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The Best Books about Watercolour Painting

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Find out about how to paint in watercolour

Do you need an instruction book about how to paint in watercolour? Do you want to find out more about watercolour art and artists who use watercolour? Do you want to develop your skills in painting with watercolour?

Find out about art instruction books and books about wateroclour artists which can fill in the gaps in your library of books about watercolour.

The problem with Amazon is that the book you are looking for doesn't always appear in the category you're looking in. I've been surprised again and again about where books get hidden - hence why I have developed The Best Books about Watercolour Painting.

This site is also being developed as part of a project on my blog Making A Mark - see Which are the best art books about watercolour painting?.

Descriptions relate to product descriptions. I'm adding in my personal notes and the names of/links to people who recommend each book and their comments as the recommendations come in

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Important!

NEW BOOKS ABOUT WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

These are books have been published this year or are due to publish in the next six months or so

Watercolour - NEW art instruction books in 2012

NEW Books about Watercolor for 2011

Important!

HOW TO PAINT - WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS

BOOKS: Watercolour Painting - Complete Guides

nominations received to date

Making A Mark - looks at art instruction books

Making a Mark: Art Instruction Books #1: different ways of learning: my post looks at art books and the curse of the 'five easy steps' mentality. What follows today and tomorrow are some thoughts on:

* the way people learn
* the way people learn about art
* the nature of instruction available in art books and
* the economy of publishing.
Making a Mark: Art Books #2 - the economics of publishing: Following on from Art Instruction Books #1: different ways of learning in this post I'm aiming to ponder and reflect on the economic of publishing and its influence on content.
Making a Mark: Your favourite art books - what you like: This is for people who read art instruction books and those who write and publish them. Plus any would-be authors out there. It's grown out of the views expressed about art instruction books in the comments made on two posts last week
Making a Mark: What sort of art book is missing from our bookshelves?: I've been asking what sort of art book is missing from our bookshelves. You've been volunteering your comments and views about which are the published books you like and what sort of book you would like to see on your shelves - if it were available.
Making a Mark: In praise of older art books - free and digital: I've come very late in the day to the notion of buying used books on the internet. I've also only just started to investigate the digital books which are available to read for free (or download as a file) on the Internet.

However I'd like to announce that I'm now convinced that there is huge value to be gained from investigating the books which you won't find in your local book store or on the current directory of publications of your favourite art book publisher.
Making a Mark: In praise of older art books - used and low cost: Why buy second hand art books? Here's a few reasons:

* you can buy books you'd NEVER see on the art bookshelves of a book shop
* you can buy classic art books which are no longer in print. I'm currently eyeing up the various prices being charged for different editions of Kenneth Clark's Landscape into Art.
* you can buy art books which can tell you about art processes or facts from the past...........
Making a Mark: BOOKS: how to draw animals, plants, flowers and nature: The Best Books about Drawing and Sketching now includes some new modules which identify some of the best instruction books for drawing animals, birds, plants, flowers and nature in general.
Making a Mark: Which are the best art books about watercolour painting?: If you're a watercolour artist - or aspire to become one - then this post is just for you! It focuses on art instruction books which cover watercolour with a view to identifying which are the best.

Watercolour for Beginners

BOOKS: Watercolour - Colour

books on Amazon

Colour is one of the most important aspects of painting and all artists find it a fascinating, but at times challenging, subject.

BOOKS: Watercolour - Colour Mixing

BOOKS: Watercolour - Painting Light

nominations received to date

BOOKS: Watercolour and Design

BOOKS: Watercolour - The Rules

BOOKS: Watercolour - Tips and Techniques

I own copies of all Charles Reid's book and have always got excited when a new one is published. He is a fantastic watercolour artist - who paints figurative subjects working in a loose and impressionistic way. He also and writes superb books about how to paint with watercolour.

His style will NOT suit people who want to be meticulous about the way they paint.

BOOKS: Watercolour - Advanced Skills

BOOKS: Watercolour - Wet in Wet

books which focus on watercolour painting wet in wet

"Wet in wet is simply the process of applying pigment to wet paper. The results vary from soft undefined shapes to slightly blurred marks, depending on how wet the paper is. The wet in wet technique can be applied over existing washes provided the are thoroughly dry. Simply wet the paper with a large brush and paint into the dampness. The soft marks made by painting wet in wet are great for subtle background regions of your painting."

BOOKS: Watercolour - Loosening up

for all those don't want or need to be precise

BOOKS: Watercolour - Sketching

nominations received to date

The Best Books about "Art Basics"

information sites by makingamark

Important!

