Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter

Dinotopia creator James Gurney on the artists’ two most fundamental tools.

Make the viewer feel the atmosphere and mood of your work with exclusive advice on achieving accurate color and light effects like a master artist.

Bestselling author and illustrator, James Gurney is well known for painting what doesn’t exist. Now he’s sharing what it takes to achieve the masterpieces he is known for.

• With this must-have resource you’ll: Tackle real world painting problems—Gurney gives you the knowledge to realistic painting color theory
• Survey historic masters and examine with Gurney their use of Color and light.
• Study the various sources of light and master the techniques to achieve them including three quarter lighting, frontal lighting, edge lighting, Contre Jour, and more!
• Create the illusion of three-dimensional form with first person commentary on his own work and how he approaches each piece.
• Deepen your understanding of the basic properties of color and study your pigments and use that knowledge to manipulate and be the director of your paints.
• Know the boundaries of your gamut—learn James’s method ‘gamut mapping’ and correctly choose which colors to include and which to leave out of a given piece.
• Overcome challenges when painting textures like hair and foliage and atmosphere effects.

Go beyond memorizing recipes for color mixing of step by step painting procedures, with Color and Light you will bridge the gap between abstract theory and practical knowledge.

Bring color and light down to earth for you with all the must-knows to achieving James’s expert process made simple in this must-have guide.