DVD: North Light Charles Reid's Watercolor Secrets

Charles Reid, one of America's finest artists, starts with his favorite subject of all: the human figure. Sit in on his sessions with a live model, as he paints several artistic poses, both sitting and reclining. If you're intimidated by the prospect of figure painting, this DVD is just the thing to take the edge off and show you how achievable it can be. You'll learn easy tricks for taking visual measurements, creating a contour drawing, and achieving realistic skin tones, shadow colors and more. Next, the lesson moves outdoors as Charles paints a wheelbarrow against a lovely country backdrop and a more detailed painting of a quaint inn. As each scene develops, Charles shares the secrets to his loose, impressionistic style: Adjusting the temperature of colors Using negative shapes to carve out a subject Mingling colors on the paper Suggesting, rather than "spelling out" textures Laying down brush passages with confidence and determination Knowing when to stop to avoid overworking From the lovely slant of a shoulder to the lush look of foliage, it's an absolute joy (and a great education) to watch Charles capture the essence of his subjects. Perhaps the most enlightening lesson of all, you'll see that it's not always easy for Charles, either. But the challenge, he assures, is what keeps painting fresh and fun. DVD is 115 minutes long.

DVD: North Light Incredible Light & Texture in Watercolor

Watch as famous artist John Toogood layers wash after wash, gradually building rich texture and luminous light through two painting demonstrations: a gorgeous waterscape looking out on a crystal-clear bay, and a scene from the town of St. Georges in Bermuda, known for its narrow, provocative lanes and bright, sparkling sunlight. Along the way, James shares favorite tricks--like adding a little lemon yellow to give a white sunlit wall a bit of sparkle, using the slightest touches of body color to intensify the impression of light, and how lively darks can be the true key to making your light really shine. To further illustrate how these straightforward techniques can be used, James shares a selection of some of his favorite paintings and discusses how he charged them with texture and light. Learn How To: Portray a wealth of exciting natural and manmade textures Use underpainting to infuse sunlit areas with a warm yellow glow and tone down shadow areas Use masking to save lights Use descriptive brushwork Use drybrushing to impart lovely textures Recover too-dark passages or soften over-pronounced textures Paint the reflections and shadows of this crystal-clear bay Capture the sparkling sunlight and rich textures of this provocative street scene DVD is 60 minutes long.

DVD: North Light Chinese Watercolor Techniques: Painting Animals

The poetry of Chinese painting is in the act as much as it is in the finished piece. This DVD shows the poetry in motion as Lian Quan Zhen creates a range of animals in his distinct style. Follow a series of exciting demonstrations: fish, chick, rooster, cat, dog, tiger, monkey and, finally, a more elaborate, developed composition of rooster, hen and chicks. DVD is 79 minutes long.