The Easy Guide to Painting Skies in Watercolour

The ultimate, accessible, no-nonsense guide to painting watercolour skies. Learn how to paint a variety of watercolour skies with artist, author and teacher Stephen Coates. A well-executed sky can make or break a landscape painting, but many artists struggle to achieve the results they want. In this invaluable guide, Stephen Coates leads you through some highly effective techniques that will turn a good painting into a brilliant one. Stephen takes a unique, no-fuss approach to watercolours, emphasizing the importance of planning, preparation and practice. He explains clearly which tools and materials you need, and how to prepare your palette before embarking on a painting. Stephen then takes you through seven iconic skies in easy, practical stages, from blue summer skies to dramatic sunsets and storm clouds, introducing new skills and techniques as you progress through the book. With numerous handy tips and many examples of Stephen’s stunning landscapes throughout, this book will both instruct and inspire you to create beautiful, realistic skies with confidence. The ultimate, accessible, no-nonsense guide to painting watercolour skies. There are some areas of watercolour painting that beginners often have trouble with, and one of these is skies. In Stephen’s characteristic style, he approaches the subject in a no-fuss, technique-led way that aims to demystify sky painting so that you, the novice watercolourist will be able to approach it with confidence. Beginning with advice on key tools and materials, how to prepare your palette and achieve the right consistency of paint, Stephen takes you through seven common skies, ordered by difficulty: from simple plain blue skies and white cloudy skies to sunsets and storms. Every sky includes invaluable guidance on how to plan your sky, dozens of handy tips and clear step-by-step instructions and numerous examples. This is an essential book for watercolour artists starting out, as well as the more experienced looking to hone their landscape painting skills.