Painting Abstract Landscapes

Abstract landscape painting expresses emotion while still capturing the essence of a landscape. This compelling book explores this suggestive style first developed by Turner. Using the hauntingly-beautiful paintings of Gareth Edwards, it explores the technical, historical and psychological dimensions of abstract landscape painting to help you develop your own skilful and intensely personal approach. Through this new book you can learn about how to begin an abstract landscape painting, using chance application; understand how to 'manage accidents' to create innovative pieces of work; discover the importance of effective composition and how this navigates the viewer's journey; determine the importance of the 'invisible' elements of painting: the unspoken value of the viewer and the influence of 'looking'. It also reveals how to utilize a convergence of linear and atmospheric perspective to help your viewer traverse the picture plane and helps you understand the importance of light, space, colour, and tone in generating evocative paintings. Finally, it encourages you to be more demanding of your surface, using textural techniques and glazing to achieve professional production values. It is a unique and exciting book into this under-documented genre.

Because nature is so expansive and complex, so varied in its range of light, landscape painters often have to look further and more deeply to find form and structure, value patterns, and an organized arrangement of shapes. In Landscape Painting, Mitchell Albala shares his concepts and practices for translating nature's grandeur, complexity, and color dynamics into convincing representations of space and light. Concise, practical, and inspirational, Landscape Painting focuses on the greatest challenges for the landscape artist, such as: • Simplification and Massing: Learn to reduce nature's complexity by looking beneath the surface of a subject to discover the form's basic masses and shapes.• Color and Light: Explore color theory as it specifically applies to the landscape, and learn the various strategies painters use to capture the illusion of natural light.• Selection and Composition: Learn to select wisely from nature's vast panorama. Albala shows you the essential cues to look for and how to find the most promising subject from a world of possibilities. The lessons in Landscape Painting—based on observation rather than imitation and applicable to both plein air and studio practice—are accompanied by painting examples, demonstrations, photographs, and diagrams. Illustrations draw from the work of more than 40 contemporary artists and such masters of landscape painting as John Constable, Sanford Gifford, and Claude Monet. Based on Albala's 25 years of experience and the proven methods taught at his successful plein air workshops, this in-depth guide to all aspects of landscape painting is a must-have for anyone getting started in the genre, as well as more experienced practitioners who want to hone their skills or learn new perspectives.

"The Landscape Painter's Workbook takes a modern approach to the time-honored techniques and essential elements of landscape painting, from accomplished artist, veteran art instructor, and established author Mitchell Albala"--

JMW Turner is one of the greatest artists Britain has ever produced. His watercolours, with their extraordinary effects of shifting light and dramatic skyscapes, are especially highly regarded. For the first time, the secrets of Turner's technique are revealed, allowing present-day watercolourists to learn from his achievements.This book combines unrivalled knowledge of Turner's working methods from Tate curators and conservators with practical advice from some of the world's most respected watercolour experts. Twenty-two thematic exercises are illustrated with Turner's works. Expert contemporary watercolourists explain, step-by-step, how to paint a similar composition, learning from Turner's techniques. Packed with invaluable information, from the materials Turner used to achieve the masterpieces we know and love today, to the modern materials the twenty-first-century watercolour artist will need.Backed by the authority of Tate, the world centre for Turner scholarship, with a glossary of technical terms, this is an invaluable resource both for lovers of Turner's art and of watercolour painting.

An exciting new talent, Fraser Scarfe's moody and expressive landscapes combine the best of the traditional approach to painting with the benefits of modern materials. His aim is to reveal the natural beauty and drama in the landscape without the need for romanticism, and this is borne out in his raw, unsentimental yet strikingly beautiful landscape paintings.This book will appeal to acrylic artists of all abilities as well as those looking to transition from oils, pastels and watercolours alike. It follows the award-winning artist through the year, offering readers productive and inspiring ways to paint from deepest winter to midsummer while they learn to engage with their subject. Using a combination of practical instruction and inspirational example, Fraser imparts his knowledge of the techniques and materials he uses, his style and his inspiration, proving that he is truly a force to be reckoned within the art world.

Transcendence is the long-awaited, career-spanning monograph of American landscape painter Richard Mayhew. For over half a century, Richard Mayhew has been reinventing the genre of landscape painting. His luminous work evokes not only physical vistas but also emotions, sounds, and the pure experience of color. He's known for his masterful use of color and for his unique creative process, inspired by improvisational jazz, which involves pouring paint directly onto the canvas and shaping it into lush, emotional "moodscapes." • This monograph features 70+ of his most striking works. • Includes an exclusive interview with the artist, an introduction by his gallerist Mikaela Sardo Lamarche, and an essay by Andrew Walker, director of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art • Through engaging with his work, readers are invited into deep explorations of their own inner landscapes. Transcendence is a richly rewarding celebration of an iconic artist that will make you rethink everything you know about landscape painting. Mayhew's distinctive style emerges from his roots as a jazz musician, his immersion in the Abstract Expressionist movement, his African American, Cherokee, and Shinnecock heritage, and his unique affinity for the landscapes of the American West—but his paintings transcend boundaries of location and identity. • Great for lovers of fine art, landscape painting, Abstract Expressionism, as well as those who are interested in the intersection of art, music, and emotion • A lush celebration of Richard Mayhew's work, and an ideal introductory book for new fans • Add it to the collection of books like Abstract Expressionism by Carter Ratcliff, Jeremy Lewison, Susan Davidson, and David Anfam; California Landscapes: Richard Diebenkorn / Wayne Thiebaud by John Yau; and The Art of Richard Mayhew: A Critical Analysis with Interviews by Janet Berry Hess.

How to paint your world in watercolor…and have fun doing it! The day Sterling Edwards watched an artist paint an entire sky with three deft brushstrokes was the day he committed to trading his tiny oil brushes and photorealistic style in favor of big, bold strokes of watercolor. In the years since, he's developed not only a wonderfully fresh, luminous painting style, but also an approach that takes the intimidation out of this beautiful but often-mystifying medium. In this book, he shares both. • Initial chapters lay the foundation for successful paintings, from choosing the right brushes to achieving vibrant colors, interesting textures and strong compositions. • Step-by-step demonstrations illustrate techniques for painting rocks, skies, trees, foliage, buildings, water and other landscape elements. • An easy-to-follow, four-step painting process makes for easier starts and stronger finishes, complete with rich darks and sparkling highlights. • Eight complete painting projects cover a range of breathtaking scenes and seasons. Whether you're dipping into the medium for the first time or you're a watercolor devotee on a quest for clearer color and more personal statements, this book will help you make the most of the time you spend with brush in hand.