Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Watercolor

This book gives good detail and excellent examples to allow various styles to emerge. Very organized and easy to read. It covers so many different aspects that I, as a newbie, have found it a must-have out of the many books that I have purchased to help me learn. This really is one of the very best of the many that have been written out there. You'll not be frustrated or feel left lacking for knowledge.

My experience with water colors is not broad. In fact, I just picked up painting with water colors. I found this book to cover most everything I needed to know. The book discusses paints, paint quality, demystifies the selection of paper, and spends a good deal of time on technique. The book also has tons of exercises to help you better your skill. The projects are interesting too. I liked that they used a variety of authors to discuss things, as different people have new perspectives and experiences to share.

A collection of how-to-do-it articles by many famous watercolorists. What makes this book special is the wide spectrum of approaches, from the traditional to the experimental. It's got everything from selecting material and preparing paper, theory and practice of color (selecting, mixing, schemes), basic painting techniques, collaging and less traditional techniques, artisitic principles (value, composition),perspective, and painting of textures, landscapes, figues, flowers, and special effects. Great for beginners and more experienced painters. It's simply the best, most comprehensive, watercolor book.

If my experience is typical, then most beginners watercolor havent the slightest idea what an amazing range of visual expression is possible with watercolor...even with a novice's palette of nine colors. This wonderfully illustrated anthology of techniques provides both inspiration and instruction. Starting from the beginning, with tips on choosing paper, brushes, paint, and which colors to use to set up a novice, intermediate and advanced working palette, the book then moves on to cover hundreds of well-illustrated micro-lessons in watercolor techniques. These lessons are organized in sections:ColorBasic Painting TechniquesTextures & Special EffectsCollaging & Other Unusual TechniquesArtistic PrinciplesPerspectiveLandscape PaintingFigure PaintingFlowersEach section has 15 - 30 lessons, each of which is illustrated with color photographs and good text instruction, and often with a series of photographs to show how the artist progresses to achieve the desired effect.This book shows there is a wide array of special techniques and effects that can be achieved in watercolor that you could never dream of in acrylic or even oil.

I am just getting back to watercolor after many years away from it. I found this book to be a great memory jogger and will find it's way on my shelves near my paint.The book covers many techniques and is very thorough. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED