Canal Bridge... A watercolor painting by Michael Dale

"How To Paint Watercolors Made Easy"

A review by Michael Dale...

Do you want to learn the best way to paint watercolors from one of the top watercolor artists?
Do you want a step-by-step watercolor painting course that tells you everything?
Do you want to learn how to use color… even when there is none?
Do you want to see how to use sketches to make your painting simpler and better?
Do you want to see how you can use simple shapes to break down your paintings and make them manageable?
Do you want learning to paint watercolors made easy?

Take a look at what is said below...

“In the past few years watercolor has assumed the importance in the art world it rightly deserves. Watercolor with its freshness and vitality has an appeal distinctly its own… In Watercolor Made Easy it is my desire to try to dissolve the aura of difficulty that has surrounded watercolor painting for so long…”

In plain and simple words...

Do you want to learn the best way to paint watercolors from one of the top watercolor artists?

When I first looked at the book I had doubts… I found myself asking the following 3 questions...

Most illustrations are black and white… How could they teach to paint with color?
The standard of drawing and painting is really high… The drawings and paintings are true professional quality… Is the standard too high for a beginner?
There is a lot of emphasis on sketches and drawing… Can this really help teach watercolor painting?

Then, I looked at the the words that sum up the artist author’s attitude...

“You can't be a good carpenter without good tools”

He goes further with...

“In this book, simple step-by-step procedures demonstrate the development of a watercolor from the initial conception to the finished painting… My aim in this book is to tell as clearly and concisely as possible how to make watercolor painting easier”

In other words... “Aim high!”

This is an Art Classic that easily answers my questions, including how to turn a simple thumbnail sketch into a watercolor painting. To emphasize the attention to quality...

He gets down to business with a list of quality paints, brushes and other preferred equipment including artist's sketching stools...
Right from the opening he recommends using expensive quality handmade watercolor paper as soon as you are confident...

Recommending handmade quality watercolor paper is an unusual and expensive recommendation that takes confidence and trust in yourself. However, when you are confident with your watercolor painting skills...

“You will understand the truth and wisdom in choosing the very best quality Art tools and materials”

You can be confident that Herb Olsen is Top quality...

With Watercolor Made Easy he has produced a real jewel… “A Diamond amongst pearls”. This is the kind of book that you want to own for the beauty it contains. It is a treasure trove of superb watercolor illustration magic.

More importantly…

This is just about the best Art resource you can go to for watercolor painting lessons that cover a huge range of subject interest...

This is where your 16 steps watercolor painting journey will take you...

Materials
Palette
Composition
Figure
Color
Special Effects
Trees
Landscapes
Windows
Texture
Edges
Interiors
Street Scene
Use of Forms
Seascapes
Planning and Selection

Palette...

Herb gives you over 20 colors to choose. This is where you need to be careful. You will not use all of these colors... you only need between 3 to 5 colors for a painting. For understanding how to mix great colors The Easy To Learn Watercolor Painting Method is helpful (using only 3 colors)

What is interesting is how many of the magnificent paintings in the book use gray or black. It is fascinating how the color used with the blacks and grays...

Vibrant color leaps out of the pictures

Here is a selection of what you will discover...

Composition...

You learn about the importance of drawing. If this isn't your strong point Herb shows you how the letters S, X and O can help you compose your picture.

You learn the importance of the horizon
You learn the importance of preparation sketches
You learn the importance of planning your paintings
On page 22 you get an easy to understand lesson in perspectives
You learn to use Abstract principles to improve your composition on page 27
You learn how to use Thumbnail sketches

Figure...

From page 32 your are shown how to use Figures in your paintings. This is an area that scares many artists because...

“Figure painting is not for the beginner. However, those who lack the required experience may find in this section of the book enough stimulation to arouse an interest in drawing the figure”

This is an area where thumbnail sketches can make you painting life co much easier...

Page 33 shows you how use sketches to understand the form of a nude female model and decide upon the final pose
Page 34 moves on to how to create a watercolor from your sketches... learning about what colors to use and where to use them (you'll be surprised to find yourself needing green)
From page 37, you learn how to break down figures into simple lines. This speed up your figure drawing... It helps add character and movement

There are exercises that concentrate upon your Wrist and Arm to release your drawing abilities...

You learn how to use geometric shapes
You learn how to use ellipses

You are shown how to smooth out the rough shapes... to develop realistic looking figures.

From page 40, Herb shows you how paint figures using 6 simple stages...

This kind of figure painting is great for improving scale and meaning in landscape painting...

On page 43, Herb shows you how empty a landscape can look without a figure compared with the same scene containing a figure.
On page 44, Herb's painting of 4 girls shows you how figures can create a storyline of its own

Color...

“To learn as much as possible about color, take each color in turn and play with it. See how alizarin becomes pink when water is added and how it becomes dusty rose when you add various shades of gray... You'll want to make copious notes as you go along with these experiments.”

This is the best way to learn how to use color in your painting...

You learn to divide your pigments into warm and cold groups
You think about the emotional value of color
You discover how the black and white sketches help you understand color values (This is one of the most important lessons of all)

You learn how to paint atmospheric conditions...

Fog and Rain
Light and Haze
Smoke

From page 54, You learn to paint the 4 seasons...

Herb uses the same rough watercolor sketch scene to show how Winter snow changes the appearance of a painting compared with...

Soft Spring color
Richness and warmth of Summer
Browns and golds of Autumn

From page 64, you are shown how Light affects form...

“Understanding light to dark helps you get correct color values”

Texture...

On page 84, Herb compares the difficult territory of painting the textures...

“Of The silvery quality and rotten, weather-beaten wood, complete with knot holes...”
Rusty hinges
Stone walls

He tells you the tools he uses to create textural effects, including...

Thin wash
Dry Brush
Bristle Brush
Sponge

Edges...

“When you get the feeling that an object has that "pasted in" look, you can be sure that there is something wrong with your edges.”

This is where you are guided in the use of hard or soft outlines.

Use of Forms...

“I cannot stress enough the use of abstract shapes in composing a picture. In landscape painting there are large forms such as hills, roads, trees, buildings.”

This is where Herb excels... he makes it easy to break down complexity into simple forms.

Think about trees...

Some trees are rounded
Other trees are triangular
Some are tall
Some are short

When you can see simple form it is so easy to draw and paint

Click the text link below to get full details about Herb Olsen's Artist's treasure box...

“Watercolor Made Easy ”

Here's a reminder of the 16 steps you will be getting inside...

Materials
Palette
Composition
Figure
Color
Special Effects
Trees
Landscapes
Windows
Texture
Edges
Interiors
Street Scene
Use of Forms
Seascapes
Planning and Selection

I am happy to recommend “Watercolor Made Easy”... You will be propelled to the next stage after The Easy To Learn Watercolor Painting Method...

“Watercolor Made Easy ”