A modern, easy-to-use, and authoritative guide to painting with gouache, including the basics on this exciting and centuries-old medium, techniques for all skill levels, and practice projects from an experienced author and illustrator. This charming and contemporary step-by-step guide to gouache (pronounced "gwash") is perfect for creative people who have dreamed of painting inspiring subjects from everyday life. Gouache is a water-based paint similar to watercolor that has the opacity and layerability of acrylic paints. It creates wonderful washes, allows for layering and texture, and dries quickly with a unique matte finish. Illustrator Emma Block presents everything you need to know about this whimsical and fun medium, including expert guidance on tools and materials and techniques that will make it easy to use. Thirty lessons cover subjects from simple, such as your morning coffee cup and bright lemons, to advanced, such as fluffy animals and portraits of your friends and family. All of this is accompanied by her workshop-honed instructions and step-by-step illustrations, which will help you build the skills and confidence to finish beautiful pieces of your own.

Among the women artists who came to prominence in the postwar era in New York, painter Nell Blaine had a uniquely hard-won career. In her mid-thirties, her horizons seemed limitless. Her shows received glowing reviews, ARTnews honored her with a lengthy feature article, and one of her paintings hung in the Whitney Museum. Then, on a trip to Greece, Blaine developed polio, rendering her a paraplegic. Angry at being told she would never paint again, she taught herself to hold a brush with her left hand and regained her skill. In Alive Still, author Cathy Curtis tells the story of Blaine's life and career for the first time by investigating the ways her experience of illness colored her personality and the evolving nature of her work, the importance of her Southern roots, and the influence of her bisexuality (and, in the latter part of her life, long term lesbian relationships) on her understanding of the world. Alive Still draws upon Blaine's unpublished diaries; her published writing; career-spanning interviews and reviews; and correspondence to and from family members, lovers, and the artists, poets, publishers, rescuers in Greece, and neighbors she knew. In addition, Curtis has conducted interviews with surviving artists and other individuals in Blaine's circle, including two of her longtime lovers. Featuring illustrations of Blaine's work and snapshots of family and friends, Alive Still is a compelling narrative of a leading, productive, and passionate woman artist who overcame the setbacks of disability.

In this new and extended edition of her best-selling book in the 'How to Paint' series: 'Colour and Light in Watercolour' (first published 2010), Jean Haines has produced a book even more inspirational than the first. With 40 per cent new material in the form of new hands-on demonstrations, examples of her work and extended text, Jean provides a valuable insight into the materials and techniques she uses to inject colour and light into her stunningly beautiful, award-winning watercolour paintings. Jean's enthusiasm and passion for art is evident throughout the book, which is packed full of ideas, useful tips, expert advice and over 20 step-by-step demonstrations. with subjects ranging from atmospheric winter landscapes to bright colourful cockerels, all painted in Jean's loose and expressive style, artists of all tastes and abilities will not fail to be inspired by her imaginative and exciting use of light and colour.

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.

Geoff Kersey shares his expertise in this book packed full of tips for watercolour painters. Learn all you need to know, from what to buy, composing a painting and mastering techniques such as wet into wet and dry brush work, to how to paint skies, water, trees, buildings and more. The tips are clearly explained and illustrated through artwork and step-by-step photographs. This title was previously published as Geoff's Top Tips for Watercolour Artists. In this new, easy-to-use flexibinding format with an updated design, the books in the Watercolour Artists' Pocket Books series bring you the best tips from some of Search Press's leading authors.

Easy tips for buying and using materials, mixing colours, creating texture and correcting mistakes, as well as for painting skies, fields, trees, water, roofs, winter scenes and much more. Terry demystifies the painting process, reveals his secrets and shows how to produce perfect pictures every time. This title was previously published as Terry's Top Tips for Watercolour Artists. In this new easy-to-use flexibinding format with an updated design, the books in the Watercolour Artists' Pocket Books series bring you the best tips from some of Search Press's leading authors.

'When we paint with colours we should paint in such a way that we are conscious that we are calling forth life from what is dead.' -- Rudolf Steiner A vital factor in a child's development is the stimulation of active imagination and creativity. Here are ideas for encouraging self-expression through watercolour painting. Essentially practical, this book is based on Goethe's colour theory and shows that painting with children is more than just a form of self-expression. Muller encourages and attempts to understand children's fantasies through their artwork. This guide for parents and teachers to painting with watercolours covers preparation, colour-stories and poems, painting moods of nature and the seasons of the year.

