Master all the aspects of watercolour painting with this comprehensive practical manual. An introduction details all the equipment you will need and lays out the basic techniques, including the different strokes required, and how to mix the paints to create the right palette. There are then over 25 step-by-step projects to help you to put the basics into practice. There are projects to challenge beginners, and others for intermediate painters, all grouped by subject, including skies, water, landscapes, trees, flowers, buildings, animals and people. This accessible book has something for water-colourists of all abilities to learn from and help achieve their potential.

Be amazed at how easily you can paint beautiful flowers in simple steps. Artist Becky Amelia shares her easy-to-follow approach to painting, with a range of beautiful flowers in her distinctive and contemporary style. Using only a few brushes and a small collection of watercolour and gouache paints, this book will inspire you with 25 stunning step-by-step projects to paint, including single flowers, leaves, wreaths and bouquets. Learn to paint sunflowers, tulips, poppies, lilies, wildflower arrangements, dried flowers and many more pretty stem arrangements. Feel inspired by Becky's intricate and delicate style and create beautiful floral paintings that you too could turn into gorgeous notecards, stationery, gifts or to keep as lovely, framed paintings.

Learn to paint tropical watercolor flowers and foliage in simple steps with this free and easy approach to watercolor painting for beginners. Marie Boudon's beautifully presented creative course will get you started in this expressive and fun medium. Find out about the essential materials you need, learn about color mixing for an on-trend jungle palette, get expert tips on transparency, overlays and negative space, discover ideas for compositions and then work step-by-step through over 20 tutorials for jungle plants and flowers. From palm trees, monstera leaves and other jungle foliage to tropical flowers such as hibiscus, bird of paradise and anthurium, you'll find easy exercises and inspiring ideas for jungle-themed art, which is a huge trend in interiors and surface pattern design. Along the way, be inspired by Marie's gorgeous ideas for presenting the finished work as art pieces, journal pages, handmade stationery and greetings cards, inspirational quote frames, personalized gifts and more.

This is the definitive instructional guide to the art of botanical illustration, published in association with The Society of Botanical Artists and featuring detailed step-by-step demonstrations by members of the Society. Botanical illustration has been a popular art form for many centuries, with its appealing traditions of detail and beauty. This beautifully illustrated book covers all aspects of the subject and is an essential book for all serious students of botanical painting. The book includes useful information about materials, basic plant anatomy, flower and leaf shapes, and then explores the techniques for drawing and coloured pencil work, as well as painting with watercolour and gouache. Subjects include exotic and common plants, flowers, fruit and vegetables, as well as flowers in the garden. Packed with step-by-step demonstrations and stunning illustrations, this is an inspiring, practical guide, as well as a visual treat.

This beautifully illustrated book is the first practical step-by-step guide to using coloured pencils in botanical painting and is written by Ann Swan, one of the top exponents of the genre. Water-soluble and oil-based coloured pencils are becoming increasingly popular for botanical painting as they are easier to use than traditional watercolour and are more forgiving, yet they produce the same stunning effects. They are especially suitable for the accuracy needed to paint in the botanical style of illustration. In this book Ann Swan gives helpful advice on all aspects of working with coloured pencils, including the techniques you will have to master - underpainting, layering and burnishing. She also demontrates how to mix and build up colour, and how to add those finishing touches that will complete your painting successfully. Several full step-by-step demonstrations are included to show how these techniques are put into practice. The book concludes with a gallery of coloured pencil works by the author, students of botanical painting and other professional botanical painters, providing a wonderful source of reference and inspiration.

Eggs aren't just for breakfast! With a bit of imagination, they can also be transformed into beautiful decorative items and gifts. A modern and accessible hobby, egg art is something all generations can take part in, and connect over. Egg Art feeds into the current trend of working and crafting with natural, everyday objects, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. Hatch a plan and get cracking on your egg-cellent designs now!

Explore and create expressive palettes and paintings with Color Harmony for Artists. Watercolor author, artist, and teacher Ana Victoria Calderon guides you through choosing, mixing, and using color with watercolor and mixed media to create the most expressive and appealing combinations and effects for a wide range of moods and subjects. You'll explore a variety of subjects and themes, including flowers, foliage, landscapes, skies, cities, figures, art movements, and historical eras. Begin with a quick overview of the basics of color, color mixing, and mixed media. Explore a variety of color and media combinations, including brilliant brights, muted neutrals, high-contrast complements, and special effects. Find inspiration in evocative photos, abundant palettes, and beautiful paintings. With Color Harmony for Artists, every artist, from beginner to advanced, will be inspired to embrace the creative possibilities of color and paint!

