Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Complete Guide To Watercolour Painting
William Newton

Search Press
7 November 2013 (US 1 January 2014) / ISBN 9781844488308
How-To Books/Art
Amazon US - UK

Reviewed by Rachel A Hyde

What a pleasant change it is to read a "how to" book on painting by an artist who is self-taught! Perhaps it is not surprising that this is one of Search Press' rare hardcover books as it is something rather special, and in many ways, easier to learn from than a book on the same topic by a college taught painter.

So how is this book different and deserving of its hard cover? This artist does not merely tell the reader to buy the best but explains why one item works better than another and explodes a few old myths in the process. There is some very up to date advice in here dealing with what is on the market now, and no mention of expensive items like easels. Instead of color wheels there are paintings using a limited palette and advice on mixing, greens in particular to look lifelike. There are exercises to try out to practice certain things such as tonal values, washes, wet into wet etc., and various staged projects. These include the usual types of picturesque country view, an Oxford college, a still life of a cannon and a painting of an old man; a nice mix of the invariable and the less obvious. Each project demonstrates some aspect of watercolor painting so you can learn by experience. Throughout the book the artist talks to the reader rather as if he was there in person, giving useful advice and explaining why it is useful. As a largely self-taught painter myself I found this book easier to learn from than those by the more formally trained artists and if this is your background then you might agree with me. This is one of the better books for the total beginner on watercolor painting.


UK Reviewer: Rachel Hyde's work can be found in Sewing World, Sew Hip, Popular Crafts and other magazines. Her craft blog is Green Thoughts
Reviewed 2013
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