5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of a Kind--Great Lessons, BEAUTIFUL throughout, January 17, 2008
Paint the Sea in Oils Using Special Effects
This is the hardcover edition of the above book. (See more reviews for this book on that other listing).
This book is well worth buying just for the spectacular artwork of E. John Robinson, but the lessons are fantastic, and unlike any I've seen in other books on painting the sea. Even someone who doesn't paint in oils could thoroughly enjoy this book for the knowledge John Robinson shares about his meticulous observations of waves and how they move and how the sunlight plays on the water, etc.. It will make you enjoy the ocean a lot more when you're there, with the deeper understanding of it that John Robinson so graciously shares with us.
John Robinson has spent many hours taking videos of ocean waves, then going home to watch them in slow motion to understand their anatomy as an artist would. He will show you about everything you need to know about painting the ocean and it's many moods, along with rock painting as well, of course. Along with teaching how to paint the sea, Robinson has a very gentle way of teaching which is relaxing and often philosophical. This is a fantastic book that you really will want to keep for quite a while. Robinson's paintings are breathtaking. It's amazing how many different ways there are to paint the sea.
I will give a brief outline of the topics taught, as indicated in his contents page:
Section I: Beginnings
Chapter I Sketching on site
outdoor watercolor equipment, at the site, thumbnail
sketches, stepbystep demonstration in watercolors, outdoor
oil equipment, stepbystep deomonstration in oils
Chapter 2: From sketch to painting
studio equipment and supplies, composition from the sketch,
step by step demonstration
Section II Ingredients for Successful Seascapes
Chapter 3: The Anatomy of Waves
how waves are created from energy, anatomy of swells,
ripples on swells, swells with foam, swell t breaker, the
breaker, translucent water, step by step painting
translucent water, wave scud,
Chapter 4: Sunlight, shadows, and atmosphere
light and shadows: side lightting, front lighting, back
lighting, down lighting, spot lighting, cloud shadowns,
bluff shadows
Atmosphere: moisture in the air, clear weather, cloudy
weather, foggy weather,
Reflecting light and atmosphere:
waves and troughs, wet rocks, ripples on clear water,
reflections on a foamy surface, the mirror effect, sparkle,
glare.
Chapter 5: Rocks, headlands,and beaches
Rocks: rounded rocks, angular rocks, vertical rocks, rocks
in clear water, rocks underwater, rocks in foamy
water, overwash, water spills, trickles, color
exchange, defiant rock, overwhelmed rock
Headlands: Staging for distance, dark headlands, light
headlands, the bluff
Beaches: water's edge, wet sand, beach outlets, driftwood
Chapter 6: Foam and Spray
whitecaps, lace curtains, the roll, foam over a rock,
collapsed wave, foreground surf, blanket foam, surface
ripples, surface contours, holes for direction, patterns on
the wave, slhouette patterns, patterns over clear water,
patterns for directions, anatomy of foam holes, spray and
mist, surf spray, the burst, mist over a rock, overall mist.
Chapter 7: Color for Seascapes
the transparent color wheel, alternate color wheel,
comparing blues, comparing greens, earth colors,
neutrals, subject colors, wave colros, rock colors,
skies with cerulean blue, skies with ultramarine blue,
interplay of warm and cool colros, complementary colors,
triads, glow
Chapter 8: Composition for Seascapes
lines: ouline and implied lines, tranquil lines, opposing
lines, moving lines, buoyant lines, downward lines,
direct and indirect lines
values: three values, three areas, spacing areas,
combining areas and values, light composition,
middle value composition, dark composition focal
points: focal point with contrast, focal point
with color, forcal point with detail.
Section 3: demonstrations
Chapter 9: Rising tide
Chapter 10: Quiet moments
Chapter 11: Passing Storm,
Chapter 12: evening reflections
Chapter 13: Moving shoreward.
Section 4: Gallery
gallery paintings, conclusion, about the artist.
Even if you don't paint in oils, this book is fascinating and mesmerizing. It will make you see the ocean in a whole new dimension.
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