Just Add Watercolour

Just Add Watercolour is an innovative and accessible guide to this most dynamic of artforms, packed with bite-sized creative painting tips and advice, offering aspiring artists the freedom to dip in and out for practical information or flick through for fresh inspiration and ideas. Showcasing nearly 100 works by contemporary artists across a range of different styles and approaches, Just Add Watercolour highlights and examines the different techniques, qualities and effects relating to each piece. Organized into chapters according to medium and materials (e.g. traditional watercolour, gouache, digital, mixed media) artwork is featured large and luscious, accompanied by extended captions, insightful tips and practical advice. A visual index at the front of the book enables the reader to easily identify a specific painting, style, colour or subject matter. Throughout the book, useful information and practical tips are provided on a wide range of topics such as tone, perspective, colour and much more besides. Readers are encouraged to discover the various ways in which similar subjects and styles are executed by different artists, while also being inspired to use the tips in the book as a way of building on their existing skills. Offering a bold, refreshing change from other run-of-the-mill art books, Just Add Watercolour adopts the unique approach of accessing practical information via the images, focusing on the way subjects can be treated using a range of different watercolour techniques, rather than looking at how to master one single style.

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.

From beautifully dynamic leaves, flowers, and trees to simple geometric shapes and patterns, Modern Watercolor provides a colorful and fun approach to working with watercolor. It’s time to get your feet wet with watercolors! This dynamic and inspirational guide will set you down a path of exploration as you learn to play with watercolors. Learn to use basic techniques and principles to create beautiful, expressive works of art. With Modern Watercolor, discover how to paint in watercolor by harnessing the medium's unique transparent qualities to create stunning works of art, stationery, gifts, and more. From selecting your first watercolor paints to learning to blend colors into a unique palette, we are here to guide you as you begin your journey. By the end, your paintings will be cohesive and rich. The easy-to-follow lessons explore using watercolor on different surfaces, how to create basic shapes using fun techniques, and how to create myriad gorgeous effects that can be achieved with different brushes and strokes. You can even learn how to add layers of dimension and texture, as well as how to work with resist techniques to create pretty patterns and gorgeous backgrounds. Whether you're an experienced artist seeking a playful escape or a beginner who has never held a paintbrush, there's something for everyone in Modern Watercolor.

Petite in size but packed with inspiration, Just Draw Botanicals presents 90 beautiful, contemporary botanical artworks in a range of media and styles. Each spread includes a stunning work of art paired with a discussion of the artist’s approach to creating it, including the techniques employed. At the bottom of the page, find tips on the tools, materials and methods used to make the piece. A hyper-realistic blackberry, a watercolour sketch of a bunch of mint in a glass, a detailed scratchboard study of three pussy willow twigs, a tribal-style pattern inspired by different leaf shapes, an abstract image-transfer print of a milkweed plant… the techniques and subjects covered are diverse. With these and more artworks – created in a variety of media, including watercolour, coloured pencils, oil, pen and ink, mixed media and pencil – explore: Shape, form and light Harmonious colours Contrasting elements Fine detail Capturing movement Cropped compositions Using negative space Anatomical accuracy A visual index is included at the front of the book so you can easily skip to a style or colour palette that interests you. At the back of the book, find an overview of materials and tips for using them; a list of further resources, including books and websites; and two additional indexes, one by artist name and the other by subject. Whether you are an artist looking for fresh ideas for creating botanical art or simply enjoy looking at nature-inspired images, this portable volume is a rich resource.

This skill-building portfolio book will teach you everything you need to know to get started with watercolor painting. Eight inspirational step-by-step watercolor projects are printed on thick and tactile watercolor paper, perforated for easy removal and display.

“Examples + explanations = inspiration . . . There is something in this guide for advanced, intermediate, and beginning artists alike.” —Library Journal Creating stylish sketches by hand is easy and fun with this inspiring guide. Freehand breaks down basic drawing techniques into bite-sized chunks, and reveals their practical application in dazzling examples by today’s coolest artists. Over 200 innovative works of art demonstrate all the fundamentals—line, tone, composition, texture, and more—and are presented alongside friendly text explaining the simple techniques used to achieve each stylish effect. The final section of the book offers aspiring artists essential reference materials to hone their drafting skills and practice what they’ve learned. Petite in size but comprehensive in scope, this hip handbook will teach artists of all skill levels how to find their personal drawing style and start making amazing sketches.

Build your watercolor skills with confidence with these 25 beautiful and beginner-friendly new projects on premium watercolor paper! This easy-to-use watercolor workbook is filled with unique and beautiful flower and nature sketches that are ready for you to watercolor--no drawing skills required! Each page is specially designed with simple step-by-step instructions so you can easily and confidently paint each project and create artwork that matches the quality of the author's example. Watercolor Workbook features: An introduction to fundamental watercolor techniques 25 projects on thick, 200 gsm premium watercolor art paper—no color bleed-through! Easy-to-follow instructions that can be completed in 30 minutes or less Beautiful floral and plant artwork, including: wild roses, poppies, sunflowers, buttercups, dandelions, and more Easy-to-follow instructions, including suggested paint and paintbrush materials, so you can start painting today Artist and author Sarah Simon, a.k.a. @themintgardener, has taught thousands of people how to paint with watercolor. Her first book Modern Watercolor Botanicals provides everything you need to know about the art of watercolor and, now in this new workbook, Simon offers 25 watercolor projects that you can sit down and enjoy painting today!

A soft touch of water and your colored pencils are all you need to make dozens of beautiful and inspiring works of art with this delightful book. Just add water to the included paintbrush and watch as vibrant colors merge and mingle on the pages of this magical painting book. Thirty vibrant designs in Be Happy: Just Add Water contain pigments embedded onto the page, and a gentle touch of water will cause the colors to emerge. A dozen other images are ready to be colored in using your own pencils, pens, and markers. Images include nature scenes, animals, flowers, and mosaics, accompanied by positive affirmations to remind you of all the joy that is to be found in the world.