the reader how to accomplish the same effect, building upon the crucial foundation of drawing, value, color, composition and edges. This book provides a wealth of step-by-step demonstrations, a discourse on the determinants of skin color, and strategies to organize the painting process. Expect this book to be a helpful reference tool for artists serious about painting portraits. |
How to Succeed As an Artist in Your Hometown by Stewart Biehl (1991) is a book directed to serious artists who live and work in small towns and rural areas. The book is packed with practical advice on how to please the small town buyer, how to promote and sell paintings, tips for pricing artwork, commissions and more. Read the book to discover what Biehl considers "one of the secrets of succeeding in a small town". This book has been around for a while, so you might find it in your library or a used book store. If you're seeking to grow as an artist and earn recognition and sell you art in your hometown, you'll refer to this book often. Published by North Light Books. |
Watercolor and Collage Workshop: Make Better Paintings Through Mastery of Collage Techniques (1986) Author: Gerald Brommer Publisher: Watson-Guptill Publications This is the place to start if you are serious about adding collage to your watercolor paintings. Brommer fills the book with easy to follow instructions, hundreds of illustrations and loads of inspiration. Take a look at this book if you want to add texture or strengthen the composition of your paintings. You'll find creative ways to depict rocks, water, foliage, snow, fog and buildings. Brommer is not only the expert at collage, but a fine teacher. |
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