Painting the Eastern Shore: A Guide to Chesapeake and Delaware Places and How to Capture Them in Watercolors - Hardcover

Iams, James Drake

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0801862329 ISBN 13: 9780801862328

Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999

Synopsis

Skipjacks and workboats, tidal rivers and coastal marshes, charming streetscapes, historic houses, and town parks with bandstands―picturesque subjects abound along the shores of Chesapeake Bay and have long made the region a favorite among amateur and professional artists. In Painting the Eastern Shore, accomplished artist and teacher James Drake Iams combines visits to some of the Chesapeake's most beautiful places with step-by-step lessons for learning the art of watercolor painting.

This attractive volume will serve as a welcome companion for the amateur watercolorist setting out to paint on location. After offering tips on what equipment to pack, Iams gives specific directions to various Delmarva sites, tells how to set up, and suggests what to look for in a subject. He then discusses a variety of essential techniques: sketching, composition, value, color, control of the medium, capturing depth and handling perspective, wetting the paper, and methods for painting key elements such as clouds, birds, boats, sand, and water.

As he introduces readers to the fundamentals of watercolor painting, Iams leads them on a rambling, thoroughly enjoyable tour of memorable places throughout Maryland and Virginia's Eastern Shore and Delaware. Painting the Eastern Shore is illustrated with 49 line drawings, halftones, and color pictures.

Locations and lessons:

·Kent Narrows, Maryland: Drawing

·St. Michaels, Maryland: Perspective

·Tilghman Island, Maryland: Skipjacks

·Oxford, Maryland: Value

·Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland: Waterfowl

·Deal Island, Maryland: Composition

·Crisfield and Smith Island, Maryland: Color

·Saxis, Virginia: Texture

·Wachapreague, Virginia: Marshes

·Chincoteague, Virginia: Wet paint on wet paper

·Trussum Pond, Delaware: Trees

·Lewes, Delaware: Reflections

·Cape Henlopen State Park, Delaware: Waves, dunes, and skies

·New Castle, Delaware: Architectural painting

About this title

Book Description

A charming guide for the amateur watercolorist setting out to paint on location in the Chesapeake region.

About the Author

James Drake Iams completed his first painting in the winter of 1944 for an art show in his elementary school. He won first prize for his effort but didn't paint another watercolor until his sophomore year in college. Upon graduation he accepted a position teaching art in a Baltimore County public school. Baltimore City, the Patapsco River, the harbor, and the Chesapeake Bay became his inspiration, and he hasn't stopped painting since. His willingness to share his knowledge and experience will enrich those artists seeking to capture the magic of the Chesapeake.

Edition details

• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0801862329
• ISBN 13: 9780801862328
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 128