We've ranked the best watercolor books using expert recommendations, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. At Shortform, we know books. Our book guides are the best in the world. Learn why.
Cover unavailable
1
Everyday Watercolor: Learn to Paint Watercolor in 30 Days
Jenna Rainey
5.0
A contemporary paint-every-day watercolor guide that explores foundational strokes and patterns and then builds new skills upon the foundations over the course of 30 days to create finished pieces.
This beautifully illustrated and inspiring guided watercolor-a-day book is perfect for beginning watercolor artists, artists who want to improve their watercolor skills, and visual creatives. From strokes to shapes, this book covers the basics and helps painters gain confidence in themselves along with inspiration to develop their own style over the course of 30 days. Featuring colorful contemporary art from Mon Voir design agency founder and Instagram trendsetter Jenna Rainey, this book's fresh perspective paints watercolor in a whole new light.
…
Cover unavailable
2
Watercolor With Me in the Forest
Dana Fox
4.7
Unleash Your Creativity with 50 No-Sketch Watercolor Projects
From a classic dogwood rose, to a sly fox, to feathers that take on a dreamy quality, you can create polished artwork in just a few easy steps—no sketching required. Dana Fox, creator of Wonder Forest, is known for her unique and whimsical sense of style, and her popular watercolor workshops have introduced thousands to the joys of painting.
In Watercolor With Me in the Forest, Dana provides light outlines of each project, and every page is printed on premium art paper, so you can focus on the watercolor techniques—wet-on-dry, wet-on-wet, painting fur and ink and wash. Even if you’ve never picked up a paintbrush before, Dana’s creative tricks will ensure that every piece of art is frame-worthy.
Whether you’re looking to try a new style, learn the basics or find a new way to de-stress, this step-by- step guide makes it easier than ever to create stunning art.
Check out Watercolor with Me in the Ocean for more great projects!
…
Cover unavailable
3
Creative Watercolor: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners--Create with Paints, Inks, Markers, Glitter, and More!
Ana Victoria Calderon
4.5
Creative Watercolor offers beginners a fun, modern, and practical approach to a timeless medium with instructions on how to paint simple motifs, create elegant lettering, and embellish projects beautifully.
Popular watercolor artist and workshop instructor Ana Victoria Calderon shares her step-by-step techniques for painting modern designs in this classic medium. All the fundamentals needed to get started in watercolor are here, allowing you to quickly learn how to create beautiful watercolor paintings. Through a series of easy tutorials and projects, you will:
Discover basic materials and tools, plus options for embellishing your paintings
Master essential techniques, starting with easy warm-up activities. Then, learn to layer, and get into the flow with watercolor Get an introduction to scanning and digital editing for making multiples Paint a variety of simple, beautiful designs: flowers and leaves, butterflies and critters, fruits and vegetables, and delightful lettering
Use what you've learned to create unique, stylish stationery, including beautiful invitations, place cards, menus, monograms, recipe gift cards, thank you notes—any project you can imagine, for any kind of event you can think of! There's never been a better time to dive into the world of watercolor, so why wait? Grab a brush and get painting!
Perfect for all skill levels, the books in the Art for Modern Makers series take a fun, practical approach to learning about and working with paints and other art mediums to create beautiful DIY projects and crafts.
…
Cover unavailable
4
Watercolor with Me in the Ocean
Dana Fox
4.5
5O No-Sketch Projects That Bring the Ocean to Life
Dana Fox, author of Watercolor with Me: In the Forest and founder of Wonder Forest, provides fifty new marine-themed projects in this beginner-friendly watercolor guide. Known for her whimsical art style and straightforward instruction, Dana leads you through three major watercolor techniques: wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, and ink-and-wash. Best of all, there’s no sketching required, so you can focus on each painting method.
Bring adorable sea creatures like octopuses and otters to life on high-quality art paper. Start simple with shading in a monochromatic orca, experiment with adding depth to color with a bright bobbing seahorse and practice stylizing your subject in a charming lighthouse scene. With inspired art and step-by-step instruction, it’s easy to pick up a paintbrush, break out your palette, and create something beautiful.
Check out Watercolor with Me in the Forest for more great projects!
…
Cover unavailable
5
The Complete Watercolorist's Essential Notebook: A Treasury of Watercolor Secrets Discovered Through Decades of Painting and Expe Rimentation
Gordon MacKenzie
4.5
This special 10th-anniversary collection combines two of the best-loved North Light watercolor guides available: The Watercolorist's Essential Notebook and The Watercolorist's Essential Notebook: Landscapes. Clarifying and simplifying the various aspects of painting with watercolor, Gordon MacKenzie's The Complete Watercolorist's Essential Notebook will encourage and challenge you with new possibilities.
Rather than a list of rules, this is a collection of principles, concepts and general information designed to expand your creative process. Mackenzie shares with you tips, techniques, ideas and lessons for a sure path to creative fulfillment and better watercolor paintings.
…
Cover unavailable
6
Billy Showell's Botanical Painting in Watercolour
Billy Showell
4.4
Billy Showell’s highly accomplished paintings give a contemporary twist to the traditional art of botanical painting, and have received worldwide acclaim. In this her fourth book she reveals in depth the techniques she uses to produce her stunning works of art. Every aspect of botanical painting is covered, including the materials and tools you need, preserving your specimens, drawing, painting, color mixing and composition. Richly illustrated throughout with step-by-step demonstrations and examples of Billy’s work, this book is a visual feast as well as an invaluable source of expert guidance and inspiration. With a diverse range of subjects that include flowers, foliage, fruit and vegetables, Billy provides an insight into her painting techniques that artists of all abilities will find both informative and inspirational.
…
Cover unavailable
7
15-Minute Watercolor Masterpieces: Create Frame-Worthy Art in Just a Few Simple Steps
Anna Koliadych
4.4
Cover unavailable
8
How to Make a Watercolor Paint Itself: Experimental Techniques for Achieving Realistic Effects
Nita Engle
4.4
Award-winning artist Nita Engle's breakthrough approach to watercolor shows readers how to combine spontaneity and control to produce glowing, realistic paintings. Her method begins with action-filled exercises that demonstrate how to play with paint, following no rules. Subsequent step-by-step projects add planning to the mix, demonstrating how to turn loose washes into light-filled watercolors with textural effects achieved by spraying, sprinkling, pouring, squirting, or stamping paint. Engle's approach, and her results, are dramatic and dynamic; now watercolor artists can create their own exciting paintings with help from How to Make a Watercolor Paint Itself.
…
Cover unavailable
9
Jean Haines' Paint Yourself Calm: Colourful, Creative Mindfulness Through Watercolour
Jean Haines
4.3
Meditative, peaceful and calming, watercolour painting offers a sense of control and self-worth to everyone, with no judgement or goal beyond the joy of painting itself. This book shows you how to calm and enhance your outlook through the movement of brush on paper.
Master artist Jean Haines leads you on a journey through paint, showing you how to wipe away your worries with the soothing, gentle strokes of watercolour paint.
…
Cover unavailable
10
Creating Textures in Pen & Ink with Watercolor
Claudia Nice
4.3
Claudia Nice shows you how to turn ink and watercolors into the coarse-barked trunk of an oak, or the burnished smoothness of brass, or the verdant velvet of moss or any of many other things. She shows you how to use dots, fine lines, brushstrokes, black and white, color--a mixture of mediums and techniques--to suggest: glass, cast iron, adobe and brick, sunrise and sunset, driftwood, leaf textures, basketry, surf and ocean, waves, enamelware, rainbows, wood grain, distant trees, eggs and onions, animal hair, and dozens of other textures! You'll learn how to use materials, from technical pens to paint brushes, colored inks to liquid acrylics. You'll discover ways to blot, spatter, stamp and otherwise alter and combine ink and watercolor for exciting texturing effects.
…
Cover unavailable
11
Painting in Watercolor: The Indispensable Guide
David Webb
4.3
Watercolor is an exquisite medium but an unforgiving one, and there is nothing that will dampen enthusiasm more quickly than the lack of a good result. The essential techniques and detailed explanations and demonstrations in this beautifully produced book will educate and encourage beginner to experienced artists so that they too can obtain results and have fun in the process.
Readers will also discover the widest range of possible watercolor effects thanks to a team of 20 internationally recognized guest artists who reveal some of their painting secrets in a series of 'life lessons'. David Webb's instruction, 'Help!' panels that focus on what can go wrong, and advice on how to avoid typical mistakes will put new watercolor artists on the road to progress quickly.
Some of the topics covered include:
Different paper surfaces and weights with examples of watercolors Brush shapes and sizes Step-by-step photo guide of paper stretching process Basic brushwork (wet-on-dry, wet-in-wet, graded wash, etc.) Building up a painting in washes, layer by layer Hard and soft edges Mixing color on the paper Selective seeing, editing what you see Choosing a viewpoint; landscape, portrait and square Creating a path through the picture Perspective, color and tone Creating atmosphere and mood Presenting your work professionally Photographing your artwork Exhibiting. Throughout the book are the author's personal tips and fixes gained over decades of painting experience. Problems are tackled with proven solutions and there is advice on how to avoid those problems in the first place. This book is an essential reference for watercolor artists, novice, experienced and aspiring alike.
…
Cover unavailable
12
Urban Watercolor Sketching: A Guide to Drawing, Painting, and Storytelling in Color
Felix Scheinberger
4.3
A guide that shows painters, drawers, doodlers, and urban sketchers how to bring their drawings to life with colorful, bold, yet accessible painting methods.
