In watercolor paintings it is the masterful use of washes that creates depth, spontaneity and atmosphere. In Mastering the Watercolor Wash, Joe Garcia provides clear, simple step-by-step instructions that teach the four basic washes: flat, gradated, wet-into-wet and streaked. Painters will find plenty of guidelines and 33 demonstrations that combine these techniques to create light and shadow effects, as well as a variety of textures for popular subjects including rocks, clouds and sand.They'll also learn how to develop unique textures and special effects using salt, a palette knife, masking fluid, sponges, dry brushes, spattering and lifting techniques.Joe Garcia's work has been published in Wildlife Art, Watercolor Magic, Art of the American West, Best of Wildlife 2 and Splash 3. It has also been featured in the prestigious Birds in Art annual exhibit. Joe teaches workshops in watercolor and nature painting. He lives in Julian, California.

Methods of merging soft luminous washes with sharp, crisp definite penwork are made easy with this book. Each stage of the painting process is illustrated in a highly practical way, using step-by-step photographs and a colourful selection of finished paintings.

Overcome your creative blocks and fears and start painting with confidence with Your Year in Art: Watercolor! Filled with weekly art challenges, step-by-step watercolor lessons, helpful tips and techniques, and gorgeous artwork, this follow-up to the drawing-focused Your Year in Art is a must-have for any watercolor artist. Written and illustrated by Kristin Van Leuven, owner of the popular online art shop Hello Lovely People and author of Modern Watercolor (Walter Foster Publishing), Your Year in Art: Watercolor seeks to motivate and inspire. The book is divided into weekly art challenges and prompts that cover appealing themes like florals, birds, and portraits, as well as inspirational ideas for painting patterns, holiday decorations, scenery, and so much more. Lessons and prompts are guided but invite personalization so you can build your skills while celebrating your own unique style. If you're a beginning artist, you might feel intimidated by watercolor, a medium that doesn't allow for many errors. However, Kristin Van Leuven makes watercolor fun and approachable with her easy-to-follow tips and free-flowing, expressive style. With her guidance, you'll learn to embrace imperfection and use the lessons as inspiration, rather than something to imitate exactly. With Your Year in Art: Watercolor, develop your own painting style and express yourself using watercolor!

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.

Master mixing and using color! An easy-to-use reference for watercolor painters of all levels, 600 Watercolor Mixes shares all the keys to expert color mixing and how to enhance your work with vivacious shades and tints. Beginning with comprehensive charts demonstrating the nuances of each color pairing, 600 Watercolor Mixes offers thorough color swatches of expected results when using different color mixing techniques like palette mixing, wet-into-wet, and overlaying. Plus, you'll get the basics on color theory and concepts, including saturation and value. Next, you'll learn about advanced color mixing, such as creating grays and neutrals. With Sharon Finmark's expert guidance, you'll discover how to get the precise depth of color needed. 600 Watercolor Mixes illustrates how colors can be used to enhance a painting--to create spatial effects, add contrast, and make shadows. Filled with watercolor illustrations and examples, this manual gives all the color mixing fundamentals for watercolorists of all levels.

Welcome to your watercolor happy place! The world of Danielle Donaldson is as wondrous as a jar full of fireflies. Her whimsical illustrations are known for their offbeat color combinations, artful arrangements and endearing quirkiness. In this book, you'll learn how to partner with the wonderfully spontaneous medium of watercolor to create your own brand of magic. Start by creating a handmade journal, then follow exercises and start-to-finish projects to fill it with illustrations that are small in size but big on color. Along the way, Danielle shares her fresh takes on color theory, perspective, composition and more. Designed to get your brush moving, this book makes practice feel like play. It's a one-of-a-kind journey for any artist wishing to tap into the utter joy of watercolor painting and make it a cherished part of your daily life. Inside you'll find: • Imaginative techniques that help you override perfectionist tendencies while making the most of watercolor's unpredictable nature • An inventive approach (using scraps of paper, ribbon and other ephemera) for more creative color choices • A simple strategy that makes drawing new subjects less intimidating and more fun • Sweet ways to add hand lettering to your artwork • Inspirational exercises that make finding subjects to paint as easy as A-B-C "Don't underestimate the giddiness you feel when you mindlessly grab a color and mix it with another and create the most beautiful wash ever!" --p43

Everything you ever wanted to know about watercolour washes! Barry Herniman's new book helps you to make your watercolour paintings successful. From simple wash techniques through to more complex and rewarding paintings, this book has something for everyone. Watercolours are ideal for creating light, fresh and spontaneous paintings, and this book shows you how to maximise the effects you can achieve. Barry Herniman helps you to fill your paintings with light and colour, using quick and simple watercolour techniques. Barry's infectious enthusiasm means that this book brims over with dozens of helpful hints, tips and points of advice. Try out your new skills in five varied and inspirational step-by-step projects, including a glorious sunset, a peaceful bridge scene and a romantic evening by the church.