(4.5*) I thought I had given up buying watercolor books but this inspired me enough to purchase again. Probably not a beginners book -- but good for somebody that already has the basics nailed and is looking for inspiration to move to the next level or perhaps looking to develop a looser style (although Mel's work is hardly loose for the most part, it is refreshing clean and relatively simple yet effective). The images rather than the text was my mean reason for buying (although I like the concepts presented) -- I am beyond the beginner books now, so it is important for me that the images are inspiring.
The images presented cover a nice range, including tropical and local scenes, water scenes, figure drawing and portraits.
Highlights:
- I love the pictures, Mel's style, subject and composition appeal greatly to me. Personal taste I guess.
- love the philosophy: simple, fast, focused -- that is what watercolor is all about to me and what I strive for.
-- Mel provides some useful insights that help get the right mindset for this approach
Low points:
None really. If pushed:
- Mel's attractive and distinctive figure drawing style could easily be mistaken for that of Charles Reid, very similar -- but it is a great style that I want to see more of, so I can't complain.
-- the fairly sparse text is less inspiring that the images. The images are great though, so they are tough act to follow --
and this is an art book!
It very attractive and inspiring watercolor book. Recommended!