COLOR YOUR LIFE
Bring new energy to your sketches of urban scenes with this fresh and simple approach to watercolor painting. Whether you’re an amateur artist, drawer, doodler, or sketcher, watercolor is a versatile sketching medium that’s perfect for people on the go—much like pen or pencil. Accomplished designer and illustrator Felix Scheinberger offers a solid foundation in color theory and countless lessons on all aspects of watercolor sketching, including:
Fundamentals like wet-on-wet, glazes, and washes Materials and supplies to bring on your travels Little-known tips and tricks, like painting when water isn’t handy and seeking out inspiration
Vibrant watercolor paintings grace each page, and light-hearted anecdotes (why do fish make great subjects to paint, you may be wondering...) make this a lively guide to the medium. With an open mind and sketchbook, you will be ready to capture the moments around you in luminous color with confidence, creativity, and ease—no matter what your skill level may be.
…
Cover unavailable
13
Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter
James Gurney
4.3
From New York Times best-selling author of the Dinotopia series, James Gurney, comes a carefully crafted and researched study on color and light in paintings. This art instruction book will accompany the acclaimed Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist.
James Gurney, New York Times best-selling author and artist of the Dinotopia series, follows Imaginative Realism with his second art-instruction book, Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter. A researched study on two of art's most fundamental themes, Color and Light bridges the gap between abstract theory and practical knowledge. Beginning with a survey of underappreciated masters who perfected the use of color and light, the book examines how light reveals form, the properties of color and pigments, and the wide variety of atmospheric effects. Gurney cuts though the confusing and contradictory dogma about color, testing it in the light of science and observation. A glossary, pigment index, and bibliography complete what will ultimately become an indispensable tool for any artist.
This book is the second in a series based on his blog, gurneyjourney.com. His first in the series, Imaginative Realism, was widely acclaimed in the fantastical art world, and was ranked the #1 Bestseller on the Amazon list for art instruction.
"James Gurney's new book, Color and Light, cleverly bridges the gap between artistic observation and scientific explanation. Not only does he eloquently describe all the effects of color and light an artist might encounter, but he thrills us with his striking paintings in the process." --Armand Cabrera, Artist
…
Cover unavailable
14
The Watercolorist's Essential Notebook
Gordon MacKenzie
4.3
Painting with watercolors gives you endless opportunities to create the world you want. You choose whether to let the sun blaze or the rain pour, to move a maple tree here or make the trail wind over there, to subdue a hillside with quiet greens or make a forest glow with dazzling golds and reds. It's not only a matter of what to paint, but how to go about painting it.
This book examines, one at a time, the three major elements of landscape painting: water, sky and land. You will be encouraged to try numerous ways of painting each one. Then you can choose the methods that best express how the outdoors speaks to you.
Let this reliable collection of tips, techniques, ideas and lessons be your companion on a sure path to creative fulfillment and better watercolor landscapes.
…
Cover unavailable
15
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Robert Frost, Susan Jeffers
4.3
Ever since it was published in 1978, the picture-book presentation of Robert Frost's poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" has been an enduring favorite. For this special edition with a new design, trim size, and three new spreads, Susan Jeffers has added more detail and subtle color to her sweeping backgrounds of frosty New England scenes. There are more animals to find among the trees, and the kindly figure with his "promises to keep" exudes warmth as he stops to appreciate the quiet delights of winter. The handsome new vellum jacket will attract new and old fans as it evokes a frost-covered windowpane. This celebration of a season makes an ideal holiday gift for a child, a teacher, or a host. Robert Frost (1874-1963) is one of America's most celebrated poets and a four-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize.
Susan Jeffers is the illustrator of such distinguished picture books as Three Jovial Huntsmen, a Caldecott Honor Book; Rachel Field's Hitty; and the ABBY Award-winning Brother Eagle, Sister Sky, which was also a New York Times best-seller.
…
Cover unavailable
16
A Field Guide to Color: Watercolor Explorations in Hues, Tints, Shades, and Everything in Between
Lisa Solomon
4.3
Play with paint, get creative with color, and discover your personal palette--a joyful, interactive workbook for creativity, self-expression, and deepening your understanding of how color works.
Color is one of the most profound ways we have to express ourselves. In this lively workbook for artists, graphic designers, hobbyists, and creators of all types, you will journal your way through fresh and enriching ways to develop a more personal connection to color in your art and life. Using watercolors, gouache, or any other water-based medium, dive into color theory and explore your personal style while playing with a balanced blend of experiments and color meditations. Discover a personal color wheel while exploring tints and shades. Experiment with color mixing while you make as many of one color as you can - and then name them all (honeydew green, avocado green, mint ice cream...). Through playful prompts and inspiring examples, and with lots of room for painting, this book will guide you to a new or expanded relationship with color and deepen your understanding of what color can do for you.
…
Cover unavailable
17
The Watercolor Flower Artist's Bible: An Essential Reference for the Practicing Artist (Artist's Bibles)
Claire Brown
4.3
This hardcover book with internal wire-o binding is 6.5in x 8in, a perfect size for readers to keep handy in the studio, and reference often. The stylish design of this book, along with the interior photographs, illustrations and diagrams, make the learning process simple and fun for beginning painters and provides useful tips for more advanced artists.This book is divided into three sections. In the first section, you will find practical advice on choosing the necessary tools and equiopment as well as hints on mixing colorsâ??one of the trickier skills to master until you have learned some of the basic properties of color. Next, the techniques used in watercolor painting are explained in detail, from the most basic like laying washes and reserving highlights to some of the more unusual and exciting methods like wax-resist or spattering paint. Tutorials and more than 100 step-by-step sequences demonstrate how to paint a wide range of subjects, including landscapes, buildings, people and still life. Over 180,000 copies sold worldwide.
…
Cover unavailable
18
Creating Textured Landscapes with Pen, Ink & Watercolor
Claudia Nice
4.2
Capture the Rich Textures of Nature, Step by Step
Capture nature's beauty as you never have before. Beloved artist and teacher Claudia Nice leads you on an inspired journey through the great outdoors. With paints in hand, she shares with you her best techniques for creating landscapes that come alive with richness, depth and textured detail.
Read this guide and start painting right away. As you follow engaging, step-by-step demonstrations and exercises, you'll learn to recreate the textural elements of a range of terrains and landscapes. Chapters include:
Creative clouds and skies Majestic mountains, hills and mesas Texturing trees, trunks and foliage Rugged rocks and gritty gravel Transparent textures for rivers, falls and lakes Flowers of the field In a special section, Claudia covers basic texturing techniques with mini demos using lines, dots, bruising, scribbling, spattering, blotting, printing, stamping and more. From paints and pens to sponges, leaves and facial tissue, you'll explore all kinds of fun and inventive ways to create amazing textures.
And to help you put it all together, Claudia includes her masterful advice for creating compositions using reference photos, field sketches and your own creative license. Each demonstration features a large image of the completed landscape, so you can see exactly how Claudia's methods work - from start to finish.
…
Cover unavailable
19
The Joy of Watercolor: 40 Happy Lessons for Painting the World Around You
Emma Block
4.2
Enjoy the meditative art of watercolor with simple supplies, forty colorful illustrated lessons, and easy step-by-step instructions! For a soothing boost of creativity and whimsy, try your hand at watercolor. With a few simple steps, anyone can discover their artistic side and achieve moments of peace and tranquility. Forty straightforward lessons promise fun and colorful results -- no pressure and no skill required. This simple painting medium produces colorful, modern paintings to adorn invitations, gifts, and walls. The forty lessons cover useful topics like: Painting on vacation Painting your pets Layering colors Mixing colors Painting flowers and plants
The supplies are simple: a basic palette of watercolors, a selection of brushes, and nice thick paper will do the job. Your bright, whimsical art is guaranteed to bring color to any gray day. It's never too late to pick up a new hobby -- start painting your own beautiful cards and artwork today!
…
Cover unavailable
20
A-Z of Flower Portraits: An Illustrated Guide to Painting 40 Beautiful Flowers in Watercolour
Billy Showell
4.2
Capturing slender stems and fragile flower blossoms, this step-by-step resource updates traditional botanical paintings, adding an elegant, modern flair to flower portraiture. Each of the four project chapters offer insightful case studies, close-up details, and explanations of various styling techniques and finishing methods that give more than 30 flower portraits an organic feel, emphasizing their botanical nature. Arranged in alphabetical order, this comprehensive all-in-one guidebook includes tips for buying the best materials for successful results as well as basic brushstroke and surface techniques—such as wet-into-wet, color blending, lifting out, layering glazes, and dry brushing—that build confidence and motivate aspiring artists.
…
Cover unavailable
21
The Joy of Botanical Drawing: A Step-By-Step Guide to Drawing and Painting Flowers, Leaves, Fruit, and More
Wendy Hollender
4.2
A gorgeous, easy-to-follow, and inspiring guide to stunningly realistic botanical drawing that covers everything you need to draw our natural world.
Achieve amazingly realistic and vibrant botanical illustrations, from flowers so dazzling you feel as if you might be able to smell them, to tomatoes that look as if they've just been picked from the garden. Wendy Hollender is known for her vivid, detailed, and inspiring illustrations and in The Joy of Botanical Drawing, she helps you take your art to the next level by sharing her perfected techniques through short lessons that start simple, then build on the basics with easy-to-use and clear step-by-step illustrations. Using colored pencils and watercolor pencils, Hollender shows you how to accomplish scientifically accurate botanical portraits of a spiraling pine cone, a spiky chestnut, a fuchsia-tined radish, a graceful morning glory, and many more.
From colorful leaves to delicate petals to textured bark and slender stems, The Joy of Botanical Drawing will give you the skills to complete lifelike drawings while also enjoying nature and the mindfulness of a regular drawing practice.
…
Cover unavailable
22
Painting Portraits and Figures in Watercolor
Mary Whyte
4.2
Using clear and concise language and in-depth, step-by-step demonstrations, author and renowned artist Mary Whyte guides beginning and intermediate watercolorists through the entire painting process, from selecting materials to fundamental techniques to working with models. Going beyond the practical application of techniques, Whyte helps new artists capture not just the model's physical likeness, but their unique personality and spirit. Richly illustrated, the book features Mary Whyte's vibrant empathetic watercolors and works by such masters of watercolor as Mary Cassatt, Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, and Georgia O'Keeffe.
