Celestial Watercolor

This fun and colourful approach to art is perfect for creative people who are in to all things related to the zodiac. It includes a basics to water colour skills and techniques.

This is a delightful book on painting skies in watercolour, not a big book, but certainly big on information and instructions. Wonderful colour examples and techniques, including the stars of the zodiac, phases of the moon and seasons. Something very different in from other watercolour books.

This book is filled with beautiful illustrations and helpful step by step instructions! "Celestial Watercolor" would be good for beginner or intermediate watercolor artists.


I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Celestial Watercolor is a short and informative book. It gives helpful techniques and advice. Handy for those interested in watercolors.

I’d put this book somewhere between inspirational and step-by-step instructional. It’s full of tips. The book is broken up into 4 parts:
1. Tools and techniques gives you a basic primer on watercolors, pencils, pens, papers and the like that you will want to have handy. While not in depth, it’s a good list for beginners.

2. Astrological signs - just what it sounds like. The astrological signs in beautiful sky paintings. Most don’t include instructions, instead focusing on describing the signs. There are two painting tutorials in this section.

3. The moon - Some mythological info and phases are the main focus here. There are many examples of moon paintings here. There are also two tutorials in this section.

4. Seasonal Night Sky Landscapes - This section has a painting with tutorials for different season variations.

I definitely feel like I got my inspiration than instruction in this one, but it’s all super pretty, so I’m okay with that. There’s enough tips to make something like what you find in the pages.

What a beautiful book! I gained a great deal of inspiration from it. It's light on technique, but the images are lovely and the information is interesting. I will most likely buy a copy for my own collection.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Celestial Watercolor introduces water colour painting, offering help with creating different watercolour paintings that star the stars of the astrological signs. I especially liked the step by step instructions for creating a watercolour of the moon paintings shown in the book.

The main selling point of this book will be it visual appeal. It is gorgeous to flip through and would make an excellent coffee-table book.

There are chapters dedicated watercolour technique, and tools. Very detailed information about the astronomical signs and the moon. And a handful of step-by-step projects.

All in all I think this would make a lovely gift for any artistic inclined individual.

Misleading title. This book is visually beautiful with the lovely watercolour paintings, and contains some good introductory information about the zodiac. However, the "Learn to Paint" part of the title is very misleading. The sparse instruction on how to paint the examples is not very useful, in my opinion, with a lack of text instruction and unhelpful photographs, disappointing as I was really looking forward to try out the painting exercises. This is a book to just look at the very pretty pictures and read some light introductory information but not, as the blurb would suggest, a book from which to learn to paint with watercolours.
Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy. The opinions expressed are my own.

Beautiful book, but I wouldn't say it's made for beginners. I'd recommend this for artist that already had a bit of experience and are interested in some cool projects or get some starry inspiration.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy.

Painting the zodiac through the seasons.
I thought this book might be of interest to my artistic daughter who has expressed a wish to design and illustrate her own set of Oracle cards, but I found the artwork a bit messy and lacking in detail.

The sections about watercolour technique were interesting and informative, particularly the suggestions about illustrating the variations between seasons. Personally,I was less interested in the information about the signs of the Zodiac and the Moon, but I'm sure this would be of relevance to other readers. For me, it felt as if the emphasis was on the zodiac signs rather than the painting.

I was viewing the epub version on Adobe Digital Editions and I felt that a lot of the images were only showing the top half of the illustration. As I don't have a paper version to compare, I don't know, maybe that also showed just the top half, but I'm thinking not. If you are thinking of purchasing the book for your Kindle it might be worth checking that your images are complete.

A beautifully illustrated book, with some step by step projects and a lot of the usual blurb about astrology, with a little about the moon. A nice beginners info at the beginning about tools etc, which is great. If you are after a book with a lot of watercolor info and instruction, then maybe this isn't the book for you. However I liked the book, I loved how beautiful it looks, and how it can give some inspiration and some projects.

Definitely more for someone who has had a decent amount of practice in Watercolor as the direction are not exactly step-by-step. At the same time, it would make an awesome gift for someone who is into astrology or astronomy and also loves watercolors.

I found Celestial Watercolor directions easy to follow and there are so many different ones to choose.

Oh that cover!

And the stunning illustrations continue inside, with many so beautiful I’d love to frame them. This gorgeous art book gives step-by-step instructions on drawing constellations and moons through the seasons, adding elements such as lakes, trees and mountains, plus watercolor techniques to use with a list of suggested tools.

It also includes a section on the zodiac, which it says “divides the night sky into 12 sectors, each identified by a constellation in it.” Although I take little stock in astrology, I do know the various signs and found it intriguing to compare descriptions to loved ones. Virgo usually captures me quite well but this “take” was completely opposite. Sagittarius, conversely, made my late father come alive on the page.

All in all, CELESTIAL WATERCOLOR is a stellar (😉) offering for anyone entranced by the night sky. 5/5

Pub Date 02 Apr 2019.

