I got to know the art (and teaching style) of Ana Victoria Calderón when I took some of her classes online a few years back. In her classes she demonstrated the kind of easy to follow and fun watercolor exercises that is also in her newest book "Watercolor Textures for Artists". I love how fun and colorful all her exercises are, so I jumped at the chance to check out her new book and paint along with some of her ideas on how to illustrate “textures” using my beloved set of watercolors.

Of course this book, as most other tutorial books, starts with the basic basic; how white is not a color we use in watercolor (instead the paper is our white) and what tools you need to get started, going through brushes and such. But since Ana Victoria comes from a mixed media art background, she encourages us to also whip out our gel pens and pencils, which appreciate. In her texture swatching, which is the bulk tutorials of the book, she shows us how to combine all of these tools and ideas in fun ways to create patterns (textures) that mimic nature. Just the wording of “texture swatching” as she calls it, makes me eager to jump in. Before finishing the book I pulled out my own watercolors to start swatching. I think that is a high star rating for a book full of creative exercises.

Reading through this book, but especially painting along and actually doing the exercises, you will learn how to paint pebbles, strips and dots, create swooshes (hair structure), bricks, bubbles (painting the negative), concentric circles, etching lines and create waves with beads on.

There’s nothing that is really difficult to copy, but of course the more experience you have, the better it will look. There is a lot of time and practice that has to go into mastering watercolor “for real” – but even if you never master them, I feel you can have a lot of fun practicing and playing with them. Ana Victoria Calderón will give you permission to play and lots of ideas on what to experiment with.

I’m personally not that interested in painting a beach scene with stones and grass, but the swatching of textures is enough to get me going and I think all of it could be used in my abstracts or art journal. Like she writes:
"Creating texture studies is a wonderful way to get the creative juices flowing, which is perfect for those days when you are facing a bit of a creative block. They can lead to new ideas for interesting subject matters for full-scale paintings."

Then she goes on to talk about mixed media textures, using pens and metallic markers on top of the watercolor layers, for example different ways of using white ink, which I think is a marvelous idea. Not new to me, but a good reminder to buy a new white pen for sure.

In the chapter “Inspired textures” we are encouraged to tackle the creative challenge to find textures in our surroundings. Then to copy them using previous described techniques, an exercise to improve your observational skills. There are several big spreads with a photo of a texture and Ana’s watercolor rendering of these texture. Indeed lots to learn, be inspired by and to copy.

Creating watercolor textures as a mindfulness exercise
Then the book contains a few mindfulness exercises to try, something that we should try to access more in this fast-paced world we’re in. It can be so healing to sit down and swirl your paintbrush around, just for fun. I’ve talked about how I find painting, specifically using watercolors, meditative before and this book reminded me of that as well.

In conclusion. Yes, being a fan of watercolors kind of makes me feel that I naturally would be a fan of a watercolor tutorial book, but the fact is that I like this specific one more than most I’ve looked at in my life. I just enjoy Calderón’s choice of colors, style and the overall presentation of this book.

The book “Watercolor Textures for Artists: Explore Simple Techniques to Create Amazing Works of Art” is just as inspiring and colorful to me as her online classes at Skillshare are, and I highly recommend you to check out both options if you want to be watercolor-inspired.

“Watercolor Textures for Artists” by Ana Victoria Calderon is an exceptional guide for artists seeking to expand their watercolor skills and explore textures. Calderon combines artistry and instruction, catering to beginners and seasoned artists.

The book teaches various watercolor texture techniques, from simple gradients to intricate patterns and realistic textures, with detailed step-by-step tutorials and stunning illustrations. Calderon also shares insightful tips on tool and material usage, revealing lesser-known techniques that transform art. Practical exercises encourage hands-on practice, refining skills.

A must-have for artists exploring watercolor’s full potential, this book offers knowledge and inspiration. Highly recommended!

I love this creative book, perfect for any shelf or classroom.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access this book in exchange for my feedback.

Ana Victoria Calderón's Watercolor Textures for Artists is the perfect resource for new watercolour artists. It is brimming with beautiful visuals and helpful guidance. The author's approach, centred on experimentation and playfulness, inspires artists to have fun with watercolour and expand their creativity.

Kind thanks to NetGalley, Quarry Books, and the author for an advanced reading copy of this gorgeous and inspiring book!

Although I'm not an artist, I found this book very inspiring. It is quite practical and easy to follow. It is very satisfying to do the work of painting with water colours while reading this book.