…
Cover unavailable
23
Watercolour Fruit & Vegetable Portraits
Billy Showell
4.2
Billy showell's exquisitely executed watercolour portraits of fruit and vegetables give an unconventional, often amusing, twist to traditional botanical studies, taking them on to a new and exciting contemporary level.
Cover unavailable
24
Making Color Sing: Practical Lessons in Color and Design
Jeanne Dobie
4.2
Through clear, illuminating exercises, this best-selling book stimulates new ways to think about color, generating responses that unlock personal creativity and allow artists to express themselves with paint as never before. Readers are shown how the interplay of complementary hues can trigger vibrations; how the push and pull of warm and cool colors can create a feeling of space; how to disguise one color in a scene to accent another; and many more tidbits of colorful advice.
…
Cover unavailable
25
Daily Painting: Paint Small and Often To Become a More Creative, Productive, and Successful Artist
Carol Marine
4.2
A unique system for jump-starting artistic creativity, encouraging experimentation and growth, and increasing sales for artists of all levels, from novices to professionals.
Too many artists find themselves in a frustrating rut: unable to sell paintings hanging in galleries, bogged down by projects they can't finish "or "abandon, and using any excuse to avoid working in the studio. Author Carol Marine was herself suffering from painter's block--until she discovered "daily painting." The idea is simple: do art (usually small) often (how often is up to the individual) and, if you desire, post it and sell it online. Today Marine is among the best and most celebrated daily painters, and the curator of the popular online gallery dailypaintworks.com. In her debut, "Daily Painting," Marine reveals the tips and tricks that helped her and other daily painters pick up the paintbrush and start creating beautiful, bountiful, marketable work.
…
Cover unavailable
26
Dreamscapes: Creating Magical Angel, Faery & Mermaid Worlds in Watercolor
Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
4.2
Bring a Fantasy World of Enchanting Beings to Life!
Angels, faeries and mermaids have engaged the imaginations and enchanted the brushes of artists for centuries. Now you can evoke the spirit of these mythical creatures and create fantastic works of ethereal art in watercolor. Step by inspired step, Stephanie Pui-Mun Law shows you how to paint the otherworlds' most marvelous creatures and exquisite settings. Twenty step-by-step projects show you how to create fantastic scenes that are elegantly styled, brilliantly colored, and alive with a sense of wonder.
Fabulous Realms! Create strange and lovely backgrounds, such as the meandering oak branches of faery folk, the celestial surrounding of angels, and the seascapes where mermaids dwell.
Delightful Details! From angel wings to mermaid tails, from flowing robes to faery gowns, learn to paint an imaginative variety of features, clothing and other details that ensure one-of-a-kind results.
Mystical Effects! Discover special watercolor techniques for adding magic and mystery to your paintings.
You'll begin by learning about essential materials, including brushes, paints, paper, then will move on to important techniques such as planning and sketching; figure proportions; specific characteristics of angels, faeries and mermaids (including clothing); developing backgrounds; and finishing techniques that add an air of magic.
…
Cover unavailable
27
Dreamscapes Fantasy Worlds: Create Engaging Scenes and Landscapes in Watercolor
Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
4.2
Breathe Life Into Your Fantasy Worlds!
Heroes and heroines seek their fortunes in mysterious forests. Towering castles are built into the sides of mountains. Dragons and fairies soar through the sky and among the stars. And bestselling author Stephanie Pui-Mun Law is here to lead you, step-by-step, through the process of creating the forests, mountains, skies, stars and vistas in which these grand fantasy adventures occur.
- Follow along with tips, techniques and 20 step-by-step demonstrations to create the dark shadows of an enchanted forest, the twisting branches of an Elven home, the glowing light of a magic portal and more! - From basic watercolor techniques to beautiful finished pieces, learn how to pick the right paper and tools, how to paint many different watercolor effects and how to put it all together to bring your fantasy settings to life. - Get inspired by Stephanie's signature style and beautiful images. Imagine the stories behind each piece, then create your own!
…
Cover unavailable
28
Creating Textures in Watercolor: A Guide to Painting 83 Textures from Grass to Glass to Tree Bark to Fur
Cathy Johnson
4.2
Silken strands of hair. Water tumbling over rocks. Blinding reflections in glass or metal.
Cathy Johnson shows you how to create realistic textures like these and make your watercolor paintings come alive.
You'll find practical, easy-to-follow guidelines inside for creating 83 wonderful textures for fruits, vegetables, hair, glass, metal, fabric, flowers, fur, skin and much, much more.
Johnson's beautiful watercolor sketches - complete with helpful captions - demonstrate each of these techniques and their many variations. You'll learn how to accurately recreate any texture you see and create lovely watercolor paintings that almost seem to breathe.
Cathy Johnson's expertise will show you how to expand your own artistic vision and discover a world of textures - a world you can capture with your brush.
…
Cover unavailable
29
Watercolour for the Absolute Beginner
Matthew Palmer
4.2
This book is a comprehensive course in watercolour landscape painting by expert Society of All Artists tutor, Matthew Palmer. Matthew is renowned for his beautiful, detailed paintings and his ability to teach effective painting using simple techniques. He teaches over 150 pupils per week and also appears regularly on TV. The book begins with excellent advice for the beginner, including, easy drawing for painting, composition, easy perspective, light and shade, colour, and how to paint skies, tree, water and figures in watercolour. There are then six simple step by step painting exercises, and each exercise leads into a more developed step by step painting project, including a windmill, seascape, snow scene, mountains and lakes, bluebell stream and an all-rounder featuring a landscape with buildings and figures. The exercises are ideal for beginners and the main projects will also build skills for improving artists. A pull-out outline drawing is provided for every exercise and main project, and Matthew shows step by step how to transfer these onto watercolour paper. Like best-selling artist, Terry Harrison, Matthew has an accessible style, plenty of tips and tricks for beginners and his own range of brushes and colours to make things easier (though readers can use alternatives).
…
Cover unavailable
30
Grandfather's Journey
Allen Say
4.2
This tale of one man’s love for two countries and his constant desire to be in both places, as he goes between Japan and the United States over the course of his life.
Cover unavailable
31
Jean Haines' World of Watercolour
Jean Haines
4.1
Step into Jean Haines’ distinctive, exciting world of watercolour with this, the ultimate guide to her influences, style and work. Jean's loose, expressive paintings are filled with colour and personality, and embrace a range of subjects that includes flowers, animals, people and places, all influenced by the countries and cities she's lived in and the people she's met during her life. This beautiful book contains easy-to-follow and inspiring introductory sections such as ‘an artist’s treasure chest’ and ‘the colour gym’, offering practical guidance and in-depth exercises in an innovative and accessible way, and the numerous examples of Jean’s work will inspire and encourage novice as well as experienced artists. After this introductory section, the book shows the reader how to put the skills they've learned into practice with gorgeous step-by-step projects packed full of expert tips and advice, encouraging them to move forward and develop their own style of working. Like her painting, Jean's writing is filled with passion and enthusiasm, transporting the reader through a world of watercolour that will not fail to excite and inspire.
…
Cover unavailable
32
John Singer Sargent: Watercolors
Erica Hirshler
4.1
John Singer Sargent's approach to watercolor was unconventional. Going beyond turn-of-the-century standards for carefully delineated and composed landscapes filled with transparent washes, his confidently bold, dense strokes and loosely defined forms startled critics and fellow practitioners alike. One reviewer of an exhibition in London proclaimed him "an eagle in a dove-cote"; another called his work "swagger" watercolors. For Sargent, however, the watercolors were not so much about swagger as about a renewed and liberated approach to painting. In watercolor, his vision became more personal and his works more interconnected, as he considered the way one image--often of a friend or favorite place--enhanced another. Sargent held only two major watercolor exhibitions in the United States during his lifetime. The contents of the first, in 1909, were purchased in their entirety by the Brooklyn Museum of Art. The paintings exhibited in the other, in 1912, were scooped up by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. John Singer Sargent Watercolors reunites nearly 100 works from these collections for the first time, arranging them by themes and subjects: sunlight on stone, figures reclining on grass, patterns of light and shadow. Enhanced by biographical and technical essays, and lavishly illustrated with 175 color reproductions, this publication introduces readers to the full sweep of Sargent's accomplishments in this medium, in works that delight the eye as well as challenge our understanding of this prodigiously gifted artist.
The international art star of the Gilded Age, John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) was born in Italy to American parents, trained in Paris and worked on both sides of the Atlantic. Sargent is best known for his dramatic and stylish portraits, but he was equally active as a landscapist, muralist, and watercolor painter. His dynamic and boldly conceived watercolors, created during travels to Tuscan gardens, Alpine retreats, Venetian canals and Bedouin encampments, record unusual motifs that caught his incisive eye.
…
Cover unavailable
33
Just Add Watercolor: Inspiration and Painting Techniques from Contemporary Artists
Helen Birch
4.1
A beautifully illustrated, easy-to-navigate guide to creating contemporary watercolors, pairing full-page paintings with insights and tips for artists. Featuring 200 of the best works of young, modern watercolor painters, paired with bite-sized painting tips and art instruction, Just Add Watercolor gives aspiring artists access to information about--and examples of--top work in the medium. Artist and instructor Helen Birch breaks down each painting by techniques, subject matter, and tools, providing art enthusiasts and painters with a one-stop resource and gallery of the best that modern watercolor has to offer. Its small trim size with one painting per spread provides a bold, but user-friendly alternative to traditional, process-heavy painting instruction texts. Just Add Watercolor shines the spotlight on featured paintings, while still giving readers all the insights needed to get started painting in this popular medium.
…
Cover unavailable
34
Modern Watercolor Botanicals: A Creative Workshop in Watercolor, Gouache, & Ink
Sarah Simon
4.1
Cover unavailable
35
Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist
James Gurney
4.1
From the award-winning artist, learn to see and shape the world in a way you never before imagined.