Thanks to the authors, Quarto Publishing Group - Rock Point, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#CelestialWatercolor #NetGalley

In addition to some great tips on choosing watercolor paints, paper and brushes, the author also gives pointers on choosing watercolor pens and pencils.  Then there are the watercolor painting techniques ... washes, wet on wet, wet on dry ...  This is followed by lessons on the zodiac, the constellations, and the phases of the moon.  The paintings throughout the book are lovely .... using different color palettes and different paper sizes and shapes .... along with step-by-step, easy-to-follow directions on how to produce your own celestial watercolor works of art. This book draws you right in and sets a tranquil scene for experimenting with a relaxing pastime.

(NetGalley ebook -  I received a complimentary advanced reader copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

In this beautifully illustrated book, the author gives tips and insights on how to make watercolors of the constellations of the signs of the zodiac, the moons of the year, and the seasonal night sky. While she does have a brief section going over tools and techniques and more detailed information about how to each different celestial painting type, you will most likely need to be already well-versed in watercolor before attempting what she suggests. The sections on the signs of the zodiac and types of moons themselves not only show her lovely paintings of each sign, but you also get brief lessons about astrology and the moons! If watercolor interests you, or if you want to paint the night sky, or if you love astrology, you will most likely find inspiration in this charming art book.

One of my favourite watercolour books! I love the night sky and I love watercolour so I knew I had to check out this book. There are so many beautiful designs for inspiration and there is also a lot of other interesting information included such as the astrological signs. This book gives simple instructions but I wish it gave more specific instructions on how to do each piece (like each specific moon). I love the inspiration it gives but I would love to be able to copy some of the amazing pieces myself.

The pictures in this book are simply stunning. Not only that but it teaches you how to make and draw each beautiful one. If only I could draw better this book is perfect for any artist in your life. I just love looking at all the pictures - very relaxing

I absolutely love the cover of this book but was a little underwhelmed with the content. Much of the book is about the zodiac signs and Native American moons and information like that, rather than just painting instructions. I expected more art instruction and more variation in the paintings.

I did show a lot of the pages to my 19 y/o daughter who is currently illustrating a nature poetry book that we're working on for inspiration, but I actually told her that I prefer her art to that in this book. Many of the paintings in this book are sort of the same idea again and again, with very similar designs and color schemes. Many of them also lack the color saturation that makes the cover art so striking. Still an interesting book and fun, especially if you are interested in zodiac signs.

My rating system:
1 = hated it
2 = it was okay
3 = liked it
4 = really liked it
5 = love it, plan to purchase, and/or would buy it again if it was lost

I read a temporary digital ARC of the book for the purpose of review.

This is a beautiful book. It it full of inspiring ideas, gorgeous pictures and some really great beginner advice on choosing materials to work with. What it doesn't have is anything that would help a beginner with how to actually paint these watercolours and I wouldn't call the example projects step by step instructions. It's still a lovely book, get it for the inspiration after you're past the beginner stage.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book.

This watercolor book was appropriate for beginning watercolor painters.
It introduced types of materials: paint, paper, and brush brands. It explained techniques: wet on wet, wet on dry, use of salt, use of alcohol, and spattering.
It had several step by step projects to experiment with. The illustrations were charming. Most of the paintings were in soothing shades of blue, green, or grey.

The text featured brief descriptions of zodiac signs and phases of the moon.
This book would be a good resource for painting night skies in an abstract style.

This book is a combination between art and astrology. Besides basic tools and techniques, the book gives a short information and a painting about each constellations and the moon. The paintings are easy to follow and the colors chosen and very soothing and satisfying.

This book is short and perfect for beginners who also love astrology.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the digital copy for an honest review.

I loved this book. The cover is beautiful and it looks great. The ideas were excellent ad the steps were so easy to follow. I've used this many times for myself, trying to teach myself new skins and techniques as when compared to others in my family I'm not an accomplished artist at all. It promised to help learn to Paint the Zodiac Constellations and Seasonal Night Skies. It delivered on its word. Although I'll never paid 'Starry Night' or other such acclaimed pieces I was relatively happy with my end products and would enthusiastically recommend Celestial Watercolour to anybody wishing to improve the painting technique and create some frame worthy finished pieces.

This is such a pretty pretty book with lovely watercolor paintings to copy and to make your own. The author covers the astrological signs and how they look in the sky, as well as seasonal skies and the moon. There are about 2 or 3 how tos in this book, which is less really than what I expected. But then I realize that this book is not for the beginner watercolor artist, but an advance one, where the basic techniques do not need to be explained anymore. In fact, if you are a watercolor artist, you can find inspiration in this book to create wonderful watercolor skies on the constellations and the moon and the different skies of the seasons.

Wish I was a watercolor artist though.

