Movies •Books •Music •Food •Tv Shows •Technology •Politics •Video Games •Parenting •Fashion •Green Living •more >

Lunch » Tags » Books » Reviews » Paint Radiant Realism in Watercolor, Ink & Colored Pencil

Paint Radiant Realism in Watercolor, Ink & Colored Pencil

1 rating: 5.0

A book by Sueellen Ross

Everything about Sueellen Ross' work grabs your attention: from the appealing subjects (cozy interiors, beautiful flowers, cats, dogs, wildlife) to the bright, crisp colors. Her combination of drawing and painting has artists flocking to her workshops. … see full wiki

Tags: Books, Cafe Libri, Art

Author: Sueellen Ross

Genre: Art

Publisher: North Light Books

Date Published: August 01, 1999

1 review about Paint Radiant Realism in Watercolor, Ink...

Showing 1-1 of 1

Sort by:

RADIANT REALISM by Sueellen Ross: You Will Not Believe This Book

Jul 13, 2001

by Caprig
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More

Rating:

Pros: Step-by-step, easy to follow, numerous photos, excellent explanations, hours of browsing

Cons: MORE!!!!! I WANT MORE!!!!

The Bottom Line: Love animals? This awesome visual treat is a MUST HAVE. SUEELLEN ROSS has a breathtaking way of capturing nature- the how-to's are in the book!

When I decided to take up the medium of watercolor, I was very frustrated at first. I absolutely thrive on realism and delight in seeing how an artist can capture the nuances of light and texture in a painting. My first exposure to watercolor painting was not at all along those lines.

As I have become more and more involved in the art community, I see that there is a bit of a "class war" among artists.

Within the watercolor community, there is a rather amusing condescension from many watercolorists who proclaim that "fast and loose" is the ultimate achievement in the medium of watercolor.

If a person is at all detail oriented, they are promptly addressed with an assessment of their work that includes a thinly veiled put-down. This put-down almost always includes the terms "fast and loose".

The detailed artists are often told that their work is a bit too "tight". Once the watercolor art critic feels that he or she has done their artistic duty, they glide off to offer melodious praise to someone whom they evaluate as having come closer to that "ideal" that they proclaim as being "it".

If you are into "fast and loose", then this book is not for you. This book is a detail lover's delight. This book is for the person that looks at most watercolor paintings and tells him or herself that there "has to be more to this medium than this".

WHAT KIND OF WORK DOES SUEELLEN ROSS DO?

Sueellen Ross captures what a photographer hopes to catch while waiting for hours in the grass to capture. She captures that golden moment of light sparkling on fur in the beautiful bright summer sun that dances with intricate shadows as a cat prowls through the greenery. She captures those moments that you often see and want to remember forever- a cat sleeping in the sun in a window of a darkened room, or robin pausing in the back yard to investigate an unknown creature in the flower bed.

Sueellen Ross focuses primarily on animals for her subjects. There are other features in her paintings, but the realistic portrayal of the animals is breathtaking. She is a modern day master in her ability to capture these moments on paper.

If you love animals and nature at all, you will want to have a copy of this book. Sueellen Ross's artwork will bring you joy unspeakable.

Want to see a few pictures?

SYLVIE'S BORDER PATROL
http://www.christcenteredmall.com/stores/art...lvies-border-patrol.htm

GABRIELLA
http://www.christcenteredmall.com/stores/art/ross/gabriella.htm

TIME OUT
http://www.christcenteredmall.com/stores/art/ross/time-out.htm

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN TO DO IN THIS BOOK?

In this book, you will learn how to mix the media of watercolor, ink and colored pencil. I am delighted with how beautifully she blends these media into a orchestra of visual radiance.

WHAT IS IN THIS BOOK?

There is a good section on colors to use and why. She discusses why certain brand names of colors appeal to her, which is often not covered in many art books. She also has a great section on different materials that she uses in her work that you may not think of as part of a watercolorist's resource kit.

There are excellent step by step details on how she arrives at a composition for a painting. Design elements are studied as well as how to establish a design idea. She has many sketches to illustrate how she begins a painting. They are richly detailed and easy to see.

The step by step progression of the sample paintings are excellent- each progression is not too far ahead of the others. You can easily see what she has done so that you can recreate it yourself.

She has a section on textures such as oriental rugs, quilts, upholstery and wood. There is a section on flowers and the garden as well as sections on animals both domestic and wild.

Chapter Outline

Getting Started
Mixed Media Techniques
Cozy Interiors Step by Step
Flowers and Gardens Step by Step
Pets, Step by Step
Wild Mammals and Birds, Step by Step

CLOSING COMMENTS

This book is not only remarkable to look at, but truly inspiring to read. You can actually learn and put into practice much of what you will see in this book, but it will take patience. Detail work takes patience.

If you have the patience and perserverance , using this book you can drastically improve your painting ability and achieve a new level of realism in your painting.

This book is unique in its blending of media and the realism is a visual treat for tired eyes. It is an essential book for anyone interested in capturing realism in their painting. And if you love animals, this book is especially delightful. I highly recommend this book become a member of the realist's art library.

ADDENDUM
Here is a web site that you can view some more of Sueellen Ross's work:

http://www.christcenteredmall.com/stores/art/ross/ross.htm

It is truly beautiful work and worth the time to check it out.

Recommended:
Yes

What did you think of this review?

Helpful

Thought-Provoking

Fun to Read

Well-Organized