Watercolor for the Fun of It - Getting Started

by John Lovett

Book Overview

Have fun with watercolors--even if you don't know how to paint!

Begin painting right away with the friendly, insightful guidance of veteran art instructor John Lovett.

Easy-to-follow step-by-step guidelines help you pick papers, mix colors and start painting in watercolor fast. Splash it, pour it, lift it and feather it, or combine it with gesso or waterproof ink for unusual effects. You'll learn just how much fun painting...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1581801920
• ISBN13: 9781581801927
• Release Date: July 2002
• Publisher: North Light Books
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.4" x 10.9"

Customer Reviews

A happy and inspiring read

Watercolor painting can be daunting. It's dynamic and complex, and, well, watery. It's much more about controlling movement and creating impression than about putting blue dab A next to red dab B. It's hard, unpredictable, and a little messy. But in Lovett's skilled hands, these are the very traits that make watercolor painting wonderful. The thing I most appreciate about this book is that it's happy. Have fun, says Lovett; go for it. Experiment. Lovett has done an amazing thing in this book---he has turned a difficult skill into skillful play. Yes, there are guidelines, and specific techniques, and steps 1,2,3... And they are described very well. But in the end, this book is about making watercolor a delightful activity. I imagine that Mr. Lovett smiles a lot. You will, too. And you will become a better artist.

Watercolor for the Fun of It

Excellent book for those starting to paint using mixed media. Very clear instructions and full of very useful tips and info. Great value for money.

Best of breed

This is a one-of-a-kind watercolor book. You'll find the techniques, philosophy, and materials needed to express your personal point of view and creatively. In fact, this book is for anyone who loves watercolor but hates the repetitive, cliché filled world of "Garden Club" watercolor books. You won't find another boring Iris, barn, or pastoral. This is a book for artists and would-be artists. It is not for those people who think art means "It looks just like...", or "It's so realistic..." Anyone whose goal is to function with the mechanical accuracy of a camera (and the heart and soul to match) will be completely disappointed in this book.

A fun and worthwhile book

I really enjoyed this book. He goes through some pretty basic things and then goes from there to being able to use these techniques to complete a painting. I like how he introduced color and explained each one on transparency etc. The demos are explained very well, then he goes on to show other ways to use similar techniques. Lots of good photos for reference. It is a fun and very worthwhile book for the beginner and intermediate watercolor painter. I would buy it again!