Charles Reid is beloved as a teacher for his ability to guide students beyond the superficial and straight into the heart of what makes good painting good. In Painting by Design he explains how seeing your painting subjects in terms of light, shadow, shape, value, and color, will help you create striking works that embody effective design while capturing the intangible essence of the subject. A firm believer in drawing as an ideal tool for understanding a subject as an abstract form, Reid opens this book with lessons in contour and rhythm drawing, providing photographs for you to work from. Next comes a chapter on effective and reliable ways to treat color and value in your work. With clear and easy-to-follow pointers on working with oils and watercolors, Painting by Design explains how color functions as an important design element. Reid goes on to cover figure painting and the difficult art of rendering faces with realistic detail and expression, neatly demonstrating how the techniques and strategies learned in earlier chapters can be used to create specific effects. Finally, Reid shares his method of properly balancing a painting. Explaining how to combine what he refers to as "the effect" (sharp-focus, high-contrast compositional elements) with "the big blur" (softer edges, lighter values) to create interesting and dynamic artwork. Packed with assignments, detailed demonstrations, and illuminating examples, Painting by Design provides big-picture strategies and techniques alongside tips for identifying and addressing specific compositional problems. Ideal for any artist who wants to hone their skills and develop their sense of composition, Painting by Design stands out among Reid's impressive catalog of painting books. Readers interested in related titles from Charles Reid will also want to see: Flower painting in oil (ISBN: 9781626543805), Painting What (You Want) to See (ISBN: 9781626543782), Pulling Your Paintings Together (ISBN: 9781626543843), The Natural Way to Paint (ISBN: 9781626543829).

Shows how to integrate all the elements of a painting into an artistic whole, with examples in pen and ink, watercolor, and oil.

Three short novels; seven short stories; two plays for puppets.

The painter Charles Reid gives insight to his work through critique of his sketchbook. Including what works, what doesn't and why, his own illustrations are annotated and demonstrations included.

If you've ever wanted to control your art so that you can paint anything—and paint it well—this is the book for you! The mediums are oil, watercolor, and contour drawing but this is a book about making good paintings, not learning a particular medium. The subject matter is broad, ranging from still lifes to figures and portraits, to landscapes. Again, the point is that if you can paint, you can paint anything! But you must never feel compelled to paint what is before you. You must feel free to paint not what you see, but what you want to see—the way you want it to look—and this book shows you how. Paint What You Want to Seeis a complete course in painting and "seeing." It even includes critiques of student work and problem paintings—you learn where the paintings went wrong and how they can be improved. There are also numerous assignments to practice at home, with examples of how to do them, and valuable lessons on the essentials of values, color, and composition. You will learn how to make a contour drawing, how to layer your washes until you get the right value, and how to use "local value" and color-values to make strong statements. You will also learn how to mix subtle colors such as greens, grays, flesh-tones, and darks; paint with analogous and complementary colors; paint light, shadows, and negative shapes; and see tubed paint in terms of value. Lessons on composition include directing the eye with edges; vignetting; placing darks and other colors; advice on handling patterns; integrating subject and background; subduing or emphasizing contours; and hints on loosening up your painting style. The book concludes with a review of famous artists' painting, with suggestions on applying their "lessons" to your own work. Painting What You Want to Seeis for artists of all levels of ability, particularly for intermediate and advanced students who already know how to paint and want to make better, more expressive paintings. The instructions are clear and simple, with numerous examples, excellent illustrations, informative captions, and many useful assignments to help you develop your own style. Except for sections on drawing and values, the entire book is in color. All in all, a most extraordinary book!

A lifetime of watercolor expertise - at your fingertips! In Charles Reid's Watercolor Secrets, professional artist Charles Reid offers you an inside glimpse into his sketchbooks, sharing actual pages along with critiques and insights he's gleaned through years of practice. With each entry, you'll learn how to improve your own watercolor technique. Discover how to: Simplify your shadow shapes Create form using silhouettes Use edges to create a crisp or soft effect Prepare your supplies to paint outdoors Balance your use of detail by focusing on the essentials Quickly capture the essence of the environment in which you're painting Five detailed step-by-step demonstrations guide you in creating watercolor masterpieces of your own. With Reid's concise and encouraging explanations, you'll feel as if you've found your own personal teacher.

""The fluid, spontaneous, often unpredictable medium of watercolor is always a challenge--and for the watercolorist, the human form is the most challenging of all. This book shows how to paint nude and clothed figures in an easy to follow series of projects, from the first preliminary lines to the finishing touches of a completed watercolor. Direct language, clewar and specific step-by-step demonstrations, and over 170 illustrations, 56 of them in full color, combine to offer the reader a stimulating guide to painting the figure in watercolor."--Jacket.

Guides the reader through a complete, step-by-step tour of the watercolor materials and methods needed to create expressive, masterful portraits.

A beautiful, full-color guide to a better understanding of portrait and figure painting -- the materials, techniques for success and the special problems involved in painting people.

A fresh approach to portrait and figure painting in watercolor! In Painting People in Watercolor, Alex Powers provides a comprehensive guide on working with watercolor, mastering the principals of design, and understanding the fundamentals of portrait painting. Powers takes the inquiring artist beyond photorealistic painting and acquaints painters with the human form from a design perspective. Shifting the focus from subject matter to composition and aesthetics, Powers demonstrates how you can enjoy watercolor painting by expressively capturing character in faces and figures. An abundance of Powers's paintings illustrate the theories and techniques covered. The culmination of 23 years of Powers's painting experience, Painting People in Watercolor provides clarity and insight on successful watercolor painting techniques for novice to advanced students and doubles as a guide for teachers. 175 color plates; 100 black & white illustrations.