Watercolour painting is an absorbing, meditative art-from that many people would like to enjoy but don't attempt to because they believe they can't paint or simply don't know where to begin. An encouraging voice and a clear, easy-to-follow approach is often all that's needed to give people the confidence to get started and keep going. That's exactly what this book provides. Paul Clark, an enthusiastic and accomplished painter who runs his own art school, explains the fundamentals in a friendly and accessible way. He shows readers what they really need in terms of tools and materials - starting with a limited colour palette that can be mixed to create the vast majority of colours required. He then explains and illustrates the basic techniques, before presenting ten of his paintings that put those techniques into action. Each painting is broken down into stages, with clear instructions and photographs for readers to follow, plus plenty of helpful tips. In addition, there are three feature spreads that focus on particular areas of interest for beginners, including special effects, painting trees and painting skies.

From domestic cats and dogs to wild lions and giraffes, best-selling artist and author Jean Haines shows the reader how to bring a vitality of life to their animal artwork. Known for the vibrant colours and exciting, innovative painting techniques that she brings to her work, Jean's latest book invites beginners and more experienced artists alike to share a journey through painting animals from around the world. Painting animals requires a delicacy of touch. Jean starts with simple monochrome artworks and progresses on to more vivid paintings that incorporate exciting textural effects. Using lessons from nature to help bring the reader closer to the animals, Jean shows how to portray the animal's spirit and bring vitality to the reader's artwork. Suitable for all abilities, from first-time painters to experienced artists, Jean shares all the materials and unique techniques she uses, and provides a wealth of expert tips and advice inspired by the animals themselves, helping the reader to progress and find their own path. Scattered throughout the book are dozens of Jean's wonderful paintings, showcasing a veritable Noah's Ark of different animals to inspire the reader on their artistic journey.

There are some areas of watercolour painting that beginners often have trouble with, and one of these is skies. A sky can make or break a landscape painting. In this invaluable guide, Stephen Coates leads you through some highly effective techniques that will demystify sky painting and turn a good watercolour landscape into a brilliant one. Stephen takes a unique, no-fuss approach to watercolour, emphasizing the importance of planning, preparation and practise and explaining clearly which tools and materials you need, and how to prepare your palette before embarking on a painting. He then guides you through seven awe-inspiring skies, from blue summer skies to dramatic sunsets and storm clouds, introducing new skills and techniques as you progress through the book. With numerous handy tips and many examples of Stephen's stunning landscapes throughout, this book will both instruct and inspire you to create beautiful, realistic skies with confidence.

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."

Breathtaking Watercolor Seascapes for the Beginner Painter From ocean sunsets and enchanting woodland lakes to snow-speckled rivers and quiet villages reflected in a serene sea, this outstanding collection of paintings from Kolbie Blume teaches painters of all skill levels to master a range of brilliant waterscapes. Projects like Mountain of a Wave, Through the Fjord, Village by the Sea, Secret Falls and more build your confidence in painting water in all its wild and varied states. The chapters progress in difficulty, with skills building upon each other, helping you to develop and strengthen your abilities as you paint your way through the book. Providing you with all the tips and tricks you need to master the art of painting waterscapes, Kolbie's approachable step-by-step instructions and helpful hints will guide you from burgeoning beginner to pro painter.

Learn how to use watercolor to soothe your soul with this beginner's guide to painting for relaxation. This fresh approach looks first at the process of painting as a means to de-stress and unwind. Many people love the idea of painting but hold themselves back from starting because they are worried about not being good enough or not feeling as though as are creative. In this guide for the absolute beginner, artist and teacher Sharone Stevens shows you that watercolor can be accessible to everyone and that just painting very simple lines, patterns and shapes in calming colors, concentrating on each brush stroke, can have a powerful meditative effect, while at the same time allowing you to create beautiful art you can be proud of. She also encourages you to connect more with the world around you, finding inspiration in your every-day life and discovering the beautiful textures found in nature, from tree trunks to fruit and butterflies! The aim of the techniques and projects in this book is to create art that relaxes both the artist and the viewer of the finished piece. Projects range from simple gift tags, bookmarks, cards and small wall pieces to larger art pieces that you never thought possible - all done with a focus on relaxation - which is so important in today's fast-paced, increasingly digital world. Learn how to mix a calming color palette, try simple painting exercises to get into a relaxed flow, and create beautiful artworks that will lift the spirits both during the painting process and beyond, as finished pieces of art. Author Sharone Stevens is an established art teacher and talented artist who is passionate about using art for relaxation and encouraging others to build a regular creative practice. Her gentle lessons and nurturing reassurance will guide even total beginners through the process of making soothing, soulful modern watercolor art.

