5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding

S.S. · April 26, 2011

I am an accomplished painter, using mainly oil and watercolor, and have been trying to find a way to free and loosen my tehcnique and approach, and get away from being too close to reality. This book is exactly what I was looking for.Contracrary to the 2 negative reviews, the book gives extremely helpful, clear, concise, and complete advice on ALL important aspects that would contribute to achieving successful results. Throughout my life as a painter, I have bought many art books (some of them on how to loosen your style and hand), but I find this one to be the most helpful and inspirational. I was negatively surprised by the comments of the reviewer who gave 1 star to the book when she said that all the points and advices covered in the book could be found in other books, as if the author was to invent a new magical formula, pill, or potion in art that could help artists instantly imporve their work!!!!The book also includes an impressive amount of outstanding work by other artists, ranging from almost abstract to almost realistic work. This greatly helps the reader to get a wide spectrum of possible approaches to compare and choose from. I only refgret that the book did not give a brief bio on each of them.Though the book focuses on watercolor and acrylic, the same principles, rules, and approaches it provides could be applied to all other media.Finally, the quality of the reproduction of all paintings is outstanding, making it a great pleasure to admire all the works reproduced.If you are trying to change and loosen your style, this is THE book to buy and read!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!

C. · March 7, 2013

I was skeptical when I ordered this book. Yes, I would really like to "loosen" up my painting style (I DO like realism, but sometimes it is burdensome) but have a love/hate relationship with abstract painting. It seems to me that "abstractism" is often a place for "artists" to hide who can't draw worth beans. And I feel very strongly that drawing is key to good art - in whatever form it takes. Luckily, Mr. van Aalst seems to be of the same mind.This book is a simple guide to moving from realism to abstract - leaving people like me with a clear idea of how you can incorporate the two successfully. Being able to draw is a foundation for this author's roadmap to abstract - thank goodness. I like the exercises he takes you through and the examples given.There are beautiful examples by other abstract realists to help the reader envision what the author is saying...I really like that the author didn't use only his work as example.I would recommend this book to anyone wishing to transition their artistic practice to another level.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good instrucions

v.w. · December 16, 2019

Beautiful book with great instructions and exampels...worth the money

5.0 out of 5 stars A valuable addition to a painter's library

C.R.M. · September 17, 2013

I have some fifty watercolor books, but I am always looking for ideas and techniques that will impove my painting. I had never heard to Kees van Aalst, but I was attracted to the concept of realistic abstracts. This is a direction in which I would like to take my work. I was not disappointed when I received the book. As it says in the Introduction, "it deals with the ...colorful area between the figuratve and the abstract."The subtopics begin with the basic principles of design and painting and go on to the combining of reality and illusion and learning to "lie." The idea is to come up with a good painting rather than depicting what is seen precisely. It's all about interpretation.With any kind of painting, but especially with watercolor, the painter must confront the need to eliminate and simplify the subject matter, and van Aalst shows how to do this by first establishing a basic abstract composition and then adding some "suggestions of reality." Many of the beautiful paintings in the book llustrate just how the artist does this. The accompanying text is clear and instructive, without laying out specific guidelines. Rather, van Aalst shares his own thought processes and gives the reader/painter the sense that he or she will be able to work more loosely, too.I often find myself referring to this book before beginning a new painting.

5.0 out of 5 stars A good book with space for free artistically grow

B. · September 7, 2012

This is a great book - if you already know a little about painting. To have a real grasp on what you'll find here, you should know the "how-to-hold's" and "what-to-do's" of painting already.But anyway, this is a book for learning the basics for abstract painting, their general concepts and more or less the way to aggregate these ideas on your own art work.I really recommend it for the begginers on abstract and not-so-begginers for painting. Just remembering that to do your own abstract, you'll have to simplify and digest reality on your own way. So, even if there were a utterly good book for teaching that, it wouldn't teach you how to do it at all. You will always have to learn it by yourself. And this book here leaves enough space for grow as it is necessary, and explains the basics as deep as it is needed.And the pictures are inspiring as good as the book is complete.

Libro acquarello astratto

C.A. · July 21, 2018

Molto bello , interessante tecnica da provare per gli amanti dell'acquarello !Soprattutto come con alcune macchie di colore si ha la suggestione di intravedere certe forme e paesaggi inventati

Einfach nur genial

F. · December 14, 2020

Für alle Aquarellisten die ein freies Arbeiten schätzen, ein wirklich tolles Buch das zumindest bei mir das Verständnis und den Horizont für die Aquarellmalerei enorm bereichert hat.

Etonnant!

S.S. · July 19, 2012

Je suis sans doute une béotienne en matière d'art contemporain (que globalement je ne comprends pas) mais les reproductions de ce livre (magnifiques, des couleurs vibrantes et lumineuses et non pas palichonnes) ainsi que les nombreux conseils sur la manière dont nous exerçons notre oeil m'ont fait découvrir des choses nouvelles et stimulantes. Bien qu'ayant un niveau plus que moyen en aquarelle j'ai eu envie de tester tout de suite certains exemples, notamment la peinture en négatif, ou d'autres modèles (soyons fous! Sur du yupo, tant qu'à y être!!) Et bien j'ai été agréablement surprise par le rêsultat, qui a un peu "décoincé" mon pinceau kolinsky qui a tellement peur de faire un faux pas! Je recommande cet achat.

Great addition to any artist library

D.F. · July 18, 2021

Excellent little book. Some great inspirational ideas. Well worth it.

水彩風景画の構図つくりにヒントをくれる

h. · August 13, 2024

水彩画で風景画に挑戦中の妻が、絵画教室の先生から貸してもらって気に入り、手元に置きたいというので購入しました。水彩で風景を描くときに、すべての細部まで写実的に描写せず、主部以外の背景などをいかに省略して表現するかのヒントがいろいろと見つかると言って重宝しています。