With artist David Becker's "easy sketching" approach, you'll learn how to plan for successful paintings every time using thumbnail sketches, value sketches, color sketches, sideline sketches, composition adjustments and experiments. From sketching outdoors to sketching in your studio, from quick little pencil sketches to full-fledged watercolor sketches, there's no better way to:

• Work out elements, composition and techniques necessary for a successful finished painting
• Gain an understanding of color schemes and color theory
• Simplify details and shadows
• Incorporate figures into your paintings
• Play, experiment and master fun techniques that add personality to your art

Along the way, you'll find a wealth of helpful insight--materials for getting the job done right and simply, how to assemble your own traveling sketch box, compositional dos and don'ts, ideas for using a computer to enhance your sketching experience, exercises for working with a limited palette, and more. Step-by-step demos illustrate the sketching process from start to finish, showing how a "plan of attack" takes the pressure out of painting in watercolor.

These books are presented in PDF format and are viewable on both MACs and PCs with Adobe Acrobat, a free program.