This relatively new series is a delight to handle and use. The substantial covers give a feeling of solidity and the spiral binding allows the pages to lie flat. The whole thing is kept closed by an elasticated band that's somehow more than just window-dressing and adds the feel of the personal portfolio the books are designed to become.
Appearance isn't everything, of course, and nicely-judged content, with plenty of exercises, demonstrations, hints and tips provide the meat. At the core are the six practical projects, each of which comes with its own sheet of quality watercolour pre-printed with the outline of the scene. This is a natural development of the hugely successful Ready to Paint series and keeps all your work neatly in one place.
So there's only one further element needed to make this the perfect guide, isn't there? Yes, an author, and Charles Evans is just the person you'd want. Thorough and generous in his teaching, he'll guide you through all the processes from choosing your materials and some basic techniques to completing six nicely varied scenes you'll be proud to display. Each one introduces new subjects and techniques - painting over reflections, using a rigger to depict trees or stippling foliage. As well as water there are hills, trees, skies and buildings to develop your skills as you go along.
This is a superb guide that you can refer back to once it's completed.
* Paint magazine *
This is a beautifully illustrated book. Ideal for a beginner or more advanced painter. Step by step on ever stage to produce a wonderful painting.
Every project in this book has a preprinted outlined drawing on quality watercolour paper at the back of the book, which you can either trace or tear out and keep your book intact so you can reuse it time and time again.
All you need is a little paint and a few brushes to get start. Perfect gift for any budding artist.
* Customer Review *
Part of the new Paint Pad Artist Series, Charles Evans's Coastal Landscapes will encourage both beginners and more experienced artists to paint accomplished paintings straight away. The outlines for six projects are provided on Daler-Rowney watercolour paper, so that you can start applying colour immediately. Charles provides information on how to use the pre-printed paper and how to copy the outlines so that you can attempt the projects more than once. A 'what you will need' section, together with brief information on the techniques you will be using, accompany each of the projects, and these gradually become more difficult as you progress.
* Leisure Painter *
I dealt with the mechanics of this new series in the introductory review, so this is a look just at one particular volume.
Charles Evans is an experienced and popular demonstrator who is ideally suited to this introduction to painting coastal scenes. Each of the six demonstrations introduces a new topic or technique, such as drawing out colour to create clouds, capturing reflections, using a rigger to create trees and working with stormy skies and seas.
There's plenty of variety, but nothing is too taxing and the beginner will feel at home quickly, producing worthwhile results that can only encourage further work.
-- Henry Malt * Art Book Review *
