Dramatic Light

Book excerpt: Capture the elusive nature of light, and make your paintings glow with richness and realism. Dramatic Light shows you how, blending inspiring artwork with clear, step-by-step demonstrations for working in both watercolor and oil. Your paintings will improve instantly as you follow hands-on, visual guidance for recreating the basic principles of light: transparency, translucency, luminosity and reflections. This remarkable book features: 16 step-by-step demonstrations that show you how see and paint light in it many forms A range of styles and subjects to admire and borrow from, including flowers, landscapes, people and still lifes Detailed instruction for mastering challenging textures, such as sparkling glass, sheer fabric, moonlit skies, shimmering water and more Visual comparisons that highlight common mistakes and how to fix them You'll find the guidance in Dramatic Light very effective and accessible, even if you're new to painting. Special sections cover a range of topics, from creating good compositions to mixing colors to working with reference photos. Take this guide, explore light's sublime possibilities, and transform your work.