Collins Artist’s Studio — Loosen Up Your Watercolours

This is the first title in Collins' new Artist's Studio series for the intermediate painter. In this beautifully illustrated book Judi Whitton shows how to loosen up your painting with practical exercises, projects, step-by-step demonstrations and numerous hints and tips. All watercolourists like to paint more loosely, but although it may look easy it is in fact quite difficult to achieve this attractive style of painting. Judi Whitton has specialized in teaching and painting watercolours in a loose style for many years and here she shares her experience to enable all artists to liberate their creativity and achieve more freedom of expression in their work. The book covers many of the traditional watercolour techniques and procedures, such as 'lost and found' edges, wet-into-wet, simplification and decisive brushstrokes, but all with an emphasis on maintaining spontaneity and a lively style. In addition, there are helpful sections on using colour creatively, planning your paintings, painting vignettes - a much overlooked technique - and working outdoors. A number of paintings by other well-known watercolourists, such as John Yardley, Charles Reid and John Palmer, are also included to show different styles of painting in a loose way. Practical projects, step-by-step demonstrations, studio tips and discussions on a variety of issues combine to make this an ideal book for all those artists who are looking to take the next step and develop their painting with confidence. Future titles in the series From Sketchbook to Studio (t.b.c.) Jackie Devereux Secrets of Watercolour Success Hazel Soan Exploring Watercolour Textures (t.b.c.) Ann Blockley.