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 Location:  Home » Watercolor » General AAS » The Watercolor Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's ArtistsJanuary 9, 2009  
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The Watercolor Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artists
The Watercolor Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artists
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Author: David Dewey
Publisher: Watson-Guptill
Category: Book

List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $7.87
You Save: $12.08 (61%)
Buy New/Used from $7.87

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars(13 reviews)
Sales Rank: 280441

Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 178
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 10.3 x 8.4 x 0.7

ISBN: 0823056392
Dewey Decimal Number: 751
EAN: 9780823056392
ASIN: 0823056392

Publication Date: September 1, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
The most thorough guide to watercolor materials and techniques ever assembled in a single volume, this is the book for anyone working with watercolors, from beginners to experienced artists looking to develop more professional skills. Starting with a comprehensive, up-to-date review of the tools and techniques required to master the art of watercolor, the book then presents detailed lessons in basic drawing skills. Design concepts are explored: line and shape, light and dark, perspective, and composition. All the major watercolor painting techniques are shown: methods for laying washes, preserving white areas, glazing, establishing form, creating textural effects, lifting color, masking, and using resists. With color the driving force behind the author's whole approach to painting and his distinctive "organic" handling of the medium, color theories and strategies are clearly explained and applied to a wide range of subjects-still life, figures, landscapes, and architecture-some of which pair watercolors with other mediums such as gouache, pastel, and collage. An ongoing reference source, this is a book that watercolorists will turn to again and again for guidance.


Customer Reviews:   Read 8 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars The Right Way to Start   January 7, 2009
As a long time painter and teacher, I use many books as reference for my students. This is one of the best for starting off right in water media and I use it as the primary text in my college class. It is a classic methodical approach to the basics of watercolor painting, with easy to follow yet challenging exercises. Please note - I advise all my painting students to first master basic drawing skills which are so helpful for success in painting.


5 out of 5 stars Great book in a great series   February 21, 2008
  3 out of 3 found this review helpful

I have way too many watercolor books (buying WC books is addictive, although not as addictive as buying new colors). This book is one of my absolute favorites, and one I find myself returning to over and over. I am a very big fan of the entire "Materials and Techniques for Today's Artists" series, and I own their Drawing Book, Pen & Ink Book, Pastel Book, Acrylic Book, and Oil Painting Book.

All of the books in this series seem to follow the same basic format. The first third or so of the book cover materials in great detail. The emphasis is on the types of materials that you need, options available, and characteristics of specific brand names. If you're a beginning watercolorist lost among all of the brands of brushes, paints, and paper available then this will be a great resource. The middle 3rd of the book focuses on general techniques, followed by a series of discussions related to specific subject matter. The final third focuses on mixed media - and in my opinion this is the area where Dewey's books really shine. I think he's a great pastelist and uses pastels and watercolors together to do some amazing stuff.

I view this is a great book for folks that know at least a little bit about watercolor painting and are interested in getting into more depth and detail. I probably wouldn't recommend the book for absolute beginners, because I think absolute beginners would find the book a little overwhelming. Some initial questions that absolute beginners might ask (like "What colors should I have on a basic palette") aren't really addressed until pretty deep into the book. For an absolute beginner, something like Jack Reid's "Watercolor Basics: Let's Get Started" or Charles Reid's "Painting Flowers in Watercolor With Charles Reid" could be a better choice. But if you've seen enough of watercolor to know that you want to know a lot more about it, this book is a great resource.



5 out of 5 stars good introduction to watercolor techniques and materials   December 15, 2007
  1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I found this book very helpful -- a good introductory book on water color techniques and products. Lots of detail on the different materials and tools used in watercolor (paper type, brushes, paints, misc). The author discusses the uses of each and which products and brands he finds most useful/of the best quality. The author also discusses different techniques (with examples). The book is in color and the step-by-step instruction is useful for beginners or those of us that are a bit rusty. This book will also be useful for people that have never taken an art class as there is background info as well (the color wheel, values, etc.).


5 out of 5 stars If wishes were fishes...   September 27, 2007
I wish I would have bought this book before I bought the supplies I did. I know that I would have saved a lot of guesswork and helped form my style faster and more satisfactorily. I am an amateur painter and will always be, so cost effectiveness is an issue. Even though I have brushes and stuff that I will not use (probably) I have the feeling with this book that I have an instructor at hand. Thanks guys!


5 out of 5 stars The Watercolor Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artists   July 13, 2007
  4 out of 4 found this review helpful

After reading several books about watercolor, I found this book to be the best watercolor book on the market. It is the clarity and thoroughness of the explanations that make this such a valuable resource. I particularly found the section on color theory helpful. This is not a book with a few scattered tips against a background of gorgeous pictures of the artist's work. Rather, it is a master teacher reaching out to all levels of learners as he takes the mystery and confusion out of doing watercolors. If you were only going to buy one book about watercolor--this is the book!!

The Watercolor Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artists