An award-winning fantasy artist and the creator of Dinotopia, James Gurney instructs and inspires in Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist. Renowned for his uncanny ability to incorporate amazing detail and imagination into stunningly realistic fantasy settings, James Gurney teaches budding artists and fans of fantasy art step-by-step the techniques that won him worldwide critical acclaim. This groundbreaking work examines the practical methods for creating believable pictures of imaginary subjects, such as dinosaurs, ancient Romans, alien creatures, and distant worlds.
Beginning with a survey of imaginative paintings from the Renaissance to the golden Age of American illustration, the book then goes on to explain not just techniques like sketching and composition, but also the fundamentals of believable world building including archaeology, architecture, anatomy for creatures and aliens, and fantastic engineering. It concludes with details and valuable advice on careers in fantasy illustration, including video game and film concept art and toy design.
More than an instruction book, this is the ultimate reference for fans of science fiction and fantasy illustration.
"Gurney's Imaginative Realism is a gold mine for artists who want to create images that sing with authority and delight the viewer with rich otherworldly visuals." --Erik Tiemens, concept artist, Star Wars: Episodes II and III
"Imaginative Realism is an indispensable, flawless reference for vision makers in any discipline to create their own imaginative realms." --Frank M. Costantino, ASAI, SI, FSAI, JARA, cofounder, American Society of Architectural Illustrators
…
Cover unavailable
36
Watercolor Painting: A Comprehensive Approach to Mastering the Medium
Tom Hoffmann
4.1
The beauty of a watercolor painting lies in its diaphanous layers, delicate strokes, and luminous washes. However, the very features that define the beauty of the medium can make it difficult to master. This complete guide to understanding the relationships between color, value, wetness, and composition unravels the mysteries of watercolor to help your practice evolve.
Experienced teacher and acclaimed artist Tom Hoffmann offers a unique, inquiry-based approach that shows you how to translate any subject into the language of watercolor. With Hoffmann as your guide, you’ll learn the key questions to ask yourself at every turn and time-tested methods to help you reach solutions.
Hoffmann’s thorough explanations and step-by-step demonstrations delineate the process of composing a painting in watercolor, while art from more than thirty-five past and present masters, including John Singer Sargent, Ogden Pleissner, George Post, Emil Kosa, Jr., Mary Whyte, Trevor Chamberlain, Lars Lerin, Torgeir Schjølberg, Piet Lap, Leslie Frontz, and Alvaro Castagnet serve to illustrate and inspire. Whether you’re a serious beginner or a seasoned practitioner, this book will guide you toward the all-important balance between restraint and risk-taking that every watercolorist seeks.
…
Cover unavailable
37
Painting Weathered Buildings in Pen, Ink & Watercolor
Claudia Nice
4.1
Capture the beauty and charm of wonderful weathered buildings!
Paint may fade and iron may rust, but the character of buildings strengthens with age. Join Claudia Nice as she shows you how to portray the mellow hues, weathered wood, cracked windowpanes and other imperfections that make old buildings perfectly wonderful subjects to paint.
Using the exciting combination of pen, ink and watercolor, Claudia will help you discover the joy of painting barns, farmhouses, painted ladies, southern mansions and other beautiful, classic buildings. Like a treasured artist's journal, this book is filled with art, inspiration and handwritten notes, along with Claudia's friendly, step-by-step instruction.
…
Cover unavailable
38
Creativegirl: Mixed Media Techniques for an Artful Life
Danielle Donaldson
4.1
Find your artistic creativity with delicate doodles, big colors and lavish layers!
CreativeGIRL features art projects that teach you how to draw and paint your story using pencils, watercolor paints and simple mixed-media supplies. Danielle Donaldson shows you how to draw the pretty pictures from your imagination, infuse your art with delightful color combinations and work through creative frustration with simple fixes. You'll learn how to paint with watercolor, tell visual stories with and without words and add depth with layers using mixed-media techniques and little details--all while finding inspiration and gaining confidence in your own artistic style.
Draw, paint, layer and create!
- More than 30 techniques and projects including drawing, painting and adding layers for artists and aspiring artists of all levels. - Learn how do draw and paint figures such as creativeGIRL, busyGIRL and tutuGIRL. Then create your own girl to channel your story. - Find even more inspiration in a gallery filled with extraLOVE from the artist.
…
Cover unavailable
39
Powerful Watercolor Landscapes: Tools for Painting with Impact
Catherine Gill, Beth Means
4.1
Banish boring watercolors forever! This guide gives you the "power tools" you need to transform dull, flat landscapes into robust, colorful expressions of your artistic vision. Each chapter focuses on a specific strategy for tackling tough challenges, complete with inspiring examples, hands-on demonstrations and instructional diagrams to make these strategies easy and fun to learn. Following this guide's masterful visual instruction, you'll learn how to:
See beyond "what you see" to develop strong foundations in every composition Avoid repainting, overworking and frustration by focusing on a composition's unifying elements Become decisive with your values for heightened interest and impact Quickly and easily mix a huge range of clean, rich colors--including vibrant grays and greens--with no more mud! Put it all together following detailed step-by-step demonstrations of complete paintings from start to finish Whether you're new to watercolor painting or not, this guide will empower you to push shape and color into exciting new territory. Experience the satisfaction of painting with "power tools" and enjoy immediate results in your work.
…
Cover unavailable
40
How to Draw Inky Wonderlands: Create and Colour Your Own Magical Adventure
Johanna Basford
4.1
Unleash your inner artist and learn to draw with ‘queen of colouring’ Johanna Basford.
In this beautiful, accessible guide Johanna shares the fun, simple, no-skills-needed secrets to creating your own flora, fauna and fantasies inspired by her bestselling and beloved colouring books.
With step-by-step exercises, inspiring prompts and plenty of pages to colour, let your creativity run wild. How to Draw Inky Wonderlands invites you to develop your personal drawing style and master creating marvellous creatures and landscapes using only the pen or pencil in your hand and the wildest reaches of your imagination.
…
Cover unavailable
41
Big Preschool Workbook
School Zone, Joan Hoffman, et al.
4.1
Big Workbooks promote comprehensive learning from preschool through sixth grade. Each workbook includes activities organized by major skill areas. Contents are drawn from the I Know It and Get Ready series. 320 Full-Color Pages.
Cover unavailable
42
Texture Techniques for Winning Watercolors
Ray Hendershot
4.1
Transform your watercolor paintings from ordinary to extraordinary!
Discover a range of effective methods to liven up your watercolor paintings by using Ray Hendershot's texture techniques. Filling in the gaps where other books fall short, "Texture Techniques for Winning Watercolors" elaborates on the fine details that distinguish a good painting from an excellent painting. With Hendershot's guidance, you can heighten the emotional impact in your paintings by capturing a greater variety of moods through strategic texture techniques such as spattering and spritzing, scraping and blotting. For those especially interested in landscapes, there are great step-by-step demonstrations and hands-on exercises to build your repertoire.
"Texture Techniques for Winning Watercolors" is an essential addition to the library of any watercolorist and is an asset for advanced beginners.
Ray Hendershot is highly regarded for his detailed rural landscapes and antique still life paintings. However, the real subjects of his work are not the aging farm buildings, the rustic old mills or the antique crocks and jugs—the real subject is the surface itself. His images and written insights have been published in a number of books and magazines both in the United States and in England.
Hendershot has had numerous solo gallery shows and is represented by several galleries in Southeastern Pennsylvania. He is a decorated member of The American Watercolor Society, The National Watercolor Society, The Pennsylvania Watercolor Society, The Philadelphia Water Color Society, and The International Society of Acrylic Painters.
Currently, he and his wife maintain a studio in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania.
…
Cover unavailable
43
The Art of Urban Sketching: Drawing On Location Around The World
Gabriel Campanario
4.1
The Art of Urban Sketching is both a comprehensive guide and a showcase of location drawings by artists around the world who draw the cities where they live and travel. Authored by the founder of the nonprofit organization Urban Sketchers (www.urbansketchers.org), this beautiful, 320-page volume explains urban sketching within the context of a long historical tradition and how it is being practiced today. With profiles of leading practitioners and discussions of the benefits of working in this art form, this inspiring book shows how one can participate and experience this creative outlet through modern-day social networks and online activity. You'll find more than 600 beautiful, contemporary illustrations, as well as artists' profiles and extended captions where these urban sketchers share their stories, how they work, sketching tips, and the tools behind each drawing. With sketches and observations from more than 50 cities in more than 30 countries, The Art of Urban Sketching offers a visually arresting, storytelling take on urban life from different cultures and artistic styles, as well as insight into various drawing techniques and mediums.
…
Cover unavailable
44
An Illustrated Journey: Inspiration From the Private Art Journals of Traveling Artists, Illustrators and Designers
Danny Gregory
4.1
Travel + Sketching = Inspiration
When we travel, we don't want to follow the same itinerary as everyone who's come before us. We want to feel like explorers, adventurers in undiscovered territory. And that's exactly what sketching can bring to the travel experience.
An Illustrated Journey captures the world through the eyes of 40 talented artists, illustrators and designers. You'll experience the wonder of seeing familiar sights through a fresh lens but, more important, you'll be inspired to set pen to paper and capture your own vistas.
The really wonderful thing about a sketchbook is that it can be totally private. You don't have to have an ounce of talent to enjoy learning how to really see what's in front of you. But lucky for us, the sketchbooks captured here are lovely, creative, intimate windows into each artist's mind.
So, whether you're just returning to the art of drawing, abandoned by most of us after childhood, or you're looking for inspiration to take your illustration work in a new direction, An Illustrated Journey will take you on a wonderful trip of the imagination. All you need to pack are a pencil and a piece of paper.