HOW TO PAINT DIFFERENT SUBJECTS IN WATERCOLOUR

BOOKS: Watercolour - Subjects

BOOKS: Portraits and Figures in Watercolour

Charles Reid states, "that a painting needs to have soul and a sense of the models personality".

BOOKS: Landscapes in Watercolour

BOOKS: Botanical Art in Watercolour

watercolour is a traditional medium for botanical art

See also The Best Books about Botanical Art

BOOKS: Flowers in Watercolour

for the non-botanical flower lover

BOOKS: Nature in Watercolour

NEW BOOK: Splash 12

The Splash series showcases the finest watercolor paintings being created today - although it tends to favour American artists

You will gain insight into methods of the best contemporary watercolor artists in the 12th edition of this top-selling series. Features over 125 paintings by 100 artists selected from hundreds of watercolor and water-media painters across the world invited to submit work for consideration.

One regular reviewer comments that the standard is not quite up to the norm - see Book Review: Splash 12: The Best of Watercolor: Celebrating Artistic Vision

Amazon reviews: 4.0 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews) | Like (36)

Splash 12 The Best of Watercolor: Celebrating Artistic Vision

by: Rachel Rubin Wolf

Amazon Price: $16.25 (as of 05/27/2012)
Used Price: $16.24

Publication Date: June 16, 2011

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

BOOKS: The Splash Series

The Splash series showcases the finest watercolor paintings being created today.

Important!

GREAT WATERCOLOUR ARTISTS

Great Watercolour Artists

BOOK: How to paint like JMW Turner

British artist J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851) painted unforgettable watercolors and was revered for his masterly use of shifting light and dramatic cloudscapes. Now, this clear, accessible book reveals the secrets of Turner's technique, making his magical effects possible for today's painters.

The book examines the materials Turner used and suggests modern-day equivalents to recreate his effects. Using his works as examples, chapters explore themes such as sky, water, trees, people, moonlight, and more.

Step by step, contemporary artists explain how to emulate the examples and master the techniques to create other compositions. Only the Tate, the global center for Turner scholarship, could create this instructional gem.

How to Paint Like Turner

Amazon Price: $14.15 (as of 05/27/2012)
Used Price: $14.16

I've just got this book from the National Gallery Bookshop in London and it looks excellent. Turner was very reticent in his lifetime about how he achieved his effects and I've wondered for years how he did what did. This book goes a very long way to being the book I've been looking for for years.

It's published by Tate Publishing which means that the authors and people at Tate Britain have been able to reference his works in the Turner Bequest when working out how he painted. I love the bit where they worked out he's actually painting with his fingers on occasion!

More to come when I;ve finished looking at it but so far it looks very, very good.

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

BOOKS: British Watercolour Artists

BOOKS: John Singer Sargent and Watercolour Paintings

BOOKS: Cezanne and Watercolour

BOOKS: Winslow Homer and Watercolour

nominations received to date

Winslow Homer is a watercolourist who I think everybody who paints water can learn from

Making A Mark

Artist and author Katherine Tyrrell draws and writes about art for artists and art lovers.

Topics include: artists, art exhibitions, art blogs; art history; art techniques and tips; art business and marketing; art economy and making a mark with pastels, coloured pencils and pen and ink.

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LindaRN Mar 9, 2012 @ 6:08 am | delete

NIce lens and a ton of resources

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BookMama Feb 23, 2012 @ 9:31 pm | delete

I gave you (well this page) a shout-out, in the Amazon book section of:
http://www.squidoo.com/original-watercolor-paintings -- since this is THE place to come if someone wants a book about watercolor painting.

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seosmm Jan 8, 2012 @ 7:12 am | delete

Very nice lens!

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seosmm Jan 8, 2012 @ 7:11 am | delete

Very nice lens!

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PlayOutside May 26, 2011 @ 6:11 pm | delete

Nice lens...I will check out more of yours.

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jonart Mar 7, 2011 @ 9:54 pm | delete

Great resource here....thanks for sharing this lens. John

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Irenemaria Feb 12, 2011 @ 5:50 am | delete

You promised books and books we got! This is a fine list to remember! I love to paint too and am still learning

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bjslapidary Jan 19, 2011 @ 10:24 am | delete

Very nice. Thanks for sharing all this info.

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JaguarJulie Apr 8, 2010 @ 5:08 pm | delete

I love watercolors and have a favorite from a NYC artist that hangs on my home office wall. Gosh, I sure wish I could learn to be a watercolorist, but alas I do not have that talent. Cool to see so many great books on it.