As a watercolor beginner, I always trying to find guide artbooks to give me introduction also encourage us to trying. Watercolor Textures for Artist offers me basic techniques and insight tips to learn create different visual patterns and also combine them into finished painting.

This book inspiring and also challenging, at least for me. Divide by section, readers will easily found parts appealing to them to learn. Some projects are design to understand your materials and suitable techniques. The illustration and photographs enriches the lesson and clearly describes the explanation.

I would love to recommend this book to watercolor enthusiasts and anyone who interested to learn.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quarry Books Publisher from Quarto Publishing Group for providing copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Expecting Publication : 5 March 2024

This is a lovely book with lots of pattern inspiration for watercolor painting. Fun for all stages of artists.

This was a very useful book for me as I am working my way though an art course. The instructions were very easy to follow and the photographs were very useful and clear. A new author to me but I am sure to try more from this author. Excellent book.

This was a beautiful and inspiring book. I enjoyed it playing with the different techniques and found them to be very helpful in practicing my watercolor.

I love all of this artist's books, and this one is no exception! With beautiful images and easy step-by-step instructions, it's perfect for anyone who's interested in learning different watercolour techniques. All of her books are unique, and each one is a joy to read and learn from. I can't wait for my physical copy to arrive! Highly recommend.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the ARC.

A great resource for budding watercolor artists. So much good information and helpful pictures. Great addition to our collection.

With beautiful textured watercolour examples on every page, this book is impressive and will provide lots of inspiration for you if you are considering experimenting with some new techniques. In the first part of the book, there are many illustrative images and textual descriptions that show you how to make various patterns and textures with watercolour. Later, the book shows you how to combine these designs to make more complex scenes and landscapes. The line templates for these sampler pieces are included. Being a beginner I want to see videos of these techniques because I can't visualize the behaviour of the paint while reading the book. However, the book has a lot of text that gives specific instructions and uses descriptive language about the kind of brush, the strokes, and the paint. Tutorial videos often lack this kind of detail. So, this book would be a nice addition to your resource collection if you are learning to paint because it provides new vocabulary and practice ideas.

As a timid and yet enthusiastic watercolor painter, WATERCOLOR TEXTURES FOR ARTISTS by Ana Victoria Calderón provided valuable guidance and inspiring motivation to challenge, explore, and develop my skills. In clear, forthright prose and step by step instructions that encouraged me to dare further. Ultimately, this guide is a wonderful, authoritative read. While I am a rank amateur, I imagine more experienced and proficient watercolorists would also gain a great deal from it. I received a copy of the book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Excellent, approachable book on how to paint with watercolors.

So many watercolor and art how to books start out with difficult exercises. This one breaks down a variety of techniques into easy steps. It is a beautiful book to look at as well.

Despite having received a free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, I purchased a physical copy for myself. Highly, highly recommend!

What a beautiful book! I'm not a watercolour painter by any means but even I could produce some decent artwork with the tips and instructions shown in this book!
The introduction is great and the information on the types of watercolour products and brushes. The activities are very simple and instructions easy to follow. I was surprised at the amazing results you can get by just simply layering the paint or using everyday supplies to make a difference to the overall look.
My personal favourites were the tie-dye swirl wet on wet painting and the tranquility stones.
This read couldn't have come at a better time as I have started teaching Primary school art and my 5/6 students will LOVE learning some of these techniques.
5 stars from me!
Thanks to Netgalley and the author and publisher for a temporary copy in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful fresh take on watercolors. Even though I've been painting watercolors for years, I always look to learn new things and experiment. And this book was perfect for that. Lots of fun.

An excellent companion to any watercolour artist, I loved its simple and straightforward index on how to achieve different textures in a medium that most people don't realize can be so versatile! Very informative, thanks for letting me read it!

Absolutely brilliant book can’t wait to try out some of these ideas and techniques.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Watercolor Textures for Artists is a fantastic resource for watercolourists of all skill levels.

The book opens with basic watercolour theory - brush management, wet/dry techniques, transparency, layering and mixed media effects before diving into the textures themselves.

Each technique and texture swatch has an accompanying tutorial and clear, step by step images to guide you in creating the different designs. There is a section of "inspo" section has colour swatches and a sample of the "real" and the painted effects, and sections on using textures to create a mindful practice or fantastical worlds. All of the text is clearly written, and the photographs / illustrations are clear and uncluttered.

This is a beautiful book, and I'd highly recommend it.

~ Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

This is a great guide to creating textures with your watercolors. With different methods and techniques, this is a comprehensive guide for varying textures.