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.

The first comprehensive collection of Annette Messager's drawings, including 150 works made over the last ten years, which constitute an invaluable lexicon to the mind and work of a trailblazing iconoclast. Messager redefined the role of women making art and the very nature of sculpture - accomplishments which won her the coveted Golden Lion for best national pavilion at the 51st Venice Biennale in 2005 and the Praemium Imperiale for sculpture in 2016. Messager's subjects range from animal to human, feminist activists to devotional figures, skeletons to ghosts. She broaches the grand themes of love, life, death and the fairy tales, mythologies, superstitions and vanities that lie beneath.

Learn how to paint adorable animals, flavorful fruits, lively plants, and more in this free-and-easy approach to watercolor. Artist Natalia Skatula has a beautiful, whimsical style that will charm you through 12 simple step-by-step projects and over 100 worked examples. Beginning with an overview on materials and equipment, Natalia then covers the general techniques needed to achieve the paintings, along with her top-10 personal tips for success. Projects include: A majestic whale An adorable sloth Elephants Pandas Dogs Llamas Bears Foxes Rabbits And more! This book also includes a range of presentation ideas to inspire you to put your finished work on display or gift it. The gallery of examples that follows includes plants, cats, beetles, birds, sealife, jungle creatures and fruits, giving you a treasure-trove of references for your painting. This book also makes the perfect gift for artists of all ages, especially plant and animal lovers. Find the inspiration and technique to start your watercoloring adventures with this beautiful guide!

Learn how to combine delicate watercolor illustrations with expressive hand lettering to create beautiful art and gifts. Self-taught artist Tanja Poeltl shares the tips, tricks and know-how she's learned on her creative journey so that you can fast-track your skills. Discover the materials you'll need in terms of watercolor paints, brushes, paper and pens, then get started with Tanja's exercises to learn the basic techniques of hand lettering and watercolor painting. In the Hand Lettering Know-How section you will start with some warm up exercises and practice letters, before learning faux calligraphy, bounce lettering, joining letters and more. In the Watercolor Know-How section you will learn how to handle the brush, and gain color knowledge as well as an understanding of tonal values, transparency and opacity, and learn how to create your own unique color palette. 20 amazing step-by-step painting and lettering projects then help you put your skills in action with ideas for a myriad of different applications. Create a moodboard, inspirational cards, seasonal gift boxes, a botanical table runner, a plant journal, floral greetings cards, fruity jar labels, posters, hoop art, party stationery, a birth poster, milestone cards, a height chart, recipe cards, an illustrated ABC, box frames, 3D flowers, and more - all beautifully illustrated in a modern yet timeless style. These inspiring projects are so varied and interesting, and will undoubtedly spark ideas for all sorts of other ways you can use watercolor and hand lettering together to create beautiful yet easy art. Even if you are a total beginner, this book will kickstart your creative journey with watercolor and hand lettering, showing you the techniques and giving you fun projects to try them out on. This accessible guide to easy watercolour and hand lettering techniques will teach you everything you need to make art that makes you happy! Self-taught and full of enthusiasm for experimentation artist Tanja Poeltl is your teacher and guide. She's taught thousands of beginners to find their creative voice through her workshops and classes, and can't wait to help you on your journey into the wonderful world of watercolor and hand lettering.