This complete beginner's guide to painting animals and birds is ideal if you want to learn to paint in watercolour but are short on time. Broken down into 32 quick and easy paintings measuring just 15 x 10cm (6 x 4in), this basic course will teach you all the skills you need to paint domestic and wild animals and birds, in home settings or in nature. Best-selling author Matthew Palmer shows you how to paint a diverse range of animals and birds, including a parrot, cat, dog, zebra, stag, cow and swan, and teaches you how to paint realistic markings, fur and feathers, and how to create faces filled with character and personality. Tracings are provided for all the paintings, including the three projects at the end of the book. Simply trace them off onto your watercolour paper and paint with confidence, without the need to make an initial drawing. Each painting takes just 30 minutes to complete and teaches you a different technique, so by the end of the book you will be equipped with all the skills you need to complete one of the three full-size projects: a King Charles cavalier spaniel, a snow leopard and a hummingbird.

This exquisite book by the founders of the studio May & Berry shows you how to create beautiful messages through the combination of hand lettering and watercolour. Broken down into easy-to-follow stages, you will soon learn how to use different pens and inks to produce gorgeous lettering, embellished with simple yet stunningly effective watercolour motifs. This practical book guides you gently through the materials and tools you need to get started, and sets you on your hand-lettering journey with some simple exercises. There are then ten pretty step-by-step projects for you to try, after which you'll be confidently creating your own handwritten artworks that you can display on your wall, send as notecards to loved ones, or use to decorate your journals and scrapbooks. At the back of the book there is a treasure trove of gorgeous botanical-style motifs and borders along with four delightful alphabets created by the authors in a variety of scripts - perfect for gently encouraging beginners and inspiring more experienced hand-lettering artists to play with new designs and styles. This is followed by six handy worksheets on which to practise your letter-writing technique. You'll soon find that hand lettering with watercolour is quick and fun to learn, and a wonderful skill that will bring you joy for many years to come.

'This is an extraordinary book.' Review of Jean Haines' Atmospheric Watercolours in The Artist Magazine 'It simply dazzles on the page and makes you want to grab your brushes and get going straight away.' Review of Jean Haines' Atmospheric Watercolours in The Leisure Painter Jean Haines is arguably one of the world's most accomplished and inspirational artists, and in this, her fifth book, she explores one of her most beloved subjects - flowers. Taking inspiration from her own beautiful garden in the English countryside where she lives, Jean takes you on an artistic journey that not only teaches you how to create gorgeous paintings, but also shares with you the joy to be gained from the simple act of painting flowers. In this beautiful book, Jean explains with passion and enthusiasm how to loosen up your painting style and include just enough detail in your paintings to portray the essence of flowers, bringing them to life on the paper and infusing them with vibrancy and energy. She shares unreservedly the materials and techniques she uses, provides a wealth of expert tips and advice, and guides you step-by-step through numerous studies and projects. Throughout the book there are many glorious examples of Jean's paintings of a dazzling variety of flowers, providing an abundance of inspiration for artists of all abilities. Jean uses Daniel Smith materials in this book but other materials can be used to achieve similar results.

Watercolour offers great potential for expression. Its fluidity, full colour range, generous spread and variety of marks can portray a likeness, a response, a feeling - even the notions of time and speed. This book is a practical guide to watercolour painting and more. It explains the importance of colour, tone, shape, texture andscale through exercises and shared techniques. But it also encourages the artist to express sensations and ideas in watercolour - and by exploring the joy of the medium, to develop handling skills, confidence and a unique painting 'voice'.

Artist Ann Blockley is renowned for her innovative approach to traditional subjects. Following the huge success of her previous book, Experimental Flowers in Watercolour, she now explores ways to interpret landscape. Packed with stunning examples of her colourful, expressive work, this book encourages you to experiment with the same techniques in your own watercolour painting to develop a personal style. Techniques covered include combining water-based paint and ink with other media such as gesso and collage to create dramatic effects; manipulating paint with materials such as plastic wrap (clingfilm); tearing, layering and reassembling paintings into watercolour collages; and developing textures and marks made using fabrics and other found objects. Throughout the book Ann offers her personal commentary on how her paintings were created, giving us a unique insight into the mind of the artist. Both practical and inspirational, this glorious book is the ideal companion for watercolour painters who want to take their work a step further.