…
Cover unavailable
45
Watercolor Workshop: Learn to Paint in 100 Experiments
Sasha Prood
4.1
Learn to paint gorgeous contemporary art by practicing watercolor technique directly in this instructional sketchbook. Through 100 different experiments, artist Sasha Prood teaches you traditional techniques like wet-on-dry, wet-on-wet, and flat washes, and also encourages you to play with the paint through colorful ombrés, unique bloom textures, and added elements like salt and sponging. Each experiment is accompanied by Sasha’s beautifully painted examples and space to practice your skills on the thick pages of the sketchbook. Sasha makes watercolors accessible by setting you up to paint a series of practice swatches before attempting to make final art and she emphasizes experimentation with color and technique so that you can learn to enjoy and embrace all the unique qualities of watercolor.
…
Cover unavailable
46
The Natural Way to Paint: Rendering the Figure in Watercolor Simply and Beautifully
Charles Reid
4.1
This instructional book approaches the figure organically, showing readers how to observe its basic shapes and subtle nuances through practical exercises and lessons in the art of seeing with a painter’s eye. Step-by-step demonstrations in contour drawing teach how to capture the overall essence of the human form, then lessons in gesture drawing emphasize the body’s linear rhythms in various poses. Painting techniques progress from silhouette to three-dimensional forms through clever uses of light, shadow, color, and value.
…
Cover unavailable
47
Creating Nature in Watercolor: An Artist's Guide
Cathy Johnson
4.1
Experience Nature with an Artist's Eye
This guide is a rare opportunity to experience the joy of painting nature with Cathy Johnson, a beloved artist, naturalist and teacher. With lively instruction and an approachable style, Cathy takes you on an enjoyable hike through the great outdoors, showing you how to see and paint the wonders of nature in a whole new way.
Open this unique guide and see how achievable and fun watercolor can be. With dozens of examples of her own work, along with 15 complete step-by-step demonstrations, Cathy shows you how to capture a range of environments. You'll explore the beauty of the open desert, the shady stillness of an old forest, the dancing cascades of a rushing waterfall, and much more. Habitats are arranged by chapter, featuring:
Forests & Trees - with details covering leaves, bark, ferns, birds and seasonal changes
Lakes, Rivers, Creeks & Ponds - including still water, reflections, wave patterns, fish and waterfalls
Prairies, Meadows & Fields - with guidance for painting wildflowers, butterflies open ranges, farmland, prairie animals and more
Mountains - including trees of western and eastern mountains, wildlife and indigenous plants and flowers
Deserts - with specific instruction for painting desert plants, animals and more
Humans in Nature - including canoes, campfires and fishing trips Along the way, Cathy encourages you to sharpen your observation skills, experiment with new techniques and keep up the satisfying practice of carrying your sketchbook wherever you go. With Cathy's sound guidance, you'll learn to capture the beauty of nature as you never have before.
…
Cover unavailable
48
Zoltan Szabo's Color-By-Color Guide to Watercolor
Zoltan Szabo
4.1
This easy-to-use reference guide is the key to choosing the right color every time.
Cover unavailable
49
On the Ocean Floor (The Magic School Bus, #5)
Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
4.1
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Scholastic is re-releasing the ten original Magic School Bus titles in paperback. With updated scientific information, the bestselling science series ever is back!
When Ms. Frizzle drives the Magic School Bus full speed ahead into the ocean, the class takes a submarine expedition that's anything but ordinary. With a well-meaning lifeguard in tow, the class takes a deep breath and learns about hot water vents, coral reefs, plant and animal life on the ocean floor, and more!
…
Cover unavailable
50
Painting Vibrant Watercolors: Discover the Magic of Light, Color and Contrast
Soon Y. Warren
4.1
Paint Watercolors that Shine!
Make the most of watercolor's fresh, vibrant nature through light, color and contrast. In the first few chapters, artist Soon Y. Warren helps you lay the groundwork - everything from choosing and lighting subjects to color theory and perspective. Then, follow along with a thrilling series of step-by-step demonstrations to put your ideas into action for paintings that shine!
Learn how color, value, contrast and composition affect the impact of your paintings Discover the plans and techniques you'll need for successful, realistic watercolors Follow 16 demonstrations to create brilliant paintings Paint a variety of subjects, including still life, landscapes, water scenes, flowers, architecture and animals This book is the perfect balance of classic theory and hands-on technique. Engaging and easy-to-follow instruction gives you a solid foundation so you can take your work to the next level as you create dynamic paintings.
…
Cover unavailable
51
The Chinese Brush Painting Bible: Over 200 Motifs with Step-By-Step Illustrated Instructions
Jane Dwight
4.1
Chinese brush painting uses minimal strokes to describe the essence of a subject and capture its rhythm and grace. This beautiful book contains 200 exquisite motifs to re-create, from flowers and fruits to wildlife and scenery.
Each motif includes an explanation of its symbolic meaning, a palette of colors, and step-by-step instruction in the order, direction, and type of brushstrokes.
An introductory section explains all the tools, materials, and techniques required, from choosing brushes and paper to achieving perfect color mixtures and the correct consistency of ink.
Includes advice on composing and combining images to create perfectly balanced, harmonious paintings, and ideas for using and displaying your finished art.
…
Cover unavailable
52
Color Choices: Making Color Sense Out of Color Theory
Stephen Quiller
4.1
Internationally renowned artist and best selling author Stephen Quiller shows readers how to discover their own personal "color sense" in Color Choices, a book that offers readers a fresh perspective on perfecting their own color styles.
With the help of his own "Quiller Wheel," a special foldout wheel featuring 68 precisely placed colors, the author shows artists how they can develop their own unique color blends. First, Quiller demonstrates how to use the wheel to interpret color relationships and mix colors more clearly. Then he explains, step by step, how to develop five structured color schemes, apply underlays and overlays, and use color in striking, unusual ways. This book will bring out every artist's unique sense of color whether he or she works in oil, watercolor, acrylics, gouache, or casein.
…
Cover unavailable
53
Artist's Journal Workshop: Creating Your Life in Words and Pictures
Cathy Johnson
4.1
Discover the Joy of Art Journaling
An artist's journal is a powerful creative tool, offering you a safe place to experiment, explore, consider and improve. Artist's Journal Workshop provides all the guidance, structure and inspiration you need to create a meaningful art-journaling practice. Starting with the question, "What do you want from your journal?" you'll build a sound journaling concept that will serve your unique creative needs and give you the freedom to practice, play and develop as an artist. Featuring rich visual examples on every page, you'll receive continual guidance and inspiration from:
- 27 international artists who share pages and advice from their own art journals - More than 25 hands-on exercises to help you personalize your journal while developing new ideas and techniques - Journal pages featuring travel sketching, nature studies and celebrations of daily life - Prompts for visually commemorating life events and milestones - Support for working through creative doubts and blocks - A range of artistic styles and perspectives to study and admire - Instruction for trying your hand at new methods and materials
This is the perfect opportunity for you to begin realizing your artistic potential--one page at a time. Begin the journey today!
…
Cover unavailable
54
Just Add Watercolor Happy Thoughts: Easy Techniques and Beautiful Patterns for True Beginners
Robin Pickens
4.1
Fall in love with watercolors, and create beautiful expressive paintings that you can be proud of! Positive, inspiring messages and quotations are the perfect subject for watercolor lettering. This skill-building portfolio book for absolute beginners will teach you everything you need to know to get started with watercolor art. Talented artist Robin Pickens introduces you to all the basics of paint, brushes, palette, and water, with easy-to-follow advice on opacity, blending, shading, and mixing colors. She then guides you step-by-step through eight complete inspirational watercolor calligraphy projects. Each project features soft, muted patterns printed on real 90# thick and tactile watercolor paper. The pages are perforated so you can easily remove your art for gifting or display. Just Add Watercolor Happy Thoughts also provides gorgeous fully colored finished examples to inspire your work on each design.
…
Cover unavailable
55
How to Paint Landscapes Quickly and Beautifully in Watercolor and Gouache
Nathan Fowkes
4.1
Cover unavailable
56
The Complete Watercolor Course: the ultimate step-by-step guide to painting landscapes, still lifes, and portraits
Richard Taylor
4.1
Contributing artists: Harold Bartram, Chris Bramley, Ken Cox, Sharon Finmark, Michael Grimsdale, Lavinia Hamer, Xiaoeng Huang, Wnedy Jelbert, John Raynes, Tom Robb, Ian Sidaway, Adrian Smith, Hazel Soan, Tig Sutton, Richard Taylor.
color ill.; 30 cm.
Equipment and techniques Watercolour landscapes Watercolour still lifes and portraits Watercolour interiours Gouache and mixed media Glossary.
Cover unavailable
57
The Watercolor Artist's Bible
Marilyn Scott
4.1
This hardcover book with internal wire-o binding is 6.5in x 8in, a perfect size for readers to keep handy in the studio, and reference often. The stylish design of this book, along with the interior photographs, illustrations and diagrams, make the learning process simple and fun for beginning painters and provides useful tips for more advanced artists.
This book is divided into three sections. In the first section, you will find practical advice on choosing the necessary tools and equiopment as well as hints on mixing colorsâ?¬â?one of the trickier skills to master until you have learned some of the basic properties of color. Next, the techniques used in watercolor painting are explained in detail, from the most basic like laying washes and reserving highlights to some of the more unusual and exciting methods like wax-resist or spattering paint.
Tutorials and more than 100 step-by-step sequences demonstrate how to paint a wide range of subjects, including landscapes, buildings, people and still life. Over 180,000 copies sold worldwide.
…
Cover unavailable
58
Paint Watercolors That Dance with Light
Elizabeth Kincaid
4.1
Discover simple and effective techniques that will infuse your watercolor paintings with stunning highlights and vivid depths, all demonstrated in clear step-by-step exercises. Inside you will learn how to:
Create paintings brimming with color using transparent layering techniques Innovate with masking materials to create crisp edges and eye-catching light effects Use tone and contrast to bring your paintings to life Packed with practical information for using color and light, Paint Watercolors that Dance with Light will transform your art.
