The first edition of Seasons and Reflections: Notes on Painting in Watercolour is now sold out. But Andrew's book is available in other editions.
About:
Watercolour painting is endlessly fascinating and frustrating. After a life time of painting in the medium Andrew Pitt, artist and tutor, shares his experiences of what it is like to teach yourself to paint. The author strips away the needless complications and focuses only on what is necessary and sufficient.
Painting in watercolour is simple; that is not the same as easy. Without resorting to gadgets and one-off trick techniques Andrew explains clearly the importance of understanding drawing, tone, edges, colour and texture. For people new to painting the problem is what you think you need to know and what it is essential to know are different. This book concentrates on how to look and render your vision in a direct simple way; how to communicate visually with watercolour. It is not what you look at, it is what you see. The major emphasis is on simplicity. Using simple painting equipment, a simple range of colours and brushes, and using a simple, direct painting approach the text and illustrations demonstrate the power and sincerity of simplicity.
There are plenty of illustrations to inspire, covering a wide range of subjects. Andrew Pitt believes students should avoid techniques which restrict what they can paint. The emphasis is on painting clean, fresh watercolours which celebrate the subject and retain the unique characteristics of watercolour so many people find attractive.
This is not a conventional how-to painting book; there are already plenty of books which describe how to lay in a large wash, for example. However, the author thinks the best method of learning to paint is not to spend time doing boring practice exercises but get on with painting pictures. Accept many will be unsuccessful but all will be enjoyable. There is little to beat the satisfaction of painting the occasional winner.
What people have said about the book:
"I have been struck by your wonderful writing style. You manage to sound like someone engaged in an ordinary, everyday conversation with the reader. Information is conveyed in a manner that is completely natural, unpretentious, simple, direct and clear (just like you). This down-to-earth tone creates a sense of rapport. The reader almost feels as if he knows you, almost as if you were an old friend. This is a remarkable achievement and makes the book a genuine pleasure to read." - ES
"I’m halfway through the book and I can say it is without a doubt one of, if not the, best instructional watercolor book that I’ve ever read. And I’ve read quite a few. As much as I hated to do it I am using a highliter for all of the tidbits of wisdom (and there are numerous) that I want refer to: “go for the finish straight away”, “touch the paper with the brush only once”. “Loose comes about by being careful”. "When I did not succeed very often it was usually because I wasn’t bold enough in the beginning”. “overpainting darks because you didn’t get them dark enough with the first wash is the killer of freshness”. “taking more time in the earlier stages of a painting saves time later on”. “The doing is relatively quick; it’s the thinking that takes the time”. Absolute gems!" - R (Massachusetts)