Let this innovative and indispensable book be your painting companion: simply dip in and out whenever you need advice and guidance from best-selling author, Matthew Palmer. Start with watercolour basics and learn to plan successful pictures, then select expert guidance, tips for success, and beginner-friendly troubleshooting from within the sections on flowers, trees, buildings, water, people and wildlife. Discover how to make your moonlit sky really glow; learn how to paint lush, realistic foliage; add believable figures; and create driving rain and sparkling water. Unique to this book are Matthew's key mix swatches. These allow you to achieve perfect results every time; explaining the colours you need and in what proportion. The paint mix is shown both wet and dry, so you can compare your palette with the wet mix, and know what it'll look like once applied. The dry swatches stretch to the edge of the page, so you can also simply hold the book up to the object you're painting, find a colour match and create the right mix with ease. The book also includes a pull-out picture finder, which will help you create the best composition from the scene in front of you, isolate and identify a colour, try different picture formats and help with proportion and size. Designed to aid you whilst painting either indoors or out, the small format and hard cover make the book easy to transport and to store with the rest of your painting kit.

The Watercolour Sourcebook is a compilation of four selected titles from the What to Paint series, chosen specially to illustrate the wide range of scenes and subjects that can be captured in watercolour. The works of four master watercolourists - Geoff Kersey, Terry Harrison, Peter Woolley and Wendy Tait - are brought together in a collection of 60 beautiful, detailed projects on the subjects of trees, woodlands and forests; landscapes; hills and mountains and flowers respectively. Each project results in a full painting that is accompanied at the end of the book by a full-size outline that can be copied and applied to the artist's own watercolour paper using tracedown paper and pencil. The Watercolour Sourcebook aims to provide a wealth of inspiration to the painter who struggles to decide upon their subject matter, and arms the artist with everything they need to know about what they're about to paint, from colour palette to useful techniques.

Relax and dive into the ultimate guide to creating watercolor paintings of your favorite flowers! From bright red roses to deep green cacti, this gorgeous, easy-to-follow book will show how anyone can paint luminous watercolor flowers and botanicals. Noted artist and instructor Rachel Eskandari details how anyone can paint a garden of bold, creative watercolor images. Featuring colorful step-by-step images, this book shows how to master the basics of watercolors and then expand your color palette to create boldly unconventional floral artwork. Watercolor Botanical Garden features everything you need to know, including: *Color theory and mixing for unique shades *Utilizing the skills of blending, gradients, and shading *Lesson for creating 25+ different plants and flowers including roses, cacti, peonies, nigella, agave, anemones, queen of the night, leaves, and more *How to incorporate multiple botanical images for a gorgeous landscape painting

A must-have reference for every watercolorist

This is your complete guide to watercolor--from basic art concepts and techniques to fun special effects and pointers for painting popular subjects. "Secrets of Watercolor, From Basics to Special Effects" is a handy reference that beginners and experienced artists simply can't be without.

Learn how to:

• Work with the right materials
• Master all essential techniques
• Choose, mix and apply color
• Paint people, landscapes, animals and more

Make this Christmas a watercolor wonderland with this creative guide to painting through the festive season. Christmas is the perfect time to get creative with watercolors with lots of handmade cards to paint - but cards are only a small part of the ideas that you will get from this book. Here you'll find a wealth of inspiration and techniques for all sorts of watercolor projects this Christmas! First, the book covers the materials and equipment you need for watercolor painting - from paints and brushes to paper and other materials such as masking fluid and watercolor ground. You'll then learn how to create both traditional and contemporary color palettes for Christmas, and discover a wide range of watercolor techniques including washes, layering, blending and gradation, plus experimental ideas to try such as using salt, bleach and masking fluid in your work. Twelve creative projects follow, with easy-to-follow step-by-step tutorials so that even beginners to watercolor can jump right in. Learn how to paint your own Christmas cards, gift tags and gift boxes, create seasonal table settings, hand painted Christmas crackers and garlands, and unique hand-painted Christmas gifts including a watercolor wreath. Using innovative but accessible watercolor primer products, you can now prepare a wide variety of surfaces for watercolor painting. This inspirational book will also show you how to use these exciting new products to paint onto glass baubles, 3D cardboard letters, wooden tree ornaments and more. And once you have the skills, who knows where your imagination will take you? Finally, a gallery of additional Christmas motifs and designs that can be used for further inspiration can be found at the end of the book including reindeer, robins, mittens, snowflakes, stars, baubles, snowmen, candy canes, winter foliage, presents, decorations, elves and much much more! Artist Ingrid Sanchez, aka @creativeingrid, is a self-confessed Christmas afficianado who has brought all her Christmas spirit to bear in creating and illustrating this book. In this unique celebration of Christmas in watercolor, she shares her beautiful artwork and expert guidance, which will help you turn Christmas into the most artistic time of the year!