THIS is definitely not a book
on watercolour painting for beginners.
But if you have mastered the basics, then Mastering Light
And Shade In Watercolour will surely make a good reference.
Master watercolourist Ong Kim Seng does not waste time with
the nitty-gritty in his book. Instead he sweeps you off in a single stroke to a
visual adventure on his type of vibrant watercolour techniques.
The watercolour pieces that Ong painted from his overseas
trips are visual delights.
This 128-paged hardcover is a storehouse of painting tips
and styles that you will discover as the renowned Singaporean painter takes you
through the intricate aspects of the aqua medium.
In Chapter One, under Tools of Expression, Ong briefly skims
through the brushes, colour and paper - three key areas that most watercolour
instruction would cover in boring detail.
Not Ong. Here, he only tells you the essentials not as an
instruction but perhaps as a anecdote, sharing with you about the types of
brushes he uses, the paper he prefers and his palette of colours, stopping
short at the brand.
If you wondered why he didn't share with you his favourite
brands - as I have seen in many watercolour instruction manuals written by art
mentors of the west - perhaps this might enlighten you: "I prefer moist
tubes but I don't stick with one particular brand because I like experimenting
with colours from different paint companies.
Sometimes working with only one brand can create an
overdependence on that brand and if through circumstances some colours are no
longer available, this can be frustrating." Chapter Two takes the reader
on a journey of discovery of how Ong deals with his works in specialist topics
such as how light and shade (or shadow), tone, colour, contrast, shape, size,
line, texture, and perspectives, can add life and vibrancy to your painting.
The light conversational-style of instruction, peppered with
anecdotes of real-life situations Ong encountered during his painting trips,
makes this book a gem, as much as the colourful pieces he did.
Ong starts each section with an Action Plan segment - a
summary of possible options to take before you lay the first wash. These are
crucial signposts that will lead you through the thicket of techniques about to
be revealed in each of his work - be it composing for luminosity and contrast
or working with shadow shapes.
To ensure easy understanding of the nature of light and
luminosity, Ong indicates the direction of the streaming sunlight in each of
the painting in discussion.
He also teaches you how to approach your initial sketch of
the scene you are about to paint with a shadow plan - something I do not find
in most watercolour painting books that I have read.
Although the main theme is about mastering light and shade,
which are hallmarks of the artist's works, Ong shares more than just the
technicalities of watercolour painting with his readers.
He also talks about true-life experiences that are hard to
come by unless you paint outdoors often.
For instance, in one of the chapters, where the author
talked about his work entitled Village in Peliatan, Bali, he said: "I was
watched by a pack of dogs barking from a distance. I often carry a pack of
biscuits with me when I paint outdoors, and I gave them a few to pacify them.
They stopped their barking and I was able to paint." Such an anecdote
(lots of them in this book) is invaluable to artists embarking on plein-air
sessions.
Chapter 8: Critiquing Your Work is a revelation. Says the
artist: "Knowing how to judge your work is just as important as knowing
how to paint. It is best to critique your work by yourself and not seek the views
of others. The moment you seek advice means you are not sure where the fault
lies." And he goes on to teach how you can narrow down possibly
problematic areas and improve or even salvage your work. This chapter rounds up
the first theoretical half of the book before Ong embarks on the hands-on
section.
There are altogether 10 interesting demonstrations by the
artist, each showing how he approached the subjects he discussed in the earlier
chapters.
Each of these shows the different stages of work - from
sketch to final painting - and how each scene, under different climatic
condition, is painted, step-by-step.
Although there are many watercolour instruction books, this
one is unique not because it was written by a renowned artist who has won many
international awards but because it is by an Asian artist.
I say this because most watercolour instruction books are
authorised by artists in the West, who for most part of their lives, lived and
painted in a much different climate - unlike in the tropics where colours are
much more vibrant, livelier and brighter.
To paint the colours of the tropics in a medium as
challenging as transparent watercolour, one needs to master the light and
shades in scenaries that we are so familiar with.
This Ong has done remarkably
well.
Mastering Light and Shade in Watercolour will certainly make
a good companion and an indispensable guide to any watercolourist embarking on
his painting journey
.
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