Wildlife Painting Basics: Waterfowl & Wading Birds
Michigan-based painter Rod Lawrence has offered everything an artist needs to learn to paint water birds. This book explains how to compose thumbnail sketches, use reference photos, master anatomical details, capture action in feeding and flying, and place birds in typical environments. Short instructional demonstrations specify surface, paint, and brush materials, and guide the artist step by step through explicit aspects of waterfowl depiction, such as painting a folded wing on a female mallard in watercolor. Although Lawrence stresses the importance of working directly from nature, every page is packed with enough technical material to keep the artist challenged whether indoors or out. The book is geared for painters of all stages and media who want to bring waterfowl to life. Lawrence's graceful compositions and practical advice, such as "If you don't get discouraged and challenged by your art, then maybe you are not stretching yourself to do more," will inspire any artist.--Mary Ribesky