Step-by-step guide to creating 83 different textures using watercolors.

You need only look at a field of sunlit daisies or the elegance of a single rosebud to know "why" flowers have always been a favorite subject of artists. This book will show you "how" 24 water color painters capture their subjects' brilliant colors, subtle shadings, graceful shapes and delicate textures. Assembled from some of the best teaching available, this comprehensive, step-by-step instruction will help you create your own, breathtaking watercolor gardens.

Capture the Rich Textures of Nature, Step by Step Capture nature's beauty as you never have before. Beloