Painting Light and Shadow in Watercolor

Wonderful book!!! I collect watercolors and have one of Skip's. His is clearly my favorite of all of my many watercolors, aside from one by my son. I was especially excited to find and to read Skip's book. What a great teacher he is! The book is clear and easy to follow and apply. Incidentally, I have it as one of my coffee-table books, and find myself regularly re-thumbing through it. Many of its illustrations are very pleasing to the eye, and capture the essence of points he makes so well in the text. Oh, to have just a small fraction of his watercolor talent!!!!

Whether you're a painter who has worked for years, or a 'newbie' you will appreciate and be inspired by Skip Lawrence's fresh and candid approach to more powerful painting via the tools of light and shadow. This is not a 'paint-like-I-do" guide, it's an intelligent conversation with examples of his and other terrific artists, to show how color and light and design all work together to create compelling and meaningful art that truly expresses your vision as an artist. This is a most essential and useful addition to any painter's resources, and it's valuable for both watercolorists and painters of other media as well.

This book is much different than the usual technique books because it clearly stays with one goal - light. Everything in the book is organised around achieving the perception of light and shadow in your paintings. It is a wonderfully elegant and logical approach.

This book offers an approach that is very different from the how-to books I have read thus far. The author discusses how to use shadow, light, and color to create a painting that has substance and depth. His style is based more on light and form than on detailed recreations. His examples are wonderful to both look at and learn from. His paintings of children are especially wonderful. I go back to this book again and again for technique information and inspiration.

Not only have I read through this book more than once, but periodically I take it out again, for inspiration and to remind me to follow these paths to successful, exciting work!