…
Cover unavailable
59
The Watercolorist's Essential Notebook - Landscapes
Gordon MacKenzie
4.1
Painting with watercolors gives you endless opportunities to create the world you want. You choose whether to let the sun blaze or the rain pour, to move a maple tree here or make the trail wind over there, to subdue a hillside with quiet greens or make a forest glow with dazzling golds and reds. It's not only a matter of what to paint, but how to go about painting it.
This book examines, one at a time, the three major elements of landscape painting: water, sky and land. You will be encouraged to try numerous ways of painting each one. Then you can choose the methods that best express how the outdoors speaks to you.
Let this reliable collection of tips, techniques, ideas and lessons be your companion on a sure path to creative fulfillment and better watercolor landscapes.
…
Cover unavailable
60
David Bellamy's Skies, Light & Atmosphere in Watercolour
David Bellamy
4.1
Skies, light and atmosphere are perfect subjects for watercolour, and David Bellamy's mastery of the medium shines out in this inspiring and practical book.
Cover unavailable
61
Botanical Illustration Course: With the Eden Project
Rosie Martin, Meriel Thurstan
4.1
This is simply the best and most complete course in botanical illustration ever produced, with each chapter a perfectly constructed and self-contained class. Created in conjunction with the internationally renowned Eden Project—home of the only jungle in captivity—it’s put together by two leading figures in the Project’s famed art school, and uses many beautiful works from its students. Artists and plant lovers will find a wealth of practical information, with easy-to-follow exercises and case studies. The priceless advice encompasses everything from honing observational skills and plant dissection procedures to color mixing and applying watercolor. Adding highlights, producing a pleasing composition, and developing a personal style—all the building blocks for achieving excellence are here.
…
Cover unavailable
62
Jean Haines' Atmospheric Watercolours: Painting with Freedom, Expression and Style
Jean Haines
4.1
Jean Haines’ enthusiasm for watercolours burst through every page of this inspirational book that will guide you, step by step, to creating beautiful and unique paintings of your own, whatever your ability.
Cover unavailable
63
Watercolour Textures (Collins Artist’s Studio)
Ann Blockley
4.1
Ann Blockley is a very successful artist, known for the innovative way in which she uses texture as a key element in her work. This book, in Collins Artist’s Studio series, looks at how she achieves her stunning effects and provides essential guidelines for the intermediate painter wishing to develop this aspect of their own painting.
Creating texture in watercolour can be quite a challenge but this book provides a fresh approach to the subject. It focuses on a wide range of unusual techniques, some of which depart from the more conventional methods, revealing how to portray texture by a variety of means. Ann explains how to manipulate the paint by lifting out colour, scraping and scratching the paint, and by using additional materials such as wax, clingfilm, salt and metallic pigments. She also explains how the surface itself can play an important role in the effects that can be achieved, and experiments with acrylics, inks, gouache and collage as well as watercolour.
In later chapters Ann looks at the creative process and provides insights into how to develop ideas, then concentrates on how to portray texture in specific subjects, such as flowers and foliage, animals, still life, buildings and landscapes. Practical exercises, projects, step-by-step demonstrations and studio tips are included, as well as the work of several guest artists – John Blockley, Moira Huntly and Shirley Trevena.
…
Cover unavailable
64
Watercolor Bright and Beautiful
Richard Karwoski
4.1
Richard Karowski paints watercolors that sparkle, and in this book, he shows painters of all levels how to ring a new freshness and luminosity to their work. In twenty exciting and original exercises, he invites artists to experiment with new techniques and subject matter. He shows how to create color mixtures that are fresh and vibrant and how to use unpainted white area to define forms and make your paintings glisten. As artists work through the exercises, they will paint panoramic landscapes, gardens overflowing with flowers, and still lifes of apples and pears that roll exuberantly toward the viewer. Karowski shows how to broaden the point of view to encompass a majestic sunset and how to narrow the focus to find a still life on a crowded beach.
…
Cover unavailable
65
The Art of Heikala: Works and Thoughts
Heikala
4.1
The Art of Heikala: Works and Thoughts is the first major publication by popular Finnish illustrator Heikala. Heikala’s artwork combines traditional watercolor painting and inks with a fresh, enchanting approach - fans love her charming characters and scenes that are largely influenced by Finnish and Japanese cultures. This combined with her in-depth sharing of her processes and knowledge, has given Heikala a social media following of over 400,000 on Instagram alone; she also has growing audiences on Tumblr, Facebook and Twitter.
This visually appealing and coffee-table worthy, hardback art book not only includes Heikala’s sketches, works in progress and beautifully presented paintings that her fans will be familiar with, it also includes never-before-seen images from along Heikala’s creative journey; all new in-depth tutorials, thought processes and advice on watercolor painting; detailed how-to product design guides; and how she has built a successful career as an artist. A valuable book for fans, budding artists and experienced illustrators alike
…
Cover unavailable
66
A Pacific Northwest Nature Sketchbook
Jude Siegel
4.1
Keeping an illustrated nature sketchbook can be eye opening, and anyone can do it, at home or while traveling. This step-by-step guide to painting by the ocean, near rivers, and in valleys, forests, desert, and mountains offers dozens of practical tips for combining watercolor and ink to create pages rich in personal meaning. With her gentle humor and low-key approach, popular teacher Jude Siegel encourages everyone to venture outdoors with sketchbook in hand to try their artist's wings. Lavishly illustrated with more than 140 of the author's stunning original watercolors of Oregon and Washington.
…
Cover unavailable
67
Urban Sketching: The Complete Guide to Techniques
Thomas Thorspecken
4.0
While most sketching guides leave the artist with static bowls of fruit and flower vases to develop their skill, Urban Sketching takes its inspiration from the living, breathing world around us! Contents include the nuts and bolts of sketching and drawing as well as a range of techniques specific to this artistic genre. Readers will discover:
Rules on perspective that will aid inn capturing landscapes, buildings, and objects accuratelyTips for capturing the essence of people in sketches when subjects are on the moveThe art of adding notes, commentary, and even speech to sketches
Chapters on sharing sketches through social media, joining the international urban sketching community, digitizing work, and more make this new guide the quintessential resource for anyone interested in joining the exciting art movement. More than 350 full-color illustrations throughout.
…
Cover unavailable
68
Portrait Painting in Watercolor
Charles Reid
4.0
"Where this handy, horizontal, and beautifully laid-out book treads on new ground is portraiture in aquarelle in a dashingly dramatic style". -- American Artist. In an appealing volume, Reid leads artists through 24 detailed step-by-step demonstrations on painting the portrait.
Cover unavailable
69
Peggy Dean's Guide to Nature Drawing and Watercolor: Learn to Sketch, Ink, and Paint Flowers, Plants, Trees, and Animals
Peggy Dean
4.0
This fun and easy-to-use nature drawing and watercolor guide is perfect for anyone inspired by nature to draw, doodle, ink, and paint colorful flora and fauna.
Artist, author, and popular art instructor Peggy Dean presents this nature drawing guide that teaches you how to master drawing and watercolor techniques from sketching and shading to washes and blending. With Peggy's easy and energetic lessons, absolutely anyone--regardless of ability--can learn to draw the natural world. Beginning with delicate cherry blossoms, wildflowers, and lacy ferns, lessons build to composing stunning bouquets of flowers and majestic landscapes. You'll also discover how to draw animals such as colorful fish and birds in flight, as well as mammals like stoic camels and the mighty polar bear. Through the lessons on technique combined with clear, detailed instructions, you'll gain the expertise and confidence that will allow you to quickly build your skills, discover your own personal style, and achieve beautiful botanical and animal illustrations.
…
Cover unavailable
70
The Decorated Page: Journals, Scrapbooks Albums Made Simply Beautiful
Gwen Diehn
4.0
Cover unavailable
71
Watercolor Fairy Art: Rules for Making the Best Art Ever
Sara Burrier
4.0
Watercolor paint has a life of its own. The colors blossom and bloom on the page. They mix and bleed, dance and shimmer, some showing through, some sinking back into the hollows of the paper. What better medium for capturing the magical and enchanting world of fairies? Here, illustrator and art instructor Sara Burrier shows the artist how to harness the magic of watercolor with tried and tested rules that artists can use to take their fairy art to the next level. Inside, she covers:
The Rules of Drawing--from tools, materials, and gathering inspiration to drawing fairy poses, gestures, wings, and costumesThe Rules of Watercolor--choosing a color palette, prepping the workspace, and techniques for adding texture, volume, and other detailsThe Rules of Other Fairy Artists--this unique section explores the secrets of professional artists and showcases their work
Rules are conveyed as quick tips, informative demonstrations, and even simple exercises, making "Watercolor Fairy Art" a comprehensive and accessible manual for artists of all capabilities. Gorgeous, full-color art throughout.
…
Cover unavailable
72
A Ball for Daisy
Chris Raschka
4.0
Winner of the 2012 Randolph Caldecott Medal
This New York Times Bestseller and New York Times Best Illustrated Book relates a story about love and loss as only Chris Rashcka can tell it. Any child who has ever had a beloved toy break will relate to Daisy's anguish when her favorite ball is destroyed by a bigger dog. In the tradition of his nearly wordless picture book Yo! Yes?, Caldecott Medalist Chris Raschka explores in pictures the joy and sadness that having a special toy can bring. Raschka's signature swirling, impressionistic illustrations and his affectionate story will particularly appeal to young dog lovers and teachers and parents who have children dealing with the loss of something special.
