Table Of Content

BOOK THE OF BIG WATERCOJ0R By Jose M. Parramon $ 24.95 THE BIG BOOK OF WATERCOLOR By M. Parramon Jose — A watercolor painting must be a la prima in the moment, fast, spontaneous. The secret is to understand the medium itself: its watery, translucent texture, its fluid rhythms, its vivid, gem-like colors which render such irresistible results. In this extraordinary exploration of the technique of watercolor painting, a world renowned artist, teacher, and author of 27 books shares a wealth of practical and creative knowledge with the beginning or more professional painter. From his survey — — of the masters old and new to the ac- tual application of the craft, Jose M. Parramon shows the reader not simply how to mix color, choose brushes, understand paper surfaces, select a palette, furnish the studio, but also how to compose, evaluate tone, execute perspective, trans- late lighting effects, and interpret a theme. Parramon's "active pictures" are carefully selected to complement the text and ex- pand the reader's understanding. He dem- onstrates the techniques of wet-on-wet painting, drybrush, sponge texturing, su- perimposition of translucent shapes and colors, use of the paper as white, and an examination of style. He experiments with — ranges of color warm, cold, and broken — as he enjoins you, the reader, to "do it," to really follow his procedures and practice the demonstrations so perfectly worked out in this book. The author includes step-by-step practice demonstrations that trace the painting process in watercolor for seven classical themes: rustic landscape, landscape with a house, cityscape, seascape, harbor scene, still life, animals, the human figure. Teaching, communicating with the reader/student is clearly a labor of love for Jose M. Parramon. His presence, patience, knowledge, and enthusiasm are felt throughout The Big Book of Watercolor Painting as he strives to "create in the reader the idea that the artist is beside him, painting with him, explaining in per- son how to do it." Wonderfully detailed, lavishly illustrated, The Big Book of Water- color Painting is a joy to look at, an unending source of information, and an inspiration to paint. 192 pages. 9 x 12 (23 x 30.5 cm). 382 color plates. Glossary. WATSON-GUPTILL PUBLICATIONS THE BOOK BIG OF WATERCOLOR PAINTING THE BOOK BIG WATERCOLOR OF PAINTING The history, the studio, the materials the techniques, the subjects, the theory and the practice of watercolor painting by JOSE M. PARRAMON WATSON GUPTILL PUBLICATIONS NEW YORK - / Copyright (£ 1985 by Jose M. Parramon Vilasalo Published 1985 in Spain by Parramon Kdiciones, S.A., Barcelona First published 1985 in the United States by Watson- (iiiplill Publications, a division of Billboard Publications, Inc., 1515 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10036. library of Congress Catalog Number 84-40386 ISBN 0-8230-0496-1 Printed in Spain by Cayfosa, Sta. Perpetua de Mogoda Barcelona (Kspaha). Register Book Number: 785 legal Deposit: B-32171-87 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any — means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, taping or information storage — and retrieval systems without written permission of the publishers. Manufactured in Spain 3 4 5 6 7 8 9/89 88 87 1 Contents Introduction, 9 History ofwatercolor painting, 1 The painter's studio, 49 The studio for painting in watercolor, 50 Lighting the professional studio, 51 Furniture and tools, 52 Running water, wall unit, armchair, 54 Materials and tools, 55 The easel, 56 Paper for watercolor painting, 58 Stretching the paper, 61 Watercolor colors, 62 Watercolor color chart, 64 Watercolors commonly used, 66 Tempera colors (gouache), 67 The palette box, 68 Jose M.a Parramon. Villardel Moisteners, masking fluid, fixatives, and more, 70 Saz (Cuenca). Private Col- Water, 71 lection. Brushes for watercolor painting, 72 Brushes: their use and care, 74 Other materials, 75 Drawing: the foundation ofwatercolor, 77 Cube, cylinder, sphere, 78 Fit, dimension, proportions, 80 Light and shade: tonal values, 82 Doing a quick sketch, 83 A special exercise, 84 The right perspective, 86 Aerial perspective, atmosphere, contrast, 91 Plato's rule, 92 Vitruvius' golden section, 93 Compositional schemes, 94 The third dimension, 95 Composition in practice, 96 Wash: warm-up for watercolor, 97 Characteristics and similarities, 98 First practical exercises, 99 Techniques ofwatercolor, 103 Painting with two colors, 108 Examples in wash, 112 Theory and practice in color, 113 Primary, secondary and tertiary colors, 114 Complementary colors, 115 The color offorms; the color ofshadows, 116 Colorists and value painters, 117 Harmony, 118 To Maria, my wife