A Review of "Adventures in Beginning Watercolor" by Cecilia Price, by Mona Anne Clark.
July 2006
Upon receiving your book, I sat down & read it from cover to cover. I enjoyed the binding approach you used, since it allowed me to read in the recliner. The first thing I got on the book was NOT paint but chocolate...ops, sorry about that, but paint came next. Now that I’ve worked through the lessons, I like the binder even more because the book lays flat with it full opened or with the front pages tucked under the one you are working from. The introduction, with its materials list & glossary are very helpful tools to the new watercolor artist. Your chapter break down is well organized & colorful. I found this book to be a practical introduction to watercolor painting & can see how you would have used it in a group setting. Your knowledge of color is sharp & very detailed to this discussion & is applicable to more than just watercolor -- I see how it can apply to some extent to acrylics/oils as well. In reading the text I realized that there are lots of similar principles in these mediums. Now I know what 'value' truly is -- I like the explanation you give with the pics of the white Japanese magnolias. People don’t often realize the difference between "highlight" & "shadow-light" or the difference either can make in their work. Although I have been taught the ‘cool-medium-warm’ as ‘water-earth-sun’ I did like your explanation too. I've got 3 color wheels & a couple of charts & other than complimentary colors...I've never really understood the rest of it or how to use it to make decisions about colors...it’s been a ‘guessometer’ of sorts to me. Your explanations are clear & concise! I actually did sit down & paint my own color wheel clock. It was fun & useful. In fact all six lessons were fun...if we are not having fun when painting we should find something else to do... I love your overall presentation of this subject & hope you will continue to write & publish for the benefit of your growing list of students of which you can count me into. Thank you for reading my review. Respectfully submitted by Mona Anne Clark
Coming from a photographic arts background, where you press the button and the rest is done for you, I found this text to be insightful and useful for its discussion on color and paint, especially for a person who has not picked up a small paintbrush since the eighth grade and only picked up large paintbrushes to paint the apartment / houses which I have lived in. But the entire text is full of the techniques and the great details and care which goes into performing this wonderful art form.
It is quite an experience in reading the text to realise that there are lots of similar principles in this art form and photography, such perspective and use of tones and colors. This helps me see photography in a new light. With all these techniques, I can't wait for my vacation to practise and perform some of these techniques and possibly produce some non-photographic images to frame around the place.
I am looking forward to reading her text in preparation, "Adventures Watercolour Wonderland"
Best wishes,
Tim Morton
"I got your book yesterday and the postage was fine. You are so clever withthat colour! My first impression was - I WANT A COLOUR PRINTER!! I have this notion that getting a decent scan and colour print out takes a lot of time and effort.
The paintings are wonderful. You have some fine students and I love that snow painting you have near the back. The binding is neat too,I haven't seen those before."
Eileen
Eileen - kor@solutions.mb.ca
Editor - The Watercolour Gazette newsletter
http://www.scultura.com/wcgaz/wcgaz.html
"Cia! I sat down and read through your book this morning and it's great. It is a very good introduction to watercolor for anyone who is new to the medium or to art in general. I especially appreciated your attention to the basic design principles of value and composition. So often, those things are just glossed over in favor of "how to paint". Your practical intro to color theory--graying, triads, complementaries, etc.--was also good. So often,students get lost in the terminology, but your exercises are a real good hands-on approach. Some of the exercises are similar to ones I used when I taught the Design course at Augusta College; some of the others, I'd like to borrow if I ever teach again.
The glossary--right at the beginning--is a nice idea. There's so much terminology (artspeak) that gets thrown around. Some of us tend to use terms without thinking of how a non-artist might interpret them. When I first went through your glossary, I kept thinking of expansions on certain terms, then realiz ed that with BEGINNERS, it's best to keep things direct and to the point (my expansions usually have to do with how certain terms apply to other media and this is a book on watercolor, after all). I've been away from regular teaching just long enough to be losing touch with the reality of it.
Oh, and I never knew that it was called a back-run when that happened; I just called it a screw-up or a mess or a goof or.....
Personally--all the design, drawing and color stuff, I supposedly have under control (relatively speaking) but your section on masking/frisket was good for me. I haven't studied much in that area and when I read your tips and instructions on how to use the stuff, I went, "Oh, wow, so that's why I've made such a mess of it." Thanks for the help."
I wish I'd had such a straightforward text when I took my one and only watercolor course--I still have and still don't like the goofus book we used. From a watercolorist's point of view, I can't really critique anything in your book but from an instructor's (slightly out-of-touch) view, I find it very good for introducing beginners to art and watercolor. You clearly explain things in a friendly manner that students should be able to relate to and not feel intimidated by their "lack" of artistic background or skills or whatever it is that they perceive as their shortcomings. Another nice touch is using the work of former students in the book--tell Jeff I enjoy ed seeing his paintings. Strong pieces! I can't wait to share this with my mom; she has more experience in watercolor than I do. If she has any comments, I'll be sure to pass them on. Thanks again for sharing it and congratulations!"
Lisa Lloyd Blais
"p.s. I really like Hollyhocks Forever painting. Strong yet somehow ethereal.
And The Tea Party is still a favorite. I had an immediate emotional attachment
to that one when I first saw it on your home page. It's a good painting compositionally,
design-wise, and all that, but I just straight out love it".
"Adventures in Beginning Watercolor" by Cecilia Price is a succinct book
that is a great reference tool for both beginning watercolorists, experienced
painters and those who need a boost to return to painting. The glossary (Watercolor
Vocabulary) is of great use and is rarely used in other books, beginning or
otherwise. Each concept is explained thoroughly and the lessons (chapters)
cover the basic techniques every watercolorist needs to master. Introducing
the student to the concept of values and value pattern design is a necessary
step usually omitted in beginning student outlines. Yet these concepts are
crucial to the success of any painting. The use of a self test is specially
beneficial to someone using this text without a formal class, adding an opportunity
for the reader to gauge their understanding. The Conclusion adds some great
suggestions for students to continue their art education both formally and
in their daily lives. I cannot think of any basic concepts that are absent
in "Adventures in Begin ning Watercolor" and would definitely consider ordering
copies if I should ever teach a beginning watercolor class myself.
Dawn Marciano
Here are some of the points I picked up from your book:
* You go into plenty of detail about equipment and materials. This is most helpful and will save your readers a lot of frustration and wasted time - especially your recommendations about paper.
* I now lie my brushes on a tissue to dry!
* Good advice to use putty rubbers - I went straight out an bought one. I'd got into the bad habit of using one of those hard, plasticy ones - a carry over from my plan-drafting days. Again this is something that few other books mention.
* Describing the colour wheel as a clock face helped to make it easy to understand.
* I liked the hollyhock picture - it looked like a random shot of nature; an unusual composition that appeals.
* Jeff's "Right Mindfulness" really grew on me, the grey/saffron colour combination must look good in the original. It must be nice for you to be associated with such creative people as Jeff and Donna who feature in the book.
* I've never really tried *dry* on wet; it just didn't occur to me. So you've given me an important new 'tool' to experiment with.
* Your relaxed, colloquial English felt like you were actually talking. This style is in keeping with the times too.
* Finally the whole book, with all its colour illustrations, is a great example of what can be done with desktop publishing software. It taught me so much. Keep writing, I'm looking forward to the next one!
Publication|Introduction to "Adventures..."| Artmaker Studio
