Jean Haines' Atmospheric Watercolours: Painting with freedom, expression and style

by Jean Haines

Accomplished artist Jean Haines shares her passion for watercolours in this wonderfully practical book. Known for her exciting techniques and love of colour, Jean takes you on an inspirational painting journey on which you’ll encounter, amongst other things, magical watercolour flow, glorious washes, sunbursts, and a magnificent ‘hotting it up’ finale. With her simple exercises, clear advice and easy-to-follow projects, Jean pushes the boundaries and will alter the way you think about watercolours and painting for ever. With a selection of popular subjects, including animals, landscapes, buildings,flowers and people, there is something for everyone here, whatever their artistic ability.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2012

Reviews

[Tim Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is either great or terrible depending on what you are after. If you want great, loose, flowing artworks then certainly buy it for inspiration. If you want useful techniques and great explanations then get something else. Basically, pictures good, words bad.

This is a self help book pretending to be an art instruction book. At least 2/3 of this book is comments like "unleash your inner artist", "the only thing holding you back from being a great artist is faith in yourself", etc. The rest of it is about textures and techniques that she has 'discovered'. These are just using clingfilm and salt for texture and letting the water run and backrun sometimes. These are covered in every other book so I'm not sure how she 'discovered' these techniques. Imagine what she'll say if she 'discovers' the techniques of using candles, wax pastels, scraping, scratching, watercolour pencils or stamping!

This review got a bit ranty but I really need to be clear that the art is sensational and I think that the book is worth buying purely for the paintings. Just don't bother with actually reading it.

[Virtuella · Rating 2 out of 5]

The step-by-step exercises in this book are very helpful and I also liked the encouraging tone of her introduction. However, after a while, I found the author's voice rather grating. Haines constantly speaks of her own work with effusive praise, calling it stunning, brilliant, gorgeous, marvellous etc. She clearly has an extremely good opinion of herself and her skills. She tells an anecdote on how she felt obliged to leave an art class because the other participants kept coming to her for advice instead of to the teacher - she makes out to be all humbled and embarrassed by this, but if that were really the case, she would have refrained from publishing this story. She also sees herself as some kind of great guru: "I believe that everyone, BY FOLLOWING ME [my caps], can paint if they wish to." In the end I found this constant bragging so annoying that I didn't finish the book.

[اليازية خليفة · Rating 5 out of 5]

لماذا أعطيت هذا الكتاب ٥ نجوم؟
لأن الكاتبة/الرسامة استطاعت انتزاع رهبة التعامل والتلوين بالماء، ركزت دائمًا على النّظر إلى أي خطأ أو زلّة أثناء التلوين على أنها فرصة يمكن أن تُستثمر.
النص يخاطب القارئ/الرّسام شخصيًا ، كأنه كُتب لك.
تقسيم الكتاب واضح وبسيط، فبدأت الكاتبة بنبذة عن أسلوبها الفني وكيف نشأ، ثم تطرقت إلى أهمية معرفة الفُرش والألوان المتاحة، وخصائص الماء.
الجميل أن الكتاب يحتوي على تمارين بسيطة ولكنها مهمة جدًا، هناك ثلاث تمارين تحديدًا أعرف أنني أحتاج لأعود إليها بين فترة وأخرى — أصبح هذا الكتاب مرجعًا للتلوين المائي الحُر —
وخُتم بقائمة من المصطلحات التي تستخدمها الكاتبة في كتبها الفنّية ودروسها على الإنترنت.

لفتة: أحب استخدامها لأسماء الألوان، أشعر أنها تتحدث عن كائنات لها روحُها الخاصة.

[Kåre · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another water color book presented as a totorial while in reality it is a book showing the authorts pictures along with some so-called pieces of advise (be free, don´t inhibit yourself etc.).

There is a little usefull bit showing how to work from one point out, keeping much of the paper white.

Ok pictures.

[Antonella Vigliarolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book at a time I thought my watercolors were too rigid and I wanted loosen up my hand with it- you can find advice on internet about it , but what makes this book more useful is the presence of examples, exercises, and projects aimed to direct you that way . Plus, the author voice is encouraging and positive all through it, which helps to silence your inner critic.

[Joan Hodgson · Rating 5 out of 5]

see comments on World of Watercolour

[John Teske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just wonderful

very much enjoyed the exercises! Have gone back and repeated some

[Kate Pittman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great inspiration and positive words to motivate you to try new things and don't worry about failing. Beautiful paintings.

[Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This delightful book uses the wet-in-wet watercolor technique to create soft, delicate and still powerful watercolors, from landscapes to portraits. It looks deceptively easy, while it requires good color skills blended with a trained eye to see what is developing in the color.

There are two approaches--the "see what emerges" and the harder "just enough control to start" approach. I love both of them, because of the whole idea of letting go of control in art

The photographs are big and well done, the text helpful. While there are step-by-step lessons, you have to be willing to have loose and swimmy beginnings. Jean Haines also is careful to show how to gain more control, which is an advanced step.

A book well worth owning and working through. Even if you eventually don't stick with the technique, it is an interesting exploration of the wonders of transparent watercolors.

[Noeleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's an amazing book and I go back to it quite a bit for reference.
Jean Haines is an inspiration and has a unique way of making you rethink your style of painting!

[Cheryl Jurrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

So inspiring. I will try some of her techniques.