Reviews
"I love this book. Mario Robinson is a contemporary master. With humility and virtuosity he adeptly guides us through every step of how to make a painting. He is giving a great gift by sharing his working practices and secrets. Robinson follows a long line of American masters who have used the watercolor medium to capture the nuances of the fleeting moment and the soul of the American spirit. In the end, with any great work of art, the medium disappears, leaving us profoundly changed by the encounter. This book is like that--we almost forget that we are looking at watercolors. But how we see and experience the world around us will be altered and filled with new possibilities. In the tradition of the great American classical watercolorists, Lessons in Realistic Watercolor offers an uncompromising approach to pushing the limits of the medium for contemporary artists of all levels." -- Bo Bartlett, "Robinson's unconventional technique involves monochrome underpainting, thin layers of color, and unpainted portions of the paper used as highlights, delivering very realistic representations of people, texture, light, and space. A distinctively quiet, moody style is evidenced throughout, with numerous offerings of the author's completed paintings. Examples by American watercolor masters such as John James Audubon, Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, and John Singer Sargent are also provided. The individuals featured in Robinson's portraits are evocatively specific and diverse, showing a wide range of walks of life and shades of skin tone. Readers can try their hand at watercolor by following the eight painting demonstrations presented in each section. Artists of intermediate skill level are best poised to benefit from these lessons." - Library Journal "I love this book. Mario Robinson is a contemporary master. With humility and virtuosity he adeptly guides us through every step of how to make a painting. He is giving a great gift by sharing his working practices and secrets. Robinson follows a long line of American masters who have used the watercolor medium to capture the nuances of the fleeting moment and the soul of the American spirit. In the end, with any great work of art, the medium disappears, leaving us profoundly changed by the encounter. This book is like that - we almost forget that we are looking at watercolors. But how we see and experience the world around us will be altered and filled with new possibilities. In the tradition of the great American classical watercolorists, Lessons in Realistic Watercolor offers an uncompromising approach to pushing the limits of the medium for contemporary artists of all levels." - Bo Bartlett
