From time to time I enjoy sharing some of my favorite drawing books. There are many great ones out there, chock full of winning techniques and inspiring advice. One of my favorites is not actually a drawing book, it’s Powerful Watercolor Landscapes by Catherine Gill.
Why a watercolor book? Because Cathe’s explanations of powerful and successful painting techniques are spot on for drawing too. She covers essential topics that will lift any type of art work up to the next level. I find her descriptions of composition guidelines especially easy to understand. And being a watercolor fan, I drool over her luscious watercolor examples.
Whether drawing or painting, Cathe’s wonderful advice applies. Here’s just one tidbit from the opening pages:
“The first step in the path to more powerful painting is to re-write your mental job description. Burn this into your brain:
My job as a landscape painter is to thoughtfully capture the response I feel to the landscape, not to accurately paint the things I see in that landscape.
Many people can paint perfect looking trees. Only you can paint how being among those trees make you feel . . . As you get better and better at capturing your special relationship with each landscape you paint, you will see the power of your paintings grow and grow.”
Beyond successful rendering, I couldn’t agree more that drawing with expression is the ultimate goal in art. I’ll explore more of Cathe’s ideas in upcoming blog posts. Stay tuned!
Love to Draw 