This is a practical and comprehensive guide for all watercolour enthusiasts, from the beginner who wishes to explore this popular painting medium to the experienced artist looking for inspiration and ideas. Starting with advice on materials, colour and composition, the book goes on to describe basic and more advanced techniques and the wonderful effects they can produce. Fourteen easy-to-follow, step-by-step demonstrations show the reader how to paint skies, trees, water, buildings and flowers, and each section is accompanied by a selection of inspirational paintings by the seven featured artists, in a rich variety of styles. Originally published as 'Working with Watercolour', this book uses material from the 'Leisure Arts' series.

"The book is packed with step-by-step guides on drawing and painting techniques, colour mixing and clever compositions, it is an invaluable source of ideas for anyone wanting to develop their flower painting skills." - SAA Billy Showell's exquisite and technically brilliant watercolour flower portraits are beautifully presented in this highly informative, lavishly illustrated book. First published in 2009 and now back by popular demand in paperback, it provides the reader with valuable information on the brushes, paints, paper and other equipment they need, together with detailed guidance on drawing and painting techniques, colour mixing and composition. Learn how to paint white flowers, leaves and stems; add shadows; and create stamen, carpels, veins and texture. The book finishes with four stunning step-by-step projects to practice and consolidate your newly-acquired skills. This is an invaluable source of information and inspiration for anyone who wants to develop their flower painting skills.

Inspired by the beauty of the plants and flowers in her garden in France, Sue Goodchild has built up a gallery of beautiful moments in pencil and paint. Here she turns her attention to the vegetable garden, delighting in the forms and colours, observing details and creating paintings radiant with light. Each vegetable is also discussed from the point of view of the gardener, whose work complements that of the artist. Here the task is not just to provide a collection of edible plants, but to make a living composition - a lovely place to wander and enjoy the sights, scents and tastes of all around.

'This is busy, colourful, packed with information and thoroughly inspiring and I love it...buy this book.' Artbookreview.net Strongly influenced by the changing landscape, Carole Robson's artwork is packed with colour, atmosphere, texture and light. An experienced teacher and artist, Carole explores how to build from basic techniques to producing wonderful expressive and semi-abstract landscapes. Combining watercolour with other watersoluble media and collage material, the three detailed step-by-step projects demonstrate perfectly Carole's expertise and innovative methods. They take you from materials and tools needed through to using masking fluid, salt, spattering techniques, modelling paste, cellophane and much more. A stimulating mix of colour and watercolour techniques for all skill levels, this guide helps the artist develop a free and flowing style to their art.

Shirley Trevena is a successful and popular watercolourist with a huge international fan base. Throughout her career Shirley has pushed the boundaries of watercolour and is regarded as one of Britain's most innovative artists in that medium.Shirley's watercolours are vibrant in colour, visually inspiring and strong in composition. In this book, Shirley shares her thoughts, ideas, stories and sketches of more than 100 paintings to give a valuable insight into the evolving work of a much-loved artist.Shirley breaks the conventional rules of watercolour in many different ways: through her exciting compositions, strange perspectives and above all, the strength and vibrancy of her colour combinations. In this exciting and inspiring book, Shirley gives her personal view of painting and shares her creative process with us.

Fill your home with original, professional art - and learn how to paint at the same time. This innovative new series is a poster book, an art pad and a step-by-step painting book all rolled into one! Each of the five A3 posters are ready to pull out, frame and display. In addition, you can enjoy the calming pursuit of painting each of the pictures yourself using the pre-printed outlines - so no drawing required. The large landscape format of the book allows each stage of painting to be clearly and comprehensively explained with an innovative annotation approach. Simply pull out the simple, stage-by-stage tutorial pages and pin them to your easel, then paint directly onto the watercolour outlines for fantastic results. In this title, learn how to paint five of the nation's favourite flowers in the style of the finest watercolour artists of this day. Choose from a vibrant bouquet of sunflowers, a field of poppies, a vase of tulips, a garden of roses or a bed of irises.

A modern twist on watercolour flower painting - learn to paint your houseplants in the comfort of your own home. London-based designer Nikki Strange takes you through 20 highly visual step-by-step projects. New and budding artists can learn to paint beautiful leafy balms, exotic flowers, succulents and more, so you can create a modern artwork that you'll love to display in your home, use as stationery or proudly give to your friends and family. The process of studying and recreating each plant is described in clear step-by-step instructions, accompanied by stunning photography and a clean, contemporary design. In addition, a 25-sheet sketchpad with outlines of all the projects faintly printed on the pages is attached to the book for you to draw and paint on, so you can get started right away.