Pouring Light - Layering Transparent Watercolor

Nationally renowned artist and workshop instructor Jean H. Grastorf breaks down her innovative pouring process with visual guidance that includes:

-Basic, step-by-step instruction that covers everything from choosing materials to finishing the painting

-Four full-length demonstrations and multiple mini-demos that outline her techniques and show how to build strong light-based compositions

-Detailed, hand-in shots that clearly illustrate how to create clean, transparent color and translucent glazes

-Design summary sidebars that pinpoint how each demonstration succeeds, along with quick-reference tips for the artist

-Paintings from contributing artists that show how to apply this technique to many different styles

Going beyond masking and glazing, Grastorf's masterful instruction empowers artists to tackle the larger challenge of loosening up, so they can push their art to a dynamic new level of luminosity and value.

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All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Wonderful, eye-opening ideas, 2008-04-10
This book is very well organized and visual examples are amazing. She creates these wonderful light-filled paintings by masking off specific areas and then literally POURING paint onto your paper. Layer after layer, the most vivid colors and luminous landscapes appear. Her step-by-step approach makes it very easy to learn and follow the techniques. Her masking maps -- showing the order and placement of her masking layers -- are especially helpful and eye-opening. She also provides a good deal of design instruction. I have used this extensively with my students and in my own work. I have also recommended it to several people.


3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

The chapter on "Value study" very useful, 2008-02-08
For watercolor technique books I only spend time with the ones with paintings I love. This one is lovely, with results I want to emulate. As other readers have pointed out, the techniques taught in this book are time-consuming so they should be worthwhile. There is a particularly useful lesson on the value study, sketches that capture a range of tone, using white unpainted paper for white, then light, medium and black tones. I found this to be a great exercise.

The book covers more than the pouring technique, with chapters on materials, composition, color among others. When it really gets rolling you can try to repeat her paintings with her step-by-step instructions, or do your own designs. I get most of my watercolor books from the library, and this is one of the few I've bought for my own.


14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

beautiful work, detailed and tedious methods, 2007-05-18
The book is nicely printed and formatted and contains detailed well illustrated instructions for creating watercolor paintings by a unique method. The method is tedious and requires careful drawing and use of several layers of masking fluid. This is not the traditional approach to watercolor painting but Grastorf achieves excellent results.


10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

Need patience, 2007-04-06
I have painted in watercolor over 20 years. The processes described in this book are valid, however, one must have endless patience to spend the amount of time required to complete a project as directed by this author.


12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

Pouring LIght, 2007-03-21
I was recently introduced to the technique of pouring watercolors to get some fabulous looks. I took a one-day workshop, which is a great way to start. The book is a great way to continue. The author gives her instructions clearly with plenty of pictures of describe what is happening. I've reviewed it a couple of times already and feel better equipped to do my fourth or fifth painting now. I highly recommend this book for use at home.

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