In this second book in a series covering elements of the landscape, renowned watercolourist, David Bellamy shows how to paint skies, light and atmosphere and how choices involving these three key elements can affect a painting. Starting with skies, David Bellamy covers basic techniques, composition, clouds, special effects like silver linings, sunsets and shafts of light, and much more, then there is a step by step dramatic sky demonstration. Next comes light, with plenty of advice including warm and cool light, using glazes, cast shadows, light from different directions, painting the sun and reflected light, followed by a step by step demonstration featuring strong light and shadow. The atmosphere section covers haze and mist, fog, mountains in cloud, smoke and steam, rain, storms and tranquil moods, and is followed by an atmospheric step by step painting of a waterfall. David Bellamy's extensive travels and much admired painting style ensure that there are plenty of beautiful, inspiring paintings of skies, light and atmosphere throughout the book.
David Bellamy was brought up and lives in Wales, so it is no wonder that he has always been fascinated by wild places. Highly regarded as a teacher of art, David has a tremendous following among leisure painters, many of whom have attended his extremely popular courses and workshops both in the UK and overseas. He gives demonstrations and talks, has produced five successful videos on watercolour painting and is a regular contributor to Leisure Painter magazine.
"This latest guide by celebrated British watercolorist Bellamy (David Bellamy's Complete Guide to Watercolour Painting) focuses on the most elusive elements of landscape painting. Each of the books three sections provides many examples of how light, sky, or atmosphere may be rendered in watercolors, and ends with a complete landscape step-by-step project. The book is aimed at both beginning and intermediate painters. Bellamy suggests that the effects learned here can help more experienced painters refresh an otherwise tired location. VERDICT Traditional landscape watercolorists will appreciate the tips and techniques presented here."
– Library Journal, USA, Sept 12
"Regular readers of Leisure Painter will know that David Bellamy really understands the needs of the amateur painter and can provide clear instruction on how to paint all aspects of watercolour. In his latest book on the medium, David turns his attention to capturing what he regards as the three main ingredients of a successful painting: skies, light and atmosphere, explaining how even the most mundane of subjects can be transformed by the right lighting and mood. The book opens with information on materials needed to get started. Quite quickly thought David moves on to look at skies, and demonstrates various techniques, such as lifting out and wet in wet to create the effects you need. For example, types of clouds, sky compositions, sunsets, shafts of sunlight are all described clearly before David embarks on a 12-stage step-by-step demonstrations showing how to create a sky full of drama. Light comes next and further techniques are introduced, such as laying glazes to increase light effects, using cast shadows, directional, reflected or intense light. This is followed by a step-by-step demonstration of a cottage in a landscape to explore painting sunlight and shadow. The final section looks at atmosphere and a good selection of David's watercolours highlight the techniques that can be used to suggest atmospheric effects, such as space and distance, mist, rain squalls and snowfall. The closing demonstration is of a waterfall in which David puts into practice many of the techniques he has described."
– The Leisure Painter, Summer 12