Using the Japanese hake brush, obtainable from most art and craft shops, Ron Ranson demonstrates how, because of its nature and size, it forces the watercolourist to simplify the subject matter and thus distil the essence of a scene. He also discusses the dissecting and dramatizing of the subject.

Renowned artist Ron Ranson shows how to pare a subject down to its key elements and use large brushes and a limited palette to paint beautiful pictures with the purity and simplicity that's essential to a good watercolor.

This best-selling title will be relaunched in September 04 with a fresh new cover design. Ron Ranson has a huge following among amateur painters and skies are a fundamental element of any landscape painting, essential in creating atmosphere. Learning how to paint impressive skies can enable artists to produce landscape paintings that are full of vitality and atmosphere. In Learn to Paint Skies in Watercolour experienced teacher Ron Ranson provides plenty of practical advice on how to achieve this. He gives guidelines on techniques, colour and aspects of composition, as well as tips on working on location and in the studio. Contents include: * guidelines on choosing materials and equipment; descriptions of basic cloud formations; simple sky exercises; advice on creating atmosphere; using a camera to provide good reference; stage-by-stage demonstration painting

From the serenity of a color-streaked evening sky to the breaking light of a new day to the misty grayness after a rain shower, the ever changing sky dictates the whole mood and feeling of landscape painting. Master watercolorist Ron Ranson demonstrates how to capture the sky and improve the quality of your paintings, using a palette of only seven colors. He explains how to use a camera as a tool and photographs as a source to keep your work fresh, immediate, and spontaneous. A colorful gallery of finished paintings illustrates the results of the various techniques, and Ranson's constant enthusiasm provides plenty of encouragement. From clouds to sunlight to weather conditions, by successfully interpreting the beauty of the sky you will create more effective paintings every time you put brush to paper. A Selection of F&W's North Light Book Club. Studio Vista 128 pages (all in color), 8 3/4 x 10 7/8.

North Light's Big Book of Painting Watercolor Flowers presents not only the best work from your favorite artists but their expert instruction as well. Everyone from curious beginners to established painters can learn something from these veteran artists: Jo Taylor, Adele Earnshaw, Susan D. Bourdet, Ann Pember, Jan Fabian Wallake, Charles Reid, Susanna Spann, Patrick Seslar. First, follow core instruction on basic techniques, color, shapes and composition. Then start painting flowers in a rich range of settings and styles. The variety in this book is sure to keep you inspired. With more than 25 step-by-step demonstrations and a tremendous breadth of instruction, this is the essential guide to painting flowers in watercolor. - Back cover.

A contemporary paint-every-day watercolor guide that explores foundational strokes and patterns and then builds new skills upon the foundations over the course of 30 days to create finished pieces. This beautifully illustrated and inspiring guided watercolor-a-day book is perfect for beginning watercolor artists, artists who want to improve their watercolor skills, and visual creatives. From strokes to shapes, this book covers the basics and helps painters gain confidence in themselves along with inspiration to develop their own style over the course of 30 days. Featuring colorful contemporary art from Mon Voir design agency founder and Instagram trendsetter Jenna Rainey, this book's fresh perspective paints watercolor in a whole new light.

Author of Everyday Watercolor and Instagram darling Jenna Rainey presents a beautiful step-by-step guide to painting botanicals from lilies to daffodils in a wide variety of styles. Artist Jenna Rainey shares easy-to-follow ways to paint a wide range of botanicals, all in her fresh, modern style that appeals to the next generation of watercolor artists and creatives, from beginners to hobbyists. With gorgeously illustrated instructions for both loose and realistic watercolor depictions of more than 25 flowers, leaves, and plants, organized by form and shape, Everyday Watercolor Flowers is every nature-lover's answer to capturing that beauty on paper.