Introduction 6
The challenge of watercolour skies 8
Planning 9
Understanding the paint 10
Brushes and brushing techniques 16
Watercolour paper 21
Tools and materials 24
Working from photographs 26
SKIES
Large Blended Washes 30, White Clouds 38, Sunset Skies 50, Sunbeams
60, Stormy Skies 70, Low Clouds and Mist 84, Perspective and
Focal Points 94
Building your repertoire of skies 106
Index 112
Stephen Coates was born in Sheffield in 1960. The son of a
draughtsman, he was introduced to drawing at a very young age. He
excelled in art at school but chose a career in retail, working
first in the music industry for 16 years followed by another 16
years running his own catering business.
Over a period of 20 years, Stephen learned and specialized in
watercolours in his spare time, and gradually developed his own
style and unique brand of teaching. In 2011 he traded his sandwich
business for a career in art and teaching. He became a full-time
professional freelance artist, and set up his own studio in
Sheffield with the purpose of teaching others watercolour painting.
From here he runs courses, workshops and hosts his own amateur art
groups. Stephen also demonstrates his skills and shares his
expertise at art societies all over England, and exhibits at a
variety of national art shows. Visit his website
www.coatesart.co.uk.
Stephen Coates will be well known to many amateur painters for his
courses to art societies all over England and his articles in
Leisure Painter. His new book, The Easy Guide to Painting Skies in
Watercolour, addresses the problem of skies – a common issue for
beginners. All-important to a landscape painting, a successfully
painted sky can turn an average painting into a fantastic one. In
his clear and concise style, Stephen shows you how to plan ahead
for success, exploring materials and techniques, including
watercolour, brushes and paper, so that you are prepared to make
those first marks with confidence. There is also useful advice on
working from photographs before Stephen embarks on describing how
to paint skies of all kinds, from white clouds and sunbeams to the
drama of stormy clouds, mist and sunsets.
*Leisure Painter*
Books on skies are not too hard to find and this important element
(arguably the most important) of any landscape has been
well-covered. The danger, of course, is of producing a masterclass
that only serves to muddy the waters with over-complication.
Regular readers will know how wary I am about “easy” guides. If it
was easy, everyone would be doing it and it wouldn’t take a
lifetime of study. Intelligently approached, however, they can be
reassuring and progress in simple, straightforward steps that don’t
tax the beginner or those struggling a bit to keep up. On those
counts, this is absolutely admirable. Stephen starts with an
analysis and explanations of materials and equipment, moving
quickly to basic techniques, of which the first is a large, blended
wash. The initial exercise uses one colour, then we move to two.
It’s simple and progressive and we’re ready to start looking at
white clouds. Nothing to frighten the horses, results that will
satisfy and I think we’re ready to agree that, yes, it was pretty
easy. Moving on, you’ll find heavy clouds, sunsets, storms, shafts
of sunlight and mists as well as a look at perspective and focal
points. Throughout, you’re really only painting skies, with
rudimentary foregrounds that add only balance, without becoming an
exercise in themselves – actually, if you want lessons in
simplicity, you have them right there, an unexpected Brucie bonus.
Easy? Well, maybe. Not too taxing? Absolutely.
*Artbookreview.net*
This book gives you a better view on painting many different skies.
Easy to understand and in pictorial format. Step-by-step guide that
holds your hand through every brush stroke. Thoroughly enjoyed
reading the book, giving me a better view on those dramatic skies,
I could never work out. I know now with Stephen's guidelines, I can
produce a much better sky. This is a must have book.
*Customer Review*
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review, so as a
beginner to watercolour I was looking forward to the contents of
this book and I was really pleased with it. Firstly it is a very
visual guide; not only do you get lots of photographs of the
painting process but the Author has included pencil sketches to
guide you and also source photographs so you can see the view
that's been used to develop the painting. The author also has
dotted the text with teaching points and these have pictures of how
the effects should be accomplished and also what happens if you
don't follow the author's advice. He even provides pictures of the
consistency of different mixes of paint to water. Although the
books is aimed at painting skies There is plenty of help to turn
these skies into simple landscapes and seascapes that any beginner
would be proud to produce. This is an excellent book, well written
for the beginner to painting skies and I highly recommend it.
*Customer Review*
Books on skies appear from time to time, and most are based around
a particular artist's methods of interpretation. Anyone with a
reasonably comprehensive library will probably have Norman
Battershill's and Ron Ranson's and refer to them for both
information and pleasure. The practical approach is more usually a
chapter in a wider guide to landscapes. So, do you, gentle
reader of this august journal, need something that is clearly a
beginners' guide? Well, there will be plenty there that you'll
check off as 'knew that', but if I added the word comprehensive to
the description, I'd probably have at least half your attention.
There's light here, there are clouds, composition and balance as
well as washes, wet-in-wet, perspective and recession. The book is
a pleasure to read and full of ideas and information. Even if you
are well experienced, the clear layout and excellent execution make
it all worthwile.
*The Artist*
The sky is probably the most important part of any landscape
painting. Stephen will show you not just how to look at colours and
clouds, but also how to use washes and all the properties of your
palette to capture look, feel and aesthetics. Stephen is
well-versed in the techniques required to do all this, and he
explains them clearly and concisely. This is a thorough and
complete guide that will tell you everything you need and want to
know.
*SAA Catalogue*
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