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. Open 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.

In Sketching Your Favorite Subjects in Pen & Ink, Claudia Nice covers all aspects of pen and ink drawing. You'll find complete instruction for and demonstration of techniques such as crosshatching, stippling, texture and value contrasts, as well as the use of contour, parallel and scribble lines. All of theses techniques are illustrated throughout by the author's striking works. You'll find chapters detailing: Houses and Buildings: using freehand and architectural styles, learn to detail barns, houses and cityscapes. Animals: draw realistic animals by focusing on anatomy, facial features and hair texture. The Plant Kingdom: learn to sketch plants, flowers, leaves and trees - from an individual flower to an entire forest. Faces and Figures: sketch realistic, dynamic figures and capture varying moods. Birds: learn to draw lifelike feathers, eyes, bills and feet. Waterscapes: capture the reflections of a quiet brook and the spray of crashing surf.

Showing how to paint a variety of leaves, vines, weathered wood arbors, birdbaths, and other outdoor details, bestselling author Claudia Nice provides all the information artists need to create gorgeous country garden art. 150 color illustrations.

Capture the Natural World with Vibrant Works of Art Nature illustrator Rosalie Haizlett has hiked through countless forests with her sketchbook and watercolors, documenting the plants, animals and landscapes that she encounters. She has also taught tens of thousands of students to paint and appreciate nature’s beauty through her popular online classes and in-person workshops. In this book, Rosalie provides step-by-step instruction on how to paint 20 realistic insects, fungi, birds, botanicals and mammals in her vibrant wet- on-dry watercolor style. Pick up the skills you need to become a better observer in the outdoors, take your own reference photos and paint a wide variety of subjects so that you can continue to draw inspiration from nature long after you finish the projects in this book. You’ll also learn some fun nature facts along the way! Whether you’re a total beginner or ready to take your skills to the next level, Rosalie is here to walk you through every step of the process.

In straightforward text complemented by step-by-step illustrations, dozens of exercises lead the hand and mind through creating accurate reproductions of plants and animals as well as landscapes, skies, and more. Laws provides clear, practical advice for every step of the process for artists at every level, from the basics of choosing supplies to advanced techniques.

Expand your artistic horizons with watercolor! Watercolor is a fun, challenging medium that captures the magic of light and color. Now world-renowned artist and instructor Claudia Nice helps you get started in watercolor today. In Watercolor Made Simple with Claudia Nice, you'll start with the very basics, learning new techniques as you paint. Detailed instructions and step-by-step artwork show you how to: • Explore the amazing variety of effects you can get by painting watercolors on dry, damp or wet paper • Mix paint and water to create a variety of soft, beautiful washes • Use fun and easy techniques such as spatter, sponging and stamping to bring a lively new look to your work • Blend colors on your palette to capture the precise shade you're seeking • Use your brushes, papers and paints to produce wonderful textural effects Throughout, you'll find helpful troubleshooting tips, practical exercises, and Claudia's encouraging advice - all so you, too, can become a watercolor pro.

Paint lively and lovable animals of all kinds! Capture all the natural charm and personality of your favorite animals. Bestselling author and beloved teacher Claudia Nice makes it fun. With step-by-step guidance, Claudia shows you just how easy it is to paint a menagerie of lively creatures in her trademark pen, ink and watercolor technique. Follow along and see for yourself. Whether you are a beginner attempting to paint your first animal subject, or a more experienced artist looking to broaden your skills, you'll find this book to be both entertaining and instructive. It features: 14 complete step-by-step demonstrations A range of delightful animal subjects, including dogs, cats, horses, pigs, sheep, bunnies, birds, and more 60+ mini demos and quick studies that focus on getting the details right, such as fur, feathers, feet, facial expressions and backgrounds Techniques for painting from photos, sketches and memories Key tips for working with ink and watercolors successfully Claudia starts by simplifying the animal subject into basic shapes and diagrams. She then shows you how to refine these shapes into drawings. From there, you'll gently add color in simple washes and finish the details with pen and ink. Discover the versatility and satisfaction of painting with pen, ink and watercolor, and watch your favorite animals spring to life with a charm and detail you've never captured before.