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Splash 19: The Illusion of Light
Illuminating the Best in Watercolor Painting!
"If tonal value is the structure--the bones and muscle--of the painting, the illusion of light gives a painting its soul.... There would be no art, no life, without light."
-Rachel Wolf (p5)
Like moths to a flame, watercolor artists are forever fascinated, sometimes obsessed, and often frustrated by their quest to capture the elusive qualities of light. Splash 19 showcases 125+ shining successes, fresh out of the studios of today's top artists.
These artists revel in the possibilities of light, reflection, refraction, and shadows. Their paintings celebrate the magic that happens when light dances across the landscape, bounces around a still life, or pierces a rainy city night. From the riot of reflections on water, to a cat basking in the sun, to the inner glow of innocence in a child's expression...light brings this work to life.
Alongside each painting, commentary from the artist offers firsthand insight into how they use light to create mood, tell a story, or evoke a sense of time and place. A brilliant representation of contemporary watercolor, this 19th volume continues the proud tradition that has made Splash the longest-running "best of watercolor" competition series.
• Paintings from more than 100 of today's leading contemporary artists, selected from thousands of entries
• Captions reveal inspirations and techniques, allowing readers to appreciate the work on a deeper level
• Themed chapters include cityscapes, animals, interiors, still life, portraits, landscapes, seascapes and more
"A gift of painting is this power to create the light we want to tell the story we choose." -Kathryn Keller Larkins (p 31)
"Light can change a rather ordinary subject into something extraordinary!" -Kathie George (p44)
"While painting, I became absorbed again by the emotional power of light streaming into a darkened room to create a beautiful tableau from a modest glass of flowers." -David Cox (p112)
"I find nothing more magical than wandering through forests of towering trees letting dappled streams of light filter their way toward me, challenging me to capture that moment in time." -Erica Qualey (p128)
"If tonal value is the structure--the bones and muscle--of the painting, the illusion of light gives a painting its soul.... There would be no art, no life, without light."
-Rachel Wolf (p5)
Like moths to a flame, watercolor artists are forever fascinated, sometimes obsessed, and often frustrated by their quest to capture the elusive qualities of light. Splash 19 showcases 125+ shining successes, fresh out of the studios of today's top artists.
These artists revel in the possibilities of light, reflection, refraction, and shadows. Their paintings celebrate the magic that happens when light dances across the landscape, bounces around a still life, or pierces a rainy city night. From the riot of reflections on water, to a cat basking in the sun, to the inner glow of innocence in a child's expression...light brings this work to life.
Alongside each painting, commentary from the artist offers firsthand insight into how they use light to create mood, tell a story, or evoke a sense of time and place. A brilliant representation of contemporary watercolor, this 19th volume continues the proud tradition that has made Splash the longest-running "best of watercolor" competition series.
• Paintings from more than 100 of today's leading contemporary artists, selected from thousands of entries
• Captions reveal inspirations and techniques, allowing readers to appreciate the work on a deeper level
• Themed chapters include cityscapes, animals, interiors, still life, portraits, landscapes, seascapes and more
"A gift of painting is this power to create the light we want to tell the story we choose." -Kathryn Keller Larkins (p 31)
"Light can change a rather ordinary subject into something extraordinary!" -Kathie George (p44)
"While painting, I became absorbed again by the emotional power of light streaming into a darkened room to create a beautiful tableau from a modest glass of flowers." -David Cox (p112)
"I find nothing more magical than wandering through forests of towering trees letting dappled streams of light filter their way toward me, challenging me to capture that moment in time." -Erica Qualey (p128)
144 pages, Hardcover
Published July 17, 2018
19 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 24, 2018
A Stunning Range of Styles and Approaches
The subtitle of this 19th edition of Splash is "Illusion of Light", and the works displayed in it have been selected to illustrate, one way or another, how the illusion of light "gives a painting its soul". The book includes paintings from more than 125 contemporary artists, selected from thousands of entries. Each painting is accompanied by a caption that briefly discusses the artist's inspirations and techniques.
While all of the work in this collection is worth being studied and admired, (the index in the back makes it clear that each of the works was declared best in show at different exhibitions all over the country), there is one section in particular that just floored me. About a third of the way in is Chapter 4, "Faces and Figures". This chapter is intended to be about the emotional effects of light as an aid to expressing something about a human subject. Fine, I got that. But what most impressed me was the incredible range of representations that were displayed by virtue of application of different paints and techniques. A few portraits are almost photorealistic, and the collection moves from there to impressionistic works, and everything in between. The array of different techniques on display is almost mind boggling.
And that's just Chapter 4. Another favorite was the chapter on "Vehicles and Devices", which lent itself nicely to the the book's lighting theme because so many of the surfaces represented were highly polished or reflective, which created great challenges and opportunities for playing with intense or shifting light and shadow.
Additional chapters were themed around cities and towns, (which included a number of nocturnes), fur and feathers, inside scenes, landscapes, and of course fruit of the shiniest varieties. There was something in each collection to inspire and delight. These watercolor artists have proven themselves true "painters of light" and this collection will impress and inspire any admirer of the form.
(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
The subtitle of this 19th edition of Splash is "Illusion of Light", and the works displayed in it have been selected to illustrate, one way or another, how the illusion of light "gives a painting its soul". The book includes paintings from more than 125 contemporary artists, selected from thousands of entries. Each painting is accompanied by a caption that briefly discusses the artist's inspirations and techniques.
While all of the work in this collection is worth being studied and admired, (the index in the back makes it clear that each of the works was declared best in show at different exhibitions all over the country), there is one section in particular that just floored me. About a third of the way in is Chapter 4, "Faces and Figures". This chapter is intended to be about the emotional effects of light as an aid to expressing something about a human subject. Fine, I got that. But what most impressed me was the incredible range of representations that were displayed by virtue of application of different paints and techniques. A few portraits are almost photorealistic, and the collection moves from there to impressionistic works, and everything in between. The array of different techniques on display is almost mind boggling.
And that's just Chapter 4. Another favorite was the chapter on "Vehicles and Devices", which lent itself nicely to the the book's lighting theme because so many of the surfaces represented were highly polished or reflective, which created great challenges and opportunities for playing with intense or shifting light and shadow.
Additional chapters were themed around cities and towns, (which included a number of nocturnes), fur and feathers, inside scenes, landscapes, and of course fruit of the shiniest varieties. There was something in each collection to inspire and delight. These watercolor artists have proven themselves true "painters of light" and this collection will impress and inspire any admirer of the form.
(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
May 27, 2019
A museum quality book that presents incredibly beautiful watercolors on high quality paper.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews