Loose and Lively Animals in Watercolour, Inks & Mixed Media

Description

Learn how to use watercolor, inks and mixed media to capture the exuberance and appeal of animals from across the world.

Animals are a perennial favorite amongst artists, but many struggle with capturing their form and character in a way that reflects the true spirit of the animal. Jo’s genuine passion for wildlife is reflected in her art, and her skill at painting animals in a loose, lively and dynamic style is one that many wish to emulate.  

Including a broad range of animals from around the world: red squirrels, to peacocks, lions and housecats; water voles and red squirrels, to Atlantic puffins – this book will appeal to both hobby artists and more advanced artists who wish to loosen up their style and take a more experimental approach to their watercolor painting. 

Jo uses an exciting range of art media and techniques in her work, and this will be explored in a structured way through the book, beginning with pure watercolor and progressing through various other media to show the effects that can be achieved, and when and how to use them.

Jo’s main medium is watercolor, but to this she adds ink plus other media, including

• water-soluble and permanent pens
• alcohol
• gold, silver and bronze leaf
• Daler-Rowney acrylic inks.

Her technique is very wet into wet, with lots of blooms, vivid colors, and striking contrasts and texture achieved by the addition of wax resist, salt, spatter and scratching out. 

Jo’s animal paintings are stunning, and this book will both inspire and instruct artists on how to recreate Jo’s style and her stunning animal paintings in a loose, fresh style.Leisure Painter – Feb 2024 issue 646

Artist and tutor, Jo Allsopp is passionate about painting wildlife. In her loose and contemporary style, she shows beginners how to tackle the often difficult job of capturing animals in paint using innovative and dynamic techniques. A section on exploring inspiration and motivation is followed by short, practical exercises to help you loosen up. Close-ups of Jo’s painting techniques, with a specific emphasis on drawing, will encourage you to have a go yourself. There are three pure watercolour projects and nine projects incorporating mixed media — each of them provides well illustrated step-by-step examples to help you develop your own style.

Midwest Book Review – January 2024

Synopsis: Animals are a perennial favorite amongst artists, but many struggle with capturing their form and character in a way that reflects the true spirit of the animal. Jo’s genuine passion for wildlife is reflected in her art, and her skill at painting animals in a loose, lively and dynamic style is one that many wish to emulate.
 
Including a broad range of animals from around the world: red squirrels, to peacocks, lions and housecats; water voles and red squirrels, to Atlantic puffins — “Loose and Lively Animals in Watercolour, Inks & Mixed Media” by Jo Allsoop will appeal to both hobby artists and more advanced artists who wish to loosen up their style and take a more experimental approach to their watercolor painting. Jo’s main medium is watercolor, but to this she adds ink plus other media, including: Alcohol; Water-soluble and permanent pens; Gold, silver and bronze leaf; Daler-Rowney acrylic inks.
 
Her technique is very wet into wet, with lots of blooms, vivid colors, and striking contrasts and texture achieved by the addition of wax resist, salt, spatter and scratching out. Jo’s animal paintings are stunning, and “Loose and Lively Animals in Watercolour, Inks & Mixed Media” will both inspire and instruct artists on how to recreate Jo’s style and her stunning animal paintings in a loose, fresh style.
 
Critique: Thoroughly ‘user friendly’ in style, organization and presentation, “Loose and Lively Animals in Watercolour, Inks & Mixed Media” is an ideal DIY ‘how-to’ instructional guide that will prove to be an immediately and enduringly valued addition to personal, professional, community, art school, and college/university library Watercolor and Mixed Media Plant/Animal art instruction collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for art students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that “Loose and Lively Animals in Watercolour, Inks & Mixed Media” is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.65).
 Jo Allsopp set up Sable Studio Gallery in the grounds of Moira Furnace Museum. From her gallery space she sells her watercolor paintings, mosaics, cards, jewelry and gift ware. Her spacious studio  enables her to teach regular painting and drawing classes plus weekend workshops in a variety of media. 

Jo is an experienced demonstrator and teacher and her worhsops are extremely popular.

Jo also regularly features in the Society of All Artist’s magazine Paint. In 2019 Jo was chosen to appear on the UK’s BBC One on the TV series Home Is Where The Art Is with presenter Nick Knowles.  Jo is also a black belt and world champion in Tae Kwon-Do.CN

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