Learn the Secrets of a Master Painter
Charles Reid, opens his own sketchbooks to share a lifetime of artistic discovery. The paintings in this book have been selected from the actual sketchbooks Charles has kept for the past 25 years'Italy's flower markets...lone sailboats and lively beach scenes...quiet lakes and humble homesteads...courtyards, cafes and architecture from around the world. These breathtaking illustrations are accompanied by concise commentary and advice that explains the thinking behind his work.

The Big Lessons
Chapters are devoted to favorite subjects, including people, travels, landscapes and seascapes. Along the way, you'll explore color, value, design, negative painting, 'the magic triangle,' and other secrets to painting success. You'll appreciate Charles' down-to-earth, no-nonsense style. ("The need for a center of interest in paintings has always eluded me. People, animals and flowers will automatically be a center of interest without your help.")

Charles has learned many lessons in his years of painting, and passes these onto you in this book. He focuses on those that really stuck with him, those that clicked and suddenly shed light on his subject and his art. For example:
* Keep your shadows simple; never paint a second shadow within the main shadow. Details in shadow should never be more than one-half value darker or lighter than the main shadow.
* Stop sketching with tentative, short pencil strokes. Long, descriptive lines concentrating on shape are much more economical and better guides for your painting.
* Mix color directly on the paper, using paint directly from your main supply rather than the homogenized paint in your mixing area. Don't over-mix; you should always be able to see bits of all the colors you're using.
* Always design the page with a complete thought. Don't worry about composition, but always lead the viewer's eye through the painting.

Includes 5 Detailed Step-by Step Demonstrations
Many of these lessons are shown in action in a series of step-by-step demonstrations which range from landscapes and waterscapes to architexture, flowers and people.

Improve Your Paintings!
Charles' lessons will help you capture the special spirit and mood of your subjects. You will learn how to preserve your most immediate and heartfelt reactions to people and places, hone your drawing and picture-making skills, improve your studio paintings by reducing a scene to its very essence, and last, but not least you will learn to see more closely, see better, and paint looser!