Watercolor Painting Step by Step (Dover Art Instruction)

Artists at every level can develop and refine their skills and talents with this clear, concise introduction to watercolor painting, by a noted artist and teacher.
Brimming with practical suggestions and useful tips, this easy-to-follow guide opens with an overview of tools and equipment (e.g., needed brushes, paints, and paper) as well as work area and palette layout and other basics of organization. The author proceeds to discussions of fundamental wash and drybrush techniques. Then, using a series of eight "demonstrations" to show various stages of eight works in progress, he explains the essential techniques of watercolor paintings. Watercolorists will learn how to model in color; how to paint fruit, flowers, rocks, and trees; and how to render a variety of still life, landscape, and seascape scenes. In addition to a section on special effects, readers receive expert advice on scratching wet and dry color, sponging out, scrubbing out, cleaning up, preserving watercolors, and other relevant topics.
Clearly written and beautifully illustrated, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone wishing to master this compelling medium.