Member Reviews
This is Ana Victoria Calderón's fifth book, and I had already had it preordered when I saw the option to receive a digital copy to review. I have all of her books, and after reading this one, it definitely measures up to the quality of content we've all grown to expect from this incredible artist!!
This is a comprehensive exploration of watercolor textures; you are guided through a rich tapestry of techniques that add depth and character to your artworks. The step-by-step instructions are clear and concise, making it easy to follow along and practice the techniques effectively.
The book not only covers the basics, but also delves into advanced methods, which allows you to advance your skills. The author's words are not only encouraging but also inspiring, which makes the learning process both enjoyable and rewarding. As usual in all of her books, the pictures in this book - her own artwork - are absolutely stunning. There is no way you can look through any of her books - especially this one - and not want to pull out all of your supplies and follow along. I recommend her books to EVERYONE, and this is a welcome addition to that list!!
I received this DRC from NetGalley.
This was fine. Could be good for a beginner who wants to know some basics and needs simple project ideas. I just don't know if there was that much variety in the things being done. And a lot of it relies on adding non-watercolor elements, like drawing over your painting with pens and such. And I also think some of the steps could have been more detailed.
Awesome watercolor book! So many techniques I wasn’t aware of, and the pictures are beautiful. If you’re new, or even not new, to watercolor this is a must get! Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this early.
I am a beginner in watercolor, and frequently find "beginner" books too complicated for me. I am so pleased to say that is not the case with this book. Ana Victoria Calderon starts with the basics of watercolor, and then shows how to add some simple textures. It is surprising to see how effective they are. She then goes on to show you how to use textures in ever more complex paintings. The photographs are lovely and very helpful. I can't wait to try these techniques out! I received this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley and Quarry Books.
I had always been brought up to think of watercolours as wishy-washy, best left for twee landscapes. You only need to glance at this book to see how vibrant, versaitile and modern watercolors can be, I've been given a small set of paints for Christmas and am looking forward to trying the techniques set out here - small projects that encourage you to experiment with your watercolors, laid out step by step with very clear photos. I felt very inspired after looking through this!
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC for this book. This one is packed full of wonderful ideas for how to expand your watercolor repertoire. The step by step illustrations help to clarify the process.
I love watercolor instruction books. There is something new to be learned from each artist/author. This book had great ideas for practicing watercolors. The photos were helpful as they went along with the tutorials.
I did expect a different type of texturing for watercolor paintings. I thought the textures were to be used in landscapes and still life paintings. However, the ideas were very contemporary. They were mainly abstract and would be best used for making greeting cards or small watercolor art.
I enjoyed this book and would happily include it in my watercolor painting library. I could see using the author’s ideas. It would be fun to practice the textures presented in this book.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book.
The art lessons look doable for both the beginner and moderate painter. I love learning new technique and think this with some watercolors and watercolor paper pad would be an amazing gift for all ages!
I love practical art books that make it possible for everyone to make something beautiful. This book tells you what materials you need and how to use them to make stunning works of art. You can learn about many different techniques and why some work better than others, and you will be able to see why some don't offer the effect you may want. Included in the end are some templates so you can get started.
Of all the projects, I thought the most gorgeous one was the one with the planets. The artist was able to use color to make so many different effects that it looked 3-dimensional.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this ARC
This book was super easy to follow and learn the art of watercolor. Each texture has an explanation with step by step written directions with pictures. I had a lot of fun playing with the different textures!
This book is fantastic if you are a beginner watercolourist. I started to learn this medium late last year having had forays into acrylics and gauche and wanting to treturn to painting as a calm space whie trying something new. I was fumbling my way through experimentation with watercolurs and came across three "how to" books on Netgalley and I was immediately inspired
Watercolour Textures for Artists takes you to a whole new dimension outside of washes, tape and stencils.
Visually, the book is absolutely gorgeous, opening with stunning illustrations. The sections are laid outconcisely and the photography is clean and bright.
The sections follow a logical process, supplies and basic techniques, thentypes of textures and various sources of inspiration for textures.
The Mindful Painting section really hit home for me as the core reason for why I was getting back into painting. This helped to ground the endeavour without being invasive. This is a really interesting section where "less is more" and tones, subject matter and structure is geared toward balance and a gentle flow, being present in the moment. This was extrememly useful for me as overkill and chaos is a common denominator in all of my creative endeavours.
