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Skies, Light and Atmosphere in Watercolor
David Bellamy

Search Press
30 May 2012 (US 1 October 2012)/ ISBN 9781844486779
How-To Books/Painting
Amazon

Reviewed by
Rachel A Hyde

If you are painting any outdoor scene there is probably going to be at least a patch of sky in it, and of course light of some sort. Find out how to get it right in watercolors in this book by award-winning artist David Bellamy.

The premise of this book, as laid out in the introduction, is that even the dullest scene (perhaps as captured first on camera) the right light and atmosphere can lift the painting above the common run. All kinds of mood can be achieved if you know what to do, and this book shows the tricks of the artist’s trade and how to use them. It starts with the usual overview of what you need and why, then it is on with the lessons. Chapters each deal with a separate subject, such as skies, mood or atmosphere and are divided into samples of different effects and how they are done and longer tutorials. These show how to paint a simple picture in several stages (varying from twelve to twenty-four, not as many as in the beginners’ books). There are three of these projects where the artist can try out what has been learned just by reading and looking at samples, a good method and one I have found works. The pictures shown are from many other countries besides the UK so you can find out how to paint a wider range of weather and light. I would suggest that this is a book aimed pretty squarely at the improver; beyond the stage of the Ready To Paint or What To Paint series but not yet ready to leave behind the world of art instruction books. As if anybody ever is!

Reviews of other titles by this author

Complete Guide To Watercolour Painting
Mountains and Moorlands in Watercolour
Skies, Light and Atmosphere in Watercolor
Winter Landscapes In Watercolour

UK Reviewer: Rachel Hyde's work can be found in Sewing World, Sew Hip, Popular Crafts and other magazines. Her craft blog is Green Thoughts
Reviewed 2012
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