Painting Watercolor Portraits [Hardcover]

Al Stine (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1997

Twelve step-by-step demonstrations which cover every aspect of portraiture.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 125 pages
• Publisher: North Light Books; 1st. ed edition (March 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0891346414
• ISBN-13: 978-0891346418
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #454,713 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The only book you will need on painting watercolor portraits, June 22, 2001

By 

The Artist "The Artist" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Painting Watercolor Portraits (Hardcover)

Indeed, this is the ONLY book I decided to have a copy of my own on painting watercolor portraits. I purchased this book several years ago, read it, applied it, and found it a real gem. Although my current interest is mostly painting in oil, I still remember vividly my pleasant experiences using the book:

- The author thoroughly presents the topics in the book, from improving your drawing skills, lighting models, to using colors, etc...

- His style is what that is referred as "painterly". The finished paintings are enlightening, artistic, and simply beautiful. I love and treasure the works created by this author, as well as those representing great craftmanship and expressions.

Buy this book if you still can find a copy of it. To fully benefit it, may I suggest:

- First and foremost, focus on your drawing skills. With a tranparent medium like watercolor, drawing skills are more than ever the most crucial requirement for a great final painting.

- Practice, practice, and practice, using advices from the book.

Thank you, Mr. Stine, for a great book!

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get Your Portraits Freer and Looser, January 23, 2001

By 

carol irvin "carol irvin" (United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Painting Watercolor Portraits (Hardcover)

I don't really use the how-to portions of books like these although I'm sure many artists do. What I like doing instead is looking at the pictures and see what they in and of themselves can teach me. What struck me about this book when I bought it was that if one wanted to make one's portraits a lot freer, more fluid, flowing and looser, this book shows that very well. I would especially encourage any of us working in colored pencils or pastels to consider incorporating watercolor in a mixed media approach towards portraiture. Stine definitely shows more Impressionistic results in portraiture than realistic. However, these are hardly Abstract Expressionist portraits! You can't mix this with oil, of course, so if you are looking at this work compared to your own in oil, you would be contemplating doing a complete 180 degree switch. It certainly would save you an enormous amount of drying time to make the switch from oil to watercolor. The brush work seems as if it would be a lot faster as well. Every page in this book seems to have a full color watercolor portrait featured on it so it is a good value for the money as well.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This may be the best water color portrait book available, June 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Painting Watercolor Portraits (Hardcover)

This book is focusing on contour drawing and the use of water colors for portrait painting. As a matter of fact water colors are mostly used for natur painting and this may be the reason for the very few portrait books avaialble.

The author gives av very good instruction in what colors to use to develope various skin tones and how to paint shapes due to shadows and edges in the motive. This book has in many ways completed my large collection of book about water color painting.