The section of mystical landscapes and skyscrapers wasinspirational and the templates a nice touch and a great launch pad if you have a creative block (this book will solve that problem from page 1!)
Beautifully presented and full of wonderful illustration. I will be buyiing the hard copy when it is published!
Thank you to NetGalley for this beautiful free eARC. The Review is left voluntarily
Watercolor Textures for Artists : Explore Simple Techniques to Create Amazing Works of Art. This is a beautiful book bursting with colourful illustrations and inspiration. The instructions are easy to follow and very clear making it suitable for all levels from beginner upward. The author takes a playful approach and you are encouraged to experiment and find your own style. I love this book, it really inspires me to have go.
As someone who is fairly new to watercoloring, I knew I had to check this book out! I was worried that this book might be geared toward a more intermediate group because of the title, but this book has some wonderful and helpful sections for those to watercolor including information on starting tools, layering, etc.
I also really appreciate that in each technique section, every step includes a picture. I think the thorough visual components to a how-to book make this a fantastic resource. I'm excited to dive into this book more!
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
A very colorful book on watercolor painting and creating textures. It starts with 8 pages on watercolor basics and supplies, and then a section on Texture Swatching - creating simple textures using wet on wet, wet on dry, and mixed media techniques. Then there is a big section called "Inspired Textures" which is just a bunch of example pictures and color palettes. The final sections are called Mindful Painting and Mystical Landscapes and Skyscapes, and they are step by step projects. Templates are included for the landscapes and skies.
The book feels more to me like it is for someone who has already had experience in watercolor painting. The projects and photos are very colorful and complex, and the level of detail seems like it could be overwhelming. That said, the book is in full color and includes step by step photos for the projects, so an ambitious or patient beginner might want to experiment.
This tutorial book is GREAT! Perfect for beginners who are learning the basics, but it also helps seasoned watercolor artists step-up their game. I love the different texture ideas and will absolutely be using them in my next project.
This watercolour guide is so good! It is loaded with techniques and ideas with illustrated step-by-step guides. A wonderful companion for beginners and experts alike! I look forward to trying out some of these techniques, I will come back and update my review with pictures!
I'm a beginner in the watercolor area and really wanted to learn how to go beyond painting clouds and flower petals, and this book is it! Lots of good tips and tricks to get the most out of watercolor. Very impressive book.
This art book is divided into the following sections;
Watercolor Basics
Texture Swatching
Inspired Textures
Mindful Painting
Mystical Landscapes and Skyscapes
Templates
The author begins this book with an introduction to basic watercolor supplies and techniques. I have had limited experience using watercolors so I found this introduction very helpful.
Ms. Calderon introduces textures using a variety of watercolor methods and alternate drawing tools, such as gel pens, paint markers, and colored pencils. The color illustrations are outstanding and offer a great deal of ideas and inspiration.
Some illustrations explain the difference between "wet on dry" and "wet on wet" watercolor techniques.
The print edition of this book offers templates that can be used to try the more advanced projects in the last chapter of this book. These projects are beautiful but appear to be too complicated for my skill level.
This is a short book but it offers instruction and inspiration for all levels of watercolor painters. If you worked through all the projects in this book, you would have an excellent creative experience. I didn't realize texture could make this much difference until I read this book!
Great! Clear instructions and beautiful visuals. I was really interested in some of the techniques, and the color combinations. It made me want to spend more time painting! Thanks for the ARC.
This is an excellent resource for the beginning watercolorist. The book starts with an introduction to all the necessary equipment to start a painting journey.
The author then goes on to explain various techniques including wet-on-dry, wet-on-wet, and mixed media options.
These techniques are then brought full circle as the author explains how to incorporate them into the story telling of the composition. The text then gives examples of ways to take inspiration from your own surroundings to create interesting watercolor textures of your own.
Another section explains mindful techniques while giving a few simple exercise examples that will be easy for any student to follow. These projects will build confidence and increase understanding of the materials.
The explanations and photographs in this book are very clear and easy to follow and understand even for complete beginners.
While this book is geared toward beginners, intermediate watercolor students will find this book to be a good resource as well. The examples grow more advanced in the last third of the book providing a nice challenge for students working their way through the book.
Templates are provided in the back of the book for those wishing to recreate the projects in detail.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning how to watercolor.