Henry Dixon - Paint Amazing Watercolors from Photographs

Paint Amazing Watercolors From Photographs

YELLOW TANK TOP
watercolor on 300-lb. (640gsm) cold-pressed paper
19" 16" (48cm 41cm)

paint

AMAZING WATERCOLORS

from photographs

HENRY W. DIXON

NORTH LIGHT BOOKS
CINCINNATI, OHIO
www.artistsnetwork.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Henry W. Dixon attended Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he studied Graphic Design under renowned designer Jon M. Henderson. While working on an assembly line for the Bendix Corporation, Dixon decided that was not going to be his lifes career. He decided to return to college. With a wife and two sons, he managed to acquire his B.A. and M.A. degrees.

After completing college, he used his creative skills and talents at Hallmark Cards in their design department, but his love was always painting with watercolor. Dixon is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society, Texas Watercolor Society, California Watercolor Association, Watercolor West, Kansas Watercolor Society and an associate member of the American Watercolor Society.

His work is in many private collections and corporate collections, such as Sprint, Hallmark Cards and Kaiser Permanente, to name a few. His work is also included in the permanent collections of the White House Museum and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, and has been featured in many magazines such as AmericanArtist, The Artists Magazine, International Artist Magazine and others, as well as books including Splash 5: Best of Watercolor and others.

Dixons painting philosophy is to listen to that small quiet voice that tells him the painting is done.

Paint Amazing Watercolors From Photographs. Copyright 2009 by Henry Dixon. Manufactured in China. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. Published by North Light Books, an imprint of F+W Media, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45236. (800) 289-0963.
First Edition.

Other fine North Light Books are available
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Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Dixon, Henry (Henry W.)
Paint amazing watercolors from photographs / Henry Dixon. -- 1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-60061-125-4 (hardcover : alk. paper)
eISBN: 978-1-44031-733-0
1. Watercolor painting--Technique. 2. Painting from
photographs--Technique. I. Title.
ND2422.D59 2009
751.422--dc22 2008044029

Edited by Jeffrey Blocksidge, Mary Burzlaff and Jennifer Lepore Brune
Designed by Wendy Dunning
Production coordinated by Matthew Wagner

Metric Conversion Chart

WHITE CHAIR
watercolor on 300-lb. (640gsm) cold-pressed paper
15" 21" (38cm 53cm)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to first and foremost thank God for giving me this talent and the opportunity to use and show my talent by way of this book.

Next I would like to take this opportunity to thank a number of family members and friends who encouraged me along the way, particularly my former college instructor, Mr. Jon Henderson, who was persistent about my finishing college and assisting me in most important ways to ensure my graduating. My wife, Rena, for putting up with my art life. My sons, Rodney, Reginald and Ryan, who were always an encouragement. My editors, Jeffrey Blocksidge, Mary Burzlaff and especially Jennifer Lepore, who gave me valuable advice and assistance. And to Jamie Marklewithout his help, this book would not have been possible. Jamie, I owe you big time! I could not end this acknowledgment without thanking Mrs. Shirley Fordham for her valued friendship and support while working on this book.

DEDICATION

I would like to dedicate this book to my friend and art partner, Leroy Allen, who passed away two years ago, and to my many friends who encouraged me throughout the making of this book. Thanks to all!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Find the right tools for the job and learn how to use them to createamazing watercolors.

Learn to paint skin color and hair, then follow along to paint peopleof all ages, indoors and outside.

Capture the drama of the landscape as you paint the city and thecountry, mountains and lakes.

Paint interesting compositions using everyday objects such as fruit,glass, lace, tables and chairs.

INTRODUCTION

As a boy growing up in Chicago, I developed an interest in drawing. So much so that I got into trouble in class because of it. I drew cowboys instead of doing my class work, which didnt include drawing.

It wasnt until I moved to Michigan and attended art school at Western Michigan University that I developed a serious interest in art and photography. It was in Art History when I observed the beautiful watercolor works of John Singer Sargent that I realized watercolor was the medium for me. But, much to my disappointment, watercolor and I didnt quite get along at first. When I tried watercolor in college, I felt that the medium was controlling me instead of me controlling it. So I abandoned watercolor and began painting in gouache, a choice that offered me more control.