The Figure in Watercolor: Simple, Fast, and Focused (Simple Fast & Focused)
The Figure in Watercolor: Simple, Fast, and Focused (Simple Fast & Focused)
- ISBN13: 9780823016945
- Condition: New
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Following in the footsteps of Watercolor: Simple, Fast, and Focused is Mel Stabin’s latest: The Figure in Watercolor: Simple, Fast, and Focused. Capturing a figure’s unique personality and multifaceted quality in watercolor is challenging-but Stabin demonstrates, step by step, how the new artist can capture the figure by painting simply, directly, and with intense focus on the “essence” of a person. Readers will discover tested techniques and hands-on tips for painting portraits, peo
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The Figure in Watercolor related articles from the blogosphere…
DRY AND WET MEDIA FIGURE DRAWINGS
So there were some blotches and things I liked on there, including the shape of a figure behind the woman, which I intensified with Indigo watercolor. I drew the leaning figure with Caran d’Ache water soluble crayons and then took a …
Publish Date: 02/11/2011 12:33
http://rhcarpenter.blogspot.com/2011/02/dry-and-wet-media-figure-drawings.html
Watercolor Figure Painting – 10/2/10
Continuing with the Nathan Fowkes inspired watercolor sketch theme. Since Nathan’s workshop last Saturday, 9/25, I’ve sat down and painted 3 times, 2 occasions were in front of a live model. Now I know why Nathan praised watercolor as a …
Publish Date: 10/02/2010 9:39
http://www.figurequicksketch.com/watercolor-figure-painting-10210/
Today I did a figure drawing session at “La Grande Chaumière”, and old mythical place in Paris were anyone can go to draw if you just pay the session, which is kind of convenient and easy. These are 10-20 minutes drawings so there might …
Publish Date: 02/08/2011 14:23
http://helenstrom.blogspot.com/2011/02/figure-drawing-sessions-17.html
Charles Reid Figure in Watercolor DVD Preview Clip
This is a preview clip for the DVD “Charles Reid, Painter – The Figure in Watercolor” a watercolor painting instruction DVD, which is available for purchase at: charlesreidwatercolordvd.com
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Great book, but light in the “how to” department…,
One problem I find with watercolor instruction books about painting the human figure is that so few of them are in a style I actually like. Charles Reid has a few, of course, and there are some others that offer insights, but even so the styles are not always what I’m aiming for. Mel Stabin’s “Figure in Watercolor” is a happy exception to that lamentable rule, although not without its shortcomings.
Overall, this is a fairly inspiring book with great paintings and a few nuggets of information about painting the figure, but I found that the actual instruction was a bit thin. There are a few step-by-step examples, but most of the book consists of Mr. Stabin’s wonderful paintings, along with a paragraph or two about basic composition, studio conditions, or back story behind the painting.
Perhaps the artist was going on the assumption that the student should be given inspiration over step-by-step instruction. That can work very well in some instructional environments (such as college-level courses), but I think I would’ve found more of the step-by-step examples helpful. What few step-by-step examples there are in the book (three, I think), are condensed at best, and really don’t give the student a good sense of how the painting was made (kind of like watching the opening credits, end credits, and a scene in the middle of a movie, and trying to understand what the movie was all about). Here we see an early step, a somewhere-in-the-middle step, and the finished painting. Even with the accompanying text, the complete evolution of the work is still something of a mystery.
One of the few really frustrating things about the book is that several of the large paintings that start the chapters are positioned in such a way that the figures (obstensively the most important part of the painting), are placed right between the inside edges, so that it is almost impossible to get a good look at the figure without flattening out the book (and thereby ruining the spine).
All in all, it’s still a great book, but definitely aimed for an intermediate level, rather than the beginner. I’m not sure if that was the artist’s intention, but it seemed to be the end result. Even so, the beginner will still find value in the book, in the form of inspiration if not direct instruction.
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|Loose, Wonderful Figure Painting!,
The photorealistic figure painting in most books is intimidating and, to many, unappealing. Mel Stabin liberates us from this tight, souless style. His people are fresh and fast, and something of their essence of the person is captured.
Stabin’s instruction, which could be more plentiful, is full of useful information. Copying his paintings is very instructive. As is his former book Watercolor: Simple, Fast and Focused, this book is a gift to watercolorists and those who love looking at spontaneous, fresh paintings.
Two other painter-authors who use this loose style for figures are Charles Reid and, for the nude figure, Douglas Lew (Painting from Life).
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|A GOOD BOOK RUINED BY SPLITTING PAINTINGS,
I rate this a good to very good book on loose watercolor figure painting. Stabins flowing line brush drawings of the female figure are outstanding.
THE REASON FOR ONLY 3 STARS,THERE ABOUT 10 OF THE BEST PAINTINGS COMPLETELY RUINED BY BEING ON TWO PAGES. ONE COMPLETE PAGE AND ABOUT 1/3 ON THE ADJACENT PAGE. PROBABLY THE BEST IS OF A DANCER SITTING ON THE FLOOR, AND HER FACE AND SHOULDERS ARE BURIED IN PAGE TO SPINE CURVE. I HAVE THE BOOK AND ONLY WAY I CAN SEE FULL PAINTING IS DISSEMBLE THE BOOK. WATSON/GUPTILL, ARE YOU LISTENING?
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