13 best watercolor books

Product features

Watercolor as Easy as 1-2-3-4

The ultimate beginner's guide, Watercolor Success in Four Steps is the perfect starting point for any aspiring artist!

Inside this book, experienced artist Marina Bakasova walks you through 150 projects with tried and true techniques.

Whether you're just starting to paint or have some experience, this guide will help you master watercolors in just four simple steps!

Draw a Pencil Sketch

Start by making a pencil drawing of the project. A simple outline is all you need. You can sketch it freehand or trace the drawing provided, using tracing paper or a lightbox. Your drawing should be light and easy to erase, because watercolor paint is transparent.

Apply the First Wash

To apply a flat, even wash of color, dip your brush into the prepared color and spread it on the shape. Don’t try to cover the shape in one go; start with a medium-sized drop of paint, then while the paint is still wet, add more until you have covered the shape.

Build Up the Picture

A damp base allows watercolor to spread whereas a dry base contains it. Read through the whole project before you start, noting where you will need to work quickly when working on wet or half-wet. For example, you may need to move on to the final step while the paint is still wet.

Apply Details

Apply the finishing touches to each watercolor painting using the techniques learned earlier in the book. Watch your art really pop as you paint the final details to your very own masterpiece!

Techniques

Most watercolor paintings use a combination of techniques. Learn how to draw a pencil sketch, locate the light source, choose the right brush, prepare your paints, work on wet or half-wet, drop in color, work on dry, glazing, and more!

Tools and Materials

Apart from paints, brushes, and paper, you will only require a few additional bits and pieces, many of which you will probably have around the house already. You'll learn how to select the best tools, from watercolor paints and paper to drawing pencils and paintbrushes.

Projects

Each of the 150 projects offers a sample selection of palette colors alongside approachable, step-by-step painting instructions to complete each design. Use the handy project selector pages to see all of the projects pictured together, to help you choose which one to paint next.

Fruit, Vegetables, Food, & Drinks

Create watercolor paintings of a banana, chocolate eclair, macron, teapot, and more!

Flowers, Plants, & the Natural World

Make your own watercolor masterpieces of a sunflower, poppy, cactus, night sky, and other items from nature.

Insects, Animals, Birds, & Sea Life

Create watercolor paintings of a panda, frog, flamingo, seashell, dolphin, sea turtle, and more!

Objects, Travel, & Celebrations

Make your own watercolor masterpieces of a sailboat, matryoshka doll, umbrella, hot-air balloon, and other fun objects.

Product description

For Sketching & More

These stylish sketchbooks make great scrapbooks, guestbooks, and journals. Customize the cover with stickers to express your style. You can even designate each book in this multipack for a different assignment, class, or artistic project.

Portable Watercolor Sketchbooks

You’ll never have to worry about being able to find sketchbooks for watercolor painting or your other art activities with this 2-pack of watercolor notebooks. Keep one at home, one in your car, and one in your desk. The 9x12” size makes them easy to slip in your bag, backpack, or tote.

Premium Watercolor Paper

Each book contains 32 sheets for a total of 64 sheets of cold press watercolor paper. Perfect for sketching and painting on the go, you’ll appreciate the thick, slightly textured 140 lb watercolor paper that won’t buckle or warp when wet. Each sheet is acid-free so your work stays looking as vibrant years from now as it did the day you created it.

Convenient and Comfortable

The blue hardcover keeps your work clean and protected. The strong spiral binding makes painting wherever you are comfortable. Just flip it open and turn back the pages 360 degrees for a flat and sturdy surface ready to work on. This is a great sketchbook for watercolor, gouache, acrylics, and mixed media as well as for drawing and sketching with pencil or pen.

• Wire Bound Watercolor Journal 2-Pack: Save time and money with this watercolor sketchbook 2-pack. Each watercolor sketchbook contains 32 sheets and features a spiral binding for working on a flat and stable surface.
• Coldpress Watercolor Paper: Each sheet of this slightly textured watercolor paper is 140lb or 300gsm. Use watercolor paint and other wet media without fear of warping or buckling.
• Portable Watercolor Sketchbook: The 9x12” size of each watercolor spiral notebook makes it easy to carry in your bag, backpack, art bag, tote. Sketch and paint on the go!
• Durable & Lasting Art Journal: Each watercolor pad in the pack features a blue hardcover to keep your pages clean and intact with acid-free paper to ensure your art won’t fade or yellow over time.
• 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed: We’re sure you’ll love your Spiral Bound Hardcover Watercolor Book, but if the product does not perform to your expectations, simply request a refund or a replacement.

User questions & answers

Question:	Is paper 100% cotton
Answer:	Blue painter's tape is an option, if it begins to peel up paper when you try to remove it, a blow dryer set on low or a heat gun will loosen the gum and it will peel up easily. If you find this leaves a sticky residue, a hard rubber eraser or a kneadable eraser will pick it up easily. Green tape works well too because it leaves little to no residue when you remove it, just don't burnish it down. I haven't tried it on this paper, but on quality watercolor paper (cotton rag for example) it comes up easily and leaves no sticky "evidence" that it was there. The other option is brown paper tape. It is what we always used in school for stretching watercolor paper and works amazingly well. How it knows to release when it's time is one of the great mysteries of the universe, but I'm happy to live with the mystery and let it do its thing. When you're shopping for brown paper tape, make sure it's not "archival quality" and that it does NOT say "permanent" or you're stuck with it for ever.
Question:	Is this 100% cotton
Answer:	Yes, when I open mine i can just see the thread.
Question:	How well would this work with gouache? has anyone tried it with gouache? specifically the himi miya set
Answer:	This is Arteza’s premium paper and is wood pulp. The expert paper is cotton. It also states that the paper is dual sided. It is not dual sided and is assembled rather inconsistently. Sometimes the cold pressed texture is to the left, sometimes it is to the right and every so often you get a two page spread. The only sad thing is it really is a good paper on the cold pressed side! The other side pills and removes layers of the paper!
Question:	Hi, can both sides of the pages be used for watercolor painting
Answer:	They are not, this is a bound art journal. It is very well bound as a matter of fact. I love this little book. The pages fold way back so I can paint on the next page.