Charles Reid's Watercolor Secrets: An Intimate Look at the Discoveries from a Lifetime of Painting

by Charles Reid

Book Overview

A lifetime of watercolor expertise - at your fingertips In Charles Reid's Watercolor Secrets , professional artist Charles Reid offers you an inside glimpse into his sketchbooks, sharing actual pages... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1581804237
• ISBN13: 9781581804232
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: North Light Books
• Length: 127 Pages
• Weight: 1.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 11.0" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

The Real Deal

As a newcomer to watercolor painting, I have purchased an extensive library of books on the subject to better educate myself in this wonderful media. I stumbled upon "Charles Reid's Watercolor Secrets" at a bookstore and it is my favorite of all the books I've seen. It is a beautifully printed book and his paintings are extraordinary, I am just blown away by his consummate skill as an artist.His use of color and negative space(white paper) are remarkable.A wide range of subjects are covered, landscapes, flowers, French Villas and towns etc. What really sets him apart however,are his watercolor portraits, just amazing. He seems to capture not just a likeness of the person but also their very essence. I love the painting of actor Gene Wilder though all the others are outstanding too. I loved his portrait work so much I also purchased his book on the subject "The Natural Way to Paint". So many books on watercolor look the same, overdone subjects, overly tight painting. Charles Reid is the real deal, a true artist.Very inspiring, makes me want to paint every time I look at it.

The Magic Sketchbook

I first met Charles Reid and his wife Judy in 1988 and it was the beginning of an endless learning process ever since. I have learnt so much about watercolour from his books over the years since then. Charles' books are amazing in that he holds nothing back and just discloses all his knowledge in a wonderful style that is easy to learn from. Invariably there are step by step demonstrations to illustrate his methods. This book is a gem in that it is a compilation of his sketchbooks with each sketch accompanied by short notations explaining the key points in each. It gives you a remarkable insight into how a great artist manages the very personal part of his working day in making his sketches. One can learn so much from this book not the least of which is to leave your camera at home! Charles' workshops are a great delight and if you are fortunate to attend one you will find that he is a friendly man of great warmth and charm which is reflected in his books and above all a wonderful teacher.

Reid's techniques and advice are unique

Charles Reid is a noted watercolorist. His technique is loose yet structured; he does portraits, landscapes, florals all with exceptional dash yet clearly he is following rules of some kind. What are they? He reveals his ideas on composition, color and things specific to watercolor. His use of the white of the paper is extraordinary; he doesn't just restrict this to highlights, but leaves large patches of paper that lets the eye fill in the subject in a very exciting manner. The book is in a longer-than-wide format and beautifully printed. The example paintings are lovely--you just want to stare at them and wonder how he could make something so uncontrived-looking. But the technique is not simple, so if you admire this style of watercolor and strive for looseness yet coherence in your own painting, I'd recoomend this book for your library. It gives you a lot to think about and try for yourself.

Inspiring Watercolors

I've learned a lot from Charles Reid's books, and so will you. For me, the most important lesson is to paint directly, avoiding overwashes, and you will see a dramatic difference in your watercolors. Mr. Reid reiterates this lesson in most of his books, and from his latest you can not only see examples of this principle in practice, but you can also see how his work has gotten bolder and more colorful with time. He also stresses the importance of drawing (a skill developed easily enough by practice) and to not try to make a painting perfect (you never will). Highly recommended.