Wow, this was so much more than I expected.
Such a huge amount of information.
The horoscope sections are really great.

This is a wonderful book, that really helps creative juices to flow.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Beautiful book with lots of wonderful illustrations, a wealth of information on watercolor techniques, and a zodiac vibe with signs, symbols and meanings. Lots of fun!

This book was received as an ARC from Quarto Publishing Group - Rock Point in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book is a two for one, it educates you on the stars and the celestial body and then the book guides you into painting the colorful pictures yourself. The planets and stars have always been an interest of mine and I know from reading and viewing this book, that will be no different. However, readers that are not familiar with constellations and the sky will learn a thing or two from reading this book and of course those that have an artistic interest will appreciate the colorful paintings featured and will enjoy learning what techniques go into each painting.

We will consider adding this title to our Non-Fiction collection at the library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

While I was mostly interested in the watercolor part, I learned a lot about the constellations and phases of the moon, as well as how to paint them with watercolor. A very handy reference book for anyone wanting to paint what’s in the night sky. I really enjoyed the watercolor illustrations.

This is a strangely specific book integrating watercolor and zodiac constellations. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as a learning guide for watercolor, but it is nevertheless interesting in its approach and has some solid advice for watercolor beginners regarding basic knowledge of materials and technique. As a beautiful and original supplement to more technically in-depth books, this book will be a nice addition.

This was an okay introduction to celestial watercolour. It's perhaps a bit basic, but I loved the info on various stuff such as the zodiac signs and moon lore.

Learn how to paint with Celestial Watercolor, which goes through the tools and techniques of watercolor with astrology woven in.
From painting the moon, night sky and zodiac signs, the book goes through different seasons.
Simplistic yet informative with gorgeous illustrations that guaranteed my enjoyment without even trying all the techniques out.

Celestial Watercolor is a tutorial technique guide for watercolor and gouache using a constellation theme. Released 2nd April 2019 by Quarto on their Rock Point imprint, it's 128 pages and available in hardcover and ebook formats. The ebook version includes a handy interactive table of contents and hyperlinks throughout.

The book's introductory section includes a short artist's statement and background from the author followed by a chapter on techniques and tools (circa 27% of the page content). The rest of the book is broken into chapters with earth/air/fire/water signs and a short astrological description of each. The constellation drawings for each (see cover) are provided in a skyscape painting. There is -very- little step by step tutorial or technique advice in these sections beyond what's provided in the first chapter. The art is inspiring and undeniably beautiful, but unless the reader has a good grasp of technique previous to using this book, it'll be a challenge to produce any painting similar to the provided artwork.

The final chapters are seasonal paintings of skies with constellations along with moons and some landscapes.

The author is generous with advice about which specific tools and supplies she uses to achieve her paintings, which is nice. Definitely inspiring to look at, and it would make a superlative gift, I just don't really think that 'learn to paint' is part of the remit for this particular book.

The text is sparse, but encouraging and accessible.

Three stars.

This book is beautiful and has This book has beautiful paintings and a lot of information on each of the zodiac signs. It is a light and quick read, and worthwhile if you're interested in zodiac constellations. While it has a lot of paintings and some quick steps, I would say it's pretty light on the instructions on how to paint so if you're looking for step by steps, this is not the ideal book for you. If you're mostly looking for inspiration, this is your cup of tea.

Thank you to netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley for the preview of this eBook.

Celestial Watercolor by Elise Mahan and D.R. McElroy is a beautifully illustrated book about the basics to watercolor skies and the zodiacs which is something that I have always wanted to learn. The instructions are easy to understand and the techniques easy to follow.

This is such a beautiful book! I loved the pictures—so ethereal. I found the descriptions to be really helpful too. For a beginner, this was a great guide.

The moment I saw the cover of Celestial Watercolor, I knew I had to read it. How cool is it to see something like this on the shelves? There are plenty of art guides out in the world – but nothing I’ve seen has ever come close to this.
The core concept behind this art book is actually fairly simple, though brilliant. The goal is to help teach readers how to paint the night sky. And frankly, the cover alone indicates how much authority the authors/artists have here (read: a lot).
Elise Mahan and D.L. McElroy walk readers through the art of creating beautiful and stunning night skies. Everything you needed to know in order to get started is included here. Everything from the basics to the more nuanced parts of the art style are covered.
The night sky seems like such a simple concept, but this art guide proves that there’s more to it than one would initially think. And because of that, it was shockingly thorough. As for the artwork included within these pages, I simply couldn’t get enough of it.

Celestial Watercolor is probably one of the most dazzling and beautiful technique books that I own. I loved the step by step instructions on drawing the constellations, moons and night sky. These are items that I don't really think about drawing often but after seeing the images in this stunning book I could not resist. I have tried this book with watercolor, gouache and acrylic paints. They all three create a beautiful and celestial sky. The artwork totally makes this book. Thank you for the opportunity to review.