…
Cover unavailable
73
The Watercolors of John Singer Sargent
Carl Little
4.0
John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) stands among the greatest of watercolor painters, along with J.M.W. Turner, Winslow Homer, and other masters of this difficult medium. Watercolor was more than a distraction from the portrait and mural commissions Sargent labored over; after 1900, watercolor became central to his artistic vision. His aquarelles are, simply stated, masterworks. Portraits, interiors, landscapes, architectural studies—Sargent's work in watercolor offers a great variety of subject matter, ranging from Arab gypsies to World War I soldiers, to masterful depictions of Venetian churches, to Florida swamp alligators.
Sargent carried his watercolors on his travels; They were ideally suited to capturing the scene, the light, the air, wherever he found himself. This book serves as a record of his travels, featuring the paintings he produced in Palestine, Northern Africa, the Canadian Rockies, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, and Greece. Among specific locales were the islands of Majorca and Corfu; Florence, Venice, Carrara, Lake Garda, and Rome; the Alps; Lake O'Hara; the coast of Maine and the Miami River.
Sargent's bold and often experimental use of the medium, which sometimes led to semi-abstract images, compels admiration among contemporary painters as well as museum goers today. In addition to placing Sargent's accomplishments in the context of his life and time, Carl Little discusses the artist's extraordinary watercolor technique.
…
Cover unavailable
74
Artist's Color Manual: The Complete Guide to Working with Color
Simon Jennings
4.0
Developed by the same team that created Artist's Manual and Art Class, both top-selling art reference books, Artist's Color Manual is the ultimate guide to color for visual artists. Whether they work in oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels, colored pencils, or inks, artists of all stripes will find information and ideas flowing from every profusely illustrated page. Renowned art instructor Simon Jennings begins with a basic introduction to color theory, the color wheel, and the art of mixing pigments. The heart of the Artist's Color Manual is a comprehensive guide to mixing and creating each color of the spectrum, from primaries to tricky neutrals, flesh tones, and metallics. Additional chapters focus on techniques, such as mixing media, that create color in both traditional and unexpected ways. Examples of work by accomplished artists and interviews with leading painters suggest creative ideas for color use. With expert instruction, detailed information, and inspiring visuals, Artist's Color Manual is especially helpful for those who are learning to paint, yet speaks with definitive authority to all artists looking to perfect their craft.
…
Cover unavailable
75
Zoltan Szabo's 70 Favorite Watercolor Techniques
Zoltan Szabo
4.0
With a seductive painting style described as "realism with a soul, " Susan Harrison-Tustain casts new light on a favorite subject among watercolorists. She captures the "essence" of flowers in their natural settings, complete with bumblebees, dew drops and other whimsical touches of life.Artists will learn her unique priming method, along with other techniques for creating vibrant colors, realistic textures and lively light. Included are three complete step-by-step painting demonstrations and 14 mini-demos.
…
Cover unavailable
76
Vibrant Flowers in Watercolor
Soon Y. Warren
4.0
Paint Flowers with Feeling
You can paint watercolors that capture the beauty and personality of roses, peonies, zinnias and many more brilliant blooms - and achieve color more vivid than you ever dreamed possible with watercolor. Artist Soon Y. Warren will help you:
Capture the unique shapes, textures, details - and temperaments! - of magnolias, hibiscus, sunflowers, bougainvillea, gladiolus and more Use watercolor to duplicate and enhance the floral colors you see in nature, from subtle to saturated Create dramatic compositions that excite your viewers Complement your floral subjects with luscious surrounding textures (antique copper, smooth glass, rich fabric) and flattering backgrounds Learn fun and easy techniques for underpainting, mingling and texturing with 21 step-by-step demonstrations Don't be a shrinking violet - express yourself with bold watercolor florals that have as much personality as you do!
…
Cover unavailable
77
Interpreting the Figure in Watercolor
Don Andrews
4.0
Qualities of colour, value and shape rather than a laborious anatomical approach are highlighted in this course in watercolour painting. In explaining how to capture the essence of the human figure the author provides information on materials and discusses such techniques as gesture drawing and painting, light and shadow definition of the figure and linking darks and lights for unity, painting backgrounds, edge quality, working with a model and from photographs. The author teaches figure painting in watercolour and conducts workshops throughout the USA and Canada and has received numerous awards for his paintings.
…
Cover unavailable
78
The Sierra Club Guide to Sketching in Nature
Cathy Johnson
4.0
This lavishly illustrated sketching and watercolor primer reveals how creating art can enhance any wilderness experience. With a skillful blend of inspiration and instruction, artist and naturalist Cathy Johnson offers personal anecdotes, exercises, and helpful tips to guide even first-time artists in using sketching and painting to deepen their understanding of the natural world. Featuring simple, step-by-step instructions and 280 examples of the author's own work—in color and black-and-white—The Sierra Club Guide to Sketching in Nature covers a broad range of subjects, including tools and equipment; mixing paints and washes; understanding color and using a color wheel; capturing the illusion of light; sketching clouds, flowers, trees, plants, and animals; and using field sketches as studies for future paintings. The book also includes source lists for art supplies (including mail order), lists of national workshops for sketching and painting, and a bibliography.
…
Cover unavailable
79
Flowers: The Watercolor Art Pad
Rachel Pedder-Smith
4.0
With its simple instructions and stunning inspirational illustrations, Flowers: The Watercolor Artpad is the perfect introduction to the timeless art of painting flowers in watercolors.
Inside the book are 15 pages of simple line drawings of flowers—from wild poppies to sculpted calla lilies—printed on high-quality watercolor paper for you to remove and paint. The outlines allow you to skip the sketching and simply begin painting. Each sketch is accompanied by a color guide and a completed version of the same flower to serve as a model and inspiration as you paint your own.
Using simple terms and step-by-step illustrations, the author explains the basic tenants of botanical watercolor showing you how to layer delicate washes of color and subtle shading so you can easily master the art of creating beautiful, life-like flowers. All you need is this book and some paint to get started today!
…
Cover unavailable
80
Watercolour Flower Portraits
Billy Showell
4.0
Learn how to paint exquisite flower portraits in watercolour, following Billy Showell's highly detailed, step-by-step instructions. Packed with stunning pictures and technical advice, this book is truly inspirational.
Cover unavailable
81
The Tao of Watercolor: A Revolutionary Approach to the Practice of Painting
Jeanne Carbonetti
4.0
Combining the best of Eastern philosophy with the best of Western technique, this book is the first in a three-part series that offers inspiring and empowering advice for artists and creators of all levels. 100 color illustrations.
Cover unavailable
82
Watercolor, You Can Do It!
Tony Couch
4.0
This bible for watercolorists has been helping students learn the essentials of the medium for 9 years. Tony Couch backs up his "You can do it!" promise with clear, friendly instructions.
Cover unavailable
83
The Watercolor Painter's Problem Book
Tom Hill
4.0
Cover unavailable
84
The Art of Botanical Drawing: An Introductory Guide
Agathe Ravet-Haevermans
4.0
The Art of Botanical Drawing is an introductory guide to the techniques of botanical painting and drawing. Beginning artists and gardeners looking to capture the beauty of the plants in their garden will learn how to recognize and draw a wide variety of flowers and leaves, including succulents, vegetables, trees, perennials, and grasses. Botanists and naturalists who need to understand the fundamentals of scientific illustration will also find the text useful. Lessons on recognizing and recreating the texture and structural elements of plants are also included. The Art of Botanical Drawing is practical and beautiful—it includes 150 charming color illustrations and the hands-on approach is accessible to even the most inexperienced budding artist.
…
Cover unavailable
85
No Excuses Watercolor: Painting Techniques for Sketching and Journaling
Gina Rossi Armfield
4.0
"I can't control the paint." "It's not colorful enough." "It's intimidating!"
With the fun and easy techniques in Gina Rossi Armfield's No Excuses Watercolor, your excuses for not painting with watercolor don't stand a chance! As you try the demonstrations and exercises, you'll learn the techniques and tricks necessary to achieve amazing, colorful results in your artist's sketchbook.
After getting to know your materials, you'll try your hand at thirteen exercises that will help train your hand, and help you identify and refine your artistic style. Along the way, you'll get tips and suggestions for adding journaling and writing to your art. Finally, you'll find an inspirational resource guide packed with reference photos, starter sketches, color palettes, journaling prompts and more to help you fill your watercolor journal!
Grab your sketchbook and watercolors--it's time to paint, no excuses!
- 22 demonstrations for sketching and watercolor painting. - 13 exercises for practicing backgrounds, focal images, color mixing, layering and details. - 13 resource sections loaded with journaling and painting prompts to keep you inspired.
…
Cover unavailable
86
Fantasy Fashion Art Studio: Creating Romantic Characters, Clothing and Costumes
Meredith Dillman
4.0
Live out all your fashion fantasies!
Flower fairies, water spirits, enchanted forests, Victorian ladies and more! Immerse yourself in timeless stories inspired by nature, myths, legends and literature!
With Fantasy Fashion Art Studio, you'll learn the basics for sketching and watercolor painting; you'll also learn to draw and paint beautiful, ethereal characters!
Inside you'll explore:
Lessons and tips for sketching characters--proportions, heads, hands, feet, hair, wings and more. Drawing and painting tips for fashions from the medieval, Renaissance and Victorian periods as well as traditional Japanese, Steampunk, folk and gothic influences. 10 fully stepped-out demonstrations for drawing and painting a multitude of dreamy characters, including mermaids, enchanted princesses, fairies and more. 18 mini step-by-step demonstrations to help you create dreamscape scenes, including the night skies, forests, architecture, flowers and leaves. A fashionable trip through a fantasy landscape, Fantasy Fashion Art Studio will help you bring all of your fantasies to life!
…
Cover unavailable
87
The Art of Creative Watercolor: Inspiration and Techniques for Imaginative Drawing and Painting
Danielle Donaldson
4.0
Welcome to your watercolor happy place!
The world of Danielle Donaldson is as wondrous as a jar full of fireflies. Her whimsical illustrations are known for their offbeat color combinations, artful arrangements and endearing quirkiness. In this book, you'll learn how to partner with the wonderfully spontaneous medium of watercolor to create your own brand of magic.
Start by creating a handmade journal, then follow exercises and start-to-finish projects to fill it with illustrations that are small in size but big on color. Along the way, Danielle shares her fresh takes on color theory, perspective, composition and more.
Designed to get your brush moving, this book makes practice feel like play. It's a one-of-a-kind journey for any artist wishing to tap into the utter joy of watercolor painting and make it a cherished part of your daily life.
Inside you'll find:
- Imaginative techniques that help you override perfectionist tendencies while making the most of watercolor's unpredictable nature - An inventive approach (using scraps of paper, ribbon and other ephemera) for more creative color choices - A simple strategy that makes drawing new subjects less intimidating and more fun - Sweet ways to add hand lettering to your artwork - Inspirational exercises that make finding subjects to paint as easy as A-B-C "Don't underestimate the giddiness you feel when you mindlessly grab a color and mix it with another and create the most beautiful wash ever!" --p43
…
Cover unavailable
88
Mr. Pumpkin's Tea Party
Erin Barker
4.0
“There’s a party at Mr. Pumpkin’s tonight. A banquet with friends in the autumn twilight. And at this soiree we’ll see and we’ll find ghoulish delights of every kind.” You are cordially invited to Mr. Pumpkin’s Tea Party—a delightfully quirky twist on a counting book, incorporating gorgeous, deep-hued watercolor illustrations, as well as spooky elements and unique characters at an unexpectedly charming tea party. A perfect read for when there is a crisp chill in the air.
…
Cover unavailable
89
Florals by Hand: How to Draw and Design Modern Floral Projects
Alli Koch
4.0
Instagram sensation, muralist, author, and overall floral illustrating aficionado Alli Koch of Allikdesign has already introduced thousands to the basics of modern floral illustrations with her first book, How to Draw Modern Florals: An Introduction to the Art of Flowers, Cacti, and More. Her new book, Florals by Hand, goes deeper, introducing an assortment of new flowers, designs, and digitizing techniques through a series of projects that combine these skills. They say practice makes perfect, but Alli constantly reminds aspiring floral illustrators that even nature itself is imperfect, which is what makes the whole process a little bit more approachable.
…
Cover unavailable
90
The Ultimate Watercolor Course: Simple Techniques to Paint Like the Pros
Reader's Digest
4.0
From the editors of Reader's Digest Whether you are a newcomer to the world of watercolor or a more experienced painter, this practical painting course will let you master the essential skills and techniques necessary to capture the fascinating qualities of this medium. Divided into nine sections, this informative book describes such basics as mixing a wash and laying it on both wet and dry surfaces, using various brushstrokes to achieve the desired results, mastering special techniques like scraping back and washing-off, and correcting mistakes. It covers the fundamentals of sketching and drawing, the use of all types of subjects--from landscape to still life to figures, and presents a concise summary of color theory--all essential skills for any watercolor artist. Through a series of lessons and exercises that include step-by-step demonstrations, The Ultimate Watercolor Course provides all of the critical things you need to know with the aide of more than 1,000 illustrations that point out each technique in graphic detail. Each lesson features a "key point" box explaining the specific topic or technique at hand, and throughout the book there are helpful hints and shortcuts straight from the pros. Exercises are fun and stimulating and build on techniques already learned in earlier lessons. In this comprehensive volume, you will find detailed information on:
…
Cover unavailable
91
Sara Midda's South of France: A Sketchbook
Sara Midda
4.0
A wondrous sketchbook from a year spent in the south of France—an artist's personal journal carried everywhere and crammed with drawings and notions and thoughts surprising and whimsical.
Delicate watercolors shine like jewels set into each page of this exquisite book. In tones of sea and morning sky, stucco and brick, olive leaf and apricot, rose and geranium, sara Midda captures the land, the people, the shimmering air—the whole feeling of Provence and the Côte d'azur, and the spell they cast over even those who haven't visited. Interspersed throughout are photographic collages and charming observations. The whole book is printed on uncoated stock to convey the feeling of an artist's sketchbook.
…
Cover unavailable
92
Watercolor Mixing Directory
Moira Clinch, David Webb
4.0
These easy-to-use directories explain color theory by demonstrating a range of color mixing techniques. The 256-page, full-color books feature more than 50 carefully selected colors that, when used with a basic palette, provide artists with more than 2,000 color mixing options! Each combination is shown as a pure mixture straight from the palette, demonstrating endless tint variations.
Cover unavailable
93
1,500 Color Mixing Recipes for Oil, Acrylic & Watercolor: Achieve precise color when painting landscapes, portraits, still lifes, and more
William F Powell
4.0
Just when you thought there was no hope of ever finding a comprehensive color-mixing resource for oil, acrylic, and watercolor artists, along comes the 1,500 Color Mixing Recipes for Oil, Acrylic & Watercolor!
This collection of Walter Foster's bestselling Color Mixing Recipes books, including Color Mixing Recipes for Oil and Acrylic, Color Mixing Recipes for Portraits, Color Mixing Recipes for Watercolor, and the most recent addition, Color Mixing Recipes for Landscapes.
This incredible collection comes in a user-friendly concealed spiral-bound format that is tabbed for quick and easy reference. Aspiring artists will also find two removable color mixing grids--one for oil or acrylic, and one for watercolor.
…
Cover unavailable
94
The Watercolorist's Essential Notebook - Keep Painting!: A Treasury of Tips to Inspire Your Watercolor Painting Adventure
Gordon MacKenzie
4.0
Recharge your creative spirit and rediscover the magic that is watercolor!
Every watercolorist needs a creative kick in the pants now and then--to keep seeking inspiration when feeling uninspired, to keep going when a painting has stalled, to keep trying when a technique isn't easy to master...sometimes just to keep painting, period.
When your artistic well has run dry, you must replenish it. Whether you have spent decades painting in watercolor or are just beginning, the tips and secrets shared by best-selling author and artist Gordon MacKenzie provide the perfect guide when the going gets tough. Get excited about watercolor again as he shows you how to:
- Find better approaches to a tired composition - Engage viewers more fully with color, value and well-placed "wee people" - Reinvent a scene that outshines your reference photographs - Dramatize a landscape by focusing on the weather - Nurture your own growth by sharing what you know with others "You don't have to paint the way you paint now. You don't have to paint what you paint now." --Gordon MacKenzie
…
Cover unavailable
95
Colour & Light in Watercolour
Jean Haines
4.0
Jean Haines’ characteristically loose and expressive paintings are filled with color and light, and in this exciting book she passes on her knowledge and expert advice in a way that is both inspiring and instructional. As soon as you open the book you will want to pick up a brush and start painting — and whatever your ability, Jean encourages you to simply ‘have a go’ and enjoy the freedom and happiness that painting can bring.
Jean’s subjects include animals, landscapes, people and flowers, and there are many examples of Jean’s work throughout the book to both delight and inspire you. Jean takes a highly practical approach to her teaching, and there are numerous short exercises and demonstrations as well as longer projects that guide you through a painting from beginning to end. Wherever you are on your painting journey, Jean will open your eyes to the color and light that surrounds you and show you how to incorporate it into your paintings.
…
Cover unavailable
96
Watercolor Painting Outside the Lines: A Positive Approach to Negative Painting
Linda Kemp
4.0
In visual art, negative space refers to the areas within a painting not occupied by subject matter. Linda Kemp shows beginners and advanced artists how to harness the power of these often overlooked areas surrounding a painting's focal point. Troubleshooting suggestions and secrets are included.
Cover unavailable
97
Painting Close-Focus Flowers in Watercolor
Ann Pember
4.0
Easy-to-learn techniques for mingling colors and manipulating light, insights into the character of petals, designing composition and more help artists portray this dramatic viewpoint.
Cover unavailable
98
Watercolor Artist's Guide to Exceptional Color
Jan Hart
4.0
There are hundreds of watercolor paints on the market, with widely varying characteristics, appearances, and names. This easy-to-use book cuts through the confusion. In this informative, 128-page book, author Jan Hart covers pigment properties while providing helpful information on combining colors on the palette for optimal effect. The full-color book features an array of step-by-step painting demonstrations and a must-have glossary of pigment equivalencies for the most popular paint manufacturers.
…
Cover unavailable
99
Paint Watercolor Flowers: A Beginner's Step-By-Step Guide
Birgit O'Connor
4.0
You can paint beautiful blooms, step by step!
Sunflowers, orchids, daffodils, lilies...your brush can bring these and more to life with Paint Watercolor Flowers. Master watercolorist Birgit O'Connor guides you every step of the way, from selecting essential watercolor supplies, to practicing basic painting techniques, to capturing the unique details of a variety of flowers, to showing them off in striking, color-rich compositions. Learn how to paint nine different flowers, with each demonstration covering important concepts you need for successful results. Friendly, easy-to-follow instructions make flower painting fun and doable for any artist, whether you are new to the medium or simply want to try a subject you haven't painted before.
- Detailed instruction on color, value, creating shadows, composition and more - 3 negative painting demonstrations - 9 start-to-finish flower painting demonstrations exploring topics such as creating backgrounds, layering color, values in white flowers, values in colored flowers and much more
Learn to play with gorgeous color and water effects, expressing yourself with the unparalleled beauty of nature's bouquet.
…
Cover unavailable
100
Water Paper Paint: Exploring Creativity with Watercolor and Mixed Media
Heather Jones
4.0
This book is not only for "painters" but for all types of creative individuals who want to experience and play with watercolor, whether their background is mixed-media, textile art, journaling, or paper craft. Unlike the typical watercolor textbooks, this unique, beautiful volume is a field book of inspiration, creative ideas, how to's, and projects, all from an artist's perspective. Each creative exercise features a technique, shows step-by-step photographs, and includes a clever idea for a gift or project that can be made from the painted samples.