Robin Capon

In this ground-breaking art book, leading artist Mike Bernard reveals every aspect of working with collage, paint and other mixed-media approaches. Everything from the initial inspiration for a painting through to design, colour, surface qualities and finishing touches is covered. With detailed information and advice on collage techniques, the book demonstrates how you can develop original results by starting with paper collage and then working freely with paint and other materials. The book includes numerous illustrations covering every step of the working process, as well as a wide selection of subject matter, location sketches, watercolour studies and striking finished paintings. Mike Bernard's work is known for exciting textures, strong colour and the effects of light; all combined into original semi-abstract images of landscapes, still life and figure compositions. His techniques, particularly paper collage, are important ones for all artists looking to expand their repertoire.

David Curtis is a bestselling author and one of the most successful, celebrated artists working in the UK today. In his latest book he explores and demonstrates his approach to painting on location. He paints on site whenever possible, stating that working directly from the subject gives his work a sense of immediacy, dynamism, light and drama.

Jake Winkle's loose, fresh and spontaneous style of painting is very popular. His paintings are full of light and movement and a key feature of his technique is that he doesn't work in the traditional way of light to dark but by placing the darks first. In Light and Movement in Watercolour, his first book, he demonstrates how to paint watercolours in a loose, direct way by step-by-step demonstrations and practical projects. Watercolours are often spoiled by a desire to be entirely truthful to the subject matter, which can lead to a painting that is overworked and tight. Jake's loose approach avoids those problems. He looks at subject simplification and shows how to focus on shapes rather than objects and, by painting what you see and not what you know, demonstrates how to capture the essence of the scene with freshness and clarity. The main topics in this book are: Understanding Watercolour; Building Confidence; What to Paint; Shapes, Tones and Colours; Dark to Light and Freshness and Clarity. Jake considers each topic in detail and shows the reader how to create paintings that glow with life, interest and spontaneity.

The books in this bite-sized new series contain no complicated techniques or tricky materials, making them ideal for the busy, the time-pressured or the merely curious. First Steps in Drawing is a short, simple and to-the-point guide to learning the basic principles of drawing in a few short steps. Whether sketching people, places, buildings or just generally, in just 96 pages you will discover how to master the essential principles and create captivating and memorable work. Master sketching techniquesExpress yourself Develop new skillsRefine your work

David Curtis is one of the most successful and loved artists in the UK. His books are bestsellers and in his latest publication he talks about the secrets of producing paintings with impact. Although his work is not showy, they are powerful and are much-sought after. His secrets for painting with impact are the sensitive consideration of balance and contrast in tone, colour, handling qualities and compositional elements. Whether you’re working on location with a limited palette or in the studio with all the time and materials at your disposal, the author talks you through the ways to capture the essence of a subject matter and the mood or sense of the place, and always with a something that will grab the viewer. The key elements are covered: Selection – what to paint and if necessary how to simplify or dramatise those elements; Mood – creating a strong sense of mood through choice of medium, colour and painting technique; Colour – choosing the right colours to suit the intentions of the painting. The book discusses a range of inspiring locations, from marine subjects, beaches and harbours to city scenes, trees and the light of the Mediterranean.