Combine mediums for dynamic results!
In the spirit of artistic exploration and creative breakthroughs, Realism in Watermedia offers everything you need to expand your horizons, break down barriers, and put to work an expressive range of mediums in your artwork. (You wouldn't cook with just one ingredient, or plant a garden with just one flower. So why limit your paintings to just one medium') From sparkling color accents of pastel on top of a watercolor to gouache refinements on an acrylic painting, you'll see that mixed media techniques offer something for every artistic personality.

Pages are filled with creative techniques, brought to life via Christopher Leeper's favorite subjects, which are as diverse as the mediums used to capture them: Flowers and vegetables fresh from the farmer's market. Sunsets viewed across endless country expanses. Intimate scenes of nature, water, people, animals ' All painted in an appealing realistic style'the kind that draws you in with the detail that's there, and captivates you with what's not.

Try a Combo
From opaque to transparent and everything in between, watermedia techniques are as varied as the artists who use them. Each medium has its own special properties. If your subject or painting goals involve rich, dark values, you might consider using layered acrylics. If a delicate approach is necessary, then transparent watercolor on a hot-pressed sheet might be in order. By combining watermedia as well as dry media, the possibilities truly are beyond your wildest artistic dreams!

To get you started, this book comes complete with a variety of mixed-media techniques for adding resounding color notes'rescuing tired, lifeless paintings'or just injecting a refreshing shot of fun into your art life.

18 Ways to Get Real
In an easy-reference format, Christopher shares 18 of his favorite, tried-and-true techniques for achieving texture-filled realism, luminous color and dramatic light effects. With paintings illustrating every effect, you'll learn how to:
* Paint more freely with acrylics and create subtle value shifts by starting with the dark values first.
* Add zest to your painting with a variety of brush techniques.
* Render glass using layered acrylics.
* Paint watercolor directly with a large brush plump with intense color.
* Finger-blend acrylics to achieve softer edges of atmospheric color.
* Use a scumbling technique to lay down an underpainting, to put in soft-edged highlights, or to impart texture.

Mini-demonstrations throughout put an appealing sense of realism within your reach. Follow along to learn how a limited palette can help you tackle complex subjects, like reflections in a stream...a method of painting with watercolor washes that's conducive to working en plein air...and easy color-lifting tricks for rendering natural textures like rocks. Some of these demonstrations use one medium only, while others show how to effectively combine mediums.

For the 'grand finale,' the final chapter offers three complete demonstrations that use watercolor, acrylic and mixed media for stunning results. Paint a sun-drenched vegetable still life, a napping figure under an elaborate quilt, and a moody, fog-filled harbor scene. Multi-Media Artists have More Fun!
If you're ready and willing to explore new and provocative directions in your work, Realism in Watermedia is a thrilling find! It covers everything from choosing the best tools and materials to expert advice on painting from life and from photos--including quick, painless ways to use your computer to discover new painting possibilities. By combining realistic painting techniques with creative multi-media combinations, this book leads you on a unique, never-ending journey. Bon voyage!

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