The Artist
Summer 2017
This book is enormous fun. When art instruction all too easily gets serious, this is a welcome breath of fresh air. It's not so much about how you apply paint as what you can do if you just look about you. This is a nicely progressive book that is arranged in a series of themes: still lifes, landscapes, cityscapes, animals and people. The ideas are original and often eye opening: for instance a breakfast table distorted from the point of the eater, with distorted perspective as if using a wide-angle lens, is a tricky thing to pull off. This is not a book primarily about learning, although each subject is fully though concisely, demonstrated. Rather it's about looking, seeing and interpretin and all the better for that.
Artbookreview.net
This is one of the most original, entertaining and instructive books Ive seen in a long time. The starting point, Wil tells us, was the idea of doing a daily drawing as part of his commute. This extended to wider travels in search of new places, subjects and ideas.
The result is a book that records not the grand scenes, but the mundane. This is a tricky thing to get right because that very familiarity can lead to a lack of interest. It only works if youre determined to find new angles on the things you see every day. Will makes it work and a drawing of breakfast, for example, becomes an exercise in distorted perspective, like a photograph taken with a wide-angle lens. Suddenly, the full English becomes a technical challenge as well as a worthy subject.
Wil manages to sustain interest throughout the book and explores a wide variety of techniques and subjects. The whole is handily divided into Still Lifes, Landscapes, Cityscapes, Animals and People. None of the demonstrations is long and, when the emphasis is on the quick sketch, thats right. There are, however, sufficient notes on materials, the colour palette and the stages of completion for you to pick up whats going on. Id suggest using the paintings here as a jumping-off point for your own ideas, rather than as exercises to copy but, if something intrigues you and you want to delve deeper, you could certainly use any of them as a lesson.
The Leisure Painter
Apr-17
Scottish painter, Wil Freeborn, has devised a watercolour painting course that focuses on small paintings - each of which builds, subject by subject, until you have the confidence to continue a lifetime of painting. Aimed specifically at the complete beginner, Wil guides you through each subject, explaining techniques along the way.
myshelf.com
If you have always wanted to paint in watercolors but are daunted by the large projects in other books why not start small? Here are fifty wee pictures of all kinds of things you see about you all the time from donuts to trainers together with plenty of advice on techniques so you can learn as you paint.
Unlike many books which involve learning to paint by copying views and objects from other peoples lives this book is all about you and your life. For example, the first project is about painting a donut. Not the ones Mr Freeborn has painted, but one bought (or made) by you. Each short project involves an everyday item, a landscape or cityscape, animal or person and shows you how to put it onto paper. All the projects take up two pages and tell you what you will learn by doing the exercise. Materials and a color palette are listed, and the project is swiftly described in a series of about five steps with photographs of the work in progress. This is a good way of building up a repertoire of essential skills and a portfolio of pictures from your own life and surroundings. Topics include working with one color, arranging still life, washes, painting in situ and many more. Paint the buildings in your town, visit a museum, arrange the contents of your pockets, pick some flowers and paint a drink. The first chapter tells you the basics about what basic kit to buy and how to mix colors and other essential skills. I would recommend this modern, fresh approach to watercolor painting to any beginner as it ticks most of the boxes for a good primer.
yarnsandfabrics.co.uk
The cover has 'glossy' paintings, it has a nice feel. This is a watercolour course in a book. It will teach beginners to look at different subjects, learn the techniques and acquire the skills to paint them. Contents include Getting Started; Simple Still Life; Landscapes; Cityscapes; Animals and People. The first chapter includes materials and how to use them in washes, colour, light and sketchbooks. Then the remaining chapters deal with examples defined by subject matter. With each sample painting, Wil gives a lesson, including techniques, and a step-by-step demonstration. These techniques and demonstrations, once learned, can be applied to what you personally want to paint. I like the flowers on page 44, 46 and also the breakfast painting on page 48. I find Stormy Seascape very effective. The whippet on page 110 is excellent too. Wil has managed to effectively combine teaching through samples that you can copy and learn, then apply to your own paintings. It is a masterclass for beginners. No-one need be afraid of watercolour any more.
