Archive for category Subject: Seascape
Painting With Impact || David Curtis
Posted by henry in Author: David Curtis, Medium: Watercolour, Publisher: Search Press, Subject: Landscape, Subject: Seascape on April 23, 2010
Once again, David Curtis comes up with a title that’s almost impossible to define, and yet it doesn’t matter. “Impact” could, I suppose, be the quality that grabs your viewer’s attention, and that’s certainly what we want, but how do you achieve it? I was going to say that you won’t find a straight answer here, although there is a section headed “Impact”, which pretty much confirms what I said above. “The degree of impact depends on the skill of the individual artist in selecting, responding to and interpreting ideas” – a deceptively simple statement which could be summed up as, “either you’ve got it or you haven’t”.
The truth, however, is that we all know what impact is, especially in relation to David’s work, because he undoubtedly has it and, if any of his experience is going to rub off, then working through one of his books is the nearest most of us are going to get. Like most of David’s books, this is about the creative process of painting rather than being a detailed instruction manual, but he has much to say and it’s worth hanging on his every word, except when your breath is being taken away by the quality of the illustrations.
David’s work is almost impossible to review. You know you’re in the presence of greatness and, if you like his style, then this latest book isn’t going to disappoint you. Be honest, all I really have to do is tell you it’s available, isn’t it?
Ireland: Ready to Paint || Terry Harrison
Posted by henry in Author: Terry Harrison, Medium: Watercolour, Publisher: Search Press, Series: Ready To Paint, Subject: Buildings, Subject: Ireland, Subject: Landscape, Subject: Seascape on August 21, 2009
With its rich colour and widely varied landscape, Ireland is bordering on artistic overload. At first glance, the idea of reducing a whole country down to five paintings (you get the usual pre-printed tracings that come with this series) sounds like a definition of the absurd, but Terry has picked subjects that capture the essence of what Ireland has to offer: a mountain, a castle, a seascape, cliffs and a townscape detail.
What you finish up with is as much a good primer in many of the subjects you might want to tackle in any situation as it is a practice run at a location where you might well be wondering where to start. Just remember to stock up on that Emerald Green, to be sure.
Marine Painting || Françoise Coffrant
Posted by henry in Author: Francoise Coffrant, Medium: Oil, Medium: Pastel, Medium: Watercolour, Publisher: New Holland, Subject: Maritime, Subject: Seascape on July 28, 2008
The littoral, that is to say, the area where the land meets the sea, offers a wide variety of subject matter as well as constantly changing conditions that can be both a challenge and an opportunity for the artist. As such, it’s a huge subject and one which is often covered in parts, boats and harbours being the most popular.
It’s not possible to cover the whole subject in great detail in only 96 pages, but this guide, based on a French original, makes a surprisingly good job of it. The author deals mainly with coastal landscapes, but also ventures into boats, harbours, buildings and people. The structure of the book is to begin with an overall survey of subject matter and painting elements (skies, waves, high and low tide, boats and so on). These are covered concisely and, at this stage, the main concern is simply to note what’s there and what the possibilities are. Françoise then looks in more detail at six paintings by different artists, with step-by-step analyses of their progress. These are rather like demonstrations except that the approach is more that of “this is what was done” rather than “this is what you do”. It’s a subtle differentiation, but one which more experienced painters may appreciate, it being more analytic than prescriptive. The artists themselves won’t be familiar to a British audience, but don’t feel you won’t be at home with their style and subject matter: these are people of whom we’d be glad to see more. The final section is a gallery of paintings by professional artists that more than adequately demonstrate what you can achieve at the edge of the water.
This is, in many ways, much more a book of ideas than it is of techniques, and this well suits its approach of being a survey rather than a detailed guide. It would be ideal for someone who has a reasonable amount of basic technical ability and is interested in learning more about subject matter than just the nuts and bolts of how to apply paint to paper or canvas.
New Holland 2008
£14.99
Glyn Macey's Cornwall
Posted by henry in Author: Glyn Macey, Author: Vivien Minton, Medium: Acrylic, Publisher: Halsgrove, Subject: Maritime, Subject: Seascape on June 28, 2008
Cornwall is one of the few English counties that has both a north and a south facing coastline, giving it an almost unrivalled variety of lighting quality. Born and raised in Newlyn, Glyn Macey is well placed to be able to understand and exploit this to the full and he freely acknowledges the influence both of place and of his illustrious predecessors.
Glyn works mainly in acrylics giving, as do many professional artists, the medium’s quick-drying properties as one of his main reasons for switching to it. In an introductory interview with the book’s editor, Vivien Minton, he also talks enthusiastically about its versatility and how it can be overpainted to give a richness of colour, especially the blues, and even a quick perusal of the illustrations will reveal that he exploits this fully and joyously.
Seascapes form by far the bulk of Glyn’s work, but he is by no means afraid to move inland and the book also includes an interesting couple of pages devoted to flowers which should have you hoping the he expands this aspect of his work in the future.
Although this is not a practical book, it will be an inspiration to anyone who wants to see what can be done with acrylics, as well as an introduction to one of the South West’s most promising new artists.
Halsgrove 2008
£34.99
Terry Harrison’s Sea & Sky In Watercolour
Posted by henry in Author: Terry Harrison, Medium: Watercolour, Publisher: Search Press, Subject: Landscape, Subject: Maritime, Subject: Seascape on April 30, 2007
Terry Harrison’s rather excellent little series on the various elements of landscape painting is beginning to resemble a partwork and you can’t help wondering when the publisher is going to stick them all together in one volume and call it “Terry Harrison’s Complete Guide to Landscape Painting”. I know I would. That said, there’s no reason to hold off and not buy the individual volumes as they appear and if they appeal. If any one of the subjects isn’t for you, well then, that’s 48 pages you haven’t bought unnecessarily.
Truth to tell, Terry probably isn’t the greatest painter in the world and I don’t think it’s likely that, in a hundred years’ time, galleries will be competing to buy examples of his work. That, however, isn’t to belittle him in any way, because it’s not what he sets out to be. Terry is, in very many ways, a born teacher (and the people whose work will be on those gallery walls will probably have taught you nothing during the lifetimes) and he’s also a very generous one, holding back very little from the reader. Like his other books, this one is filled with step-by-step demonstrations that show you exactly how to paint rocks, boats, waves, clouds and more in all the detail you could possibly want. If you have trouble painting boats that look as though they actually sit in the water and aren’t floating health-hazards, this book is worth it’s modest cover price for that alone.
I intimated that Terry has his drawbacks and there are one or two completed paintings where, frankly, I think the perspective is a bit suspect. I’m not sure that the publisher should have let him get away with a whole page illustration where the sea is running downhill towards the shore. Maybe it’s a minor niggle, because the demonstration itself is fully up to standard and has all the usual helpful details. It’s just that, if it grates, well . . . it grates and might detract from the rest of the book, which is a pity.
Overall, a worthwhile purchase that will tell you a lot for your money and increase your knowledge not inconsiderably.
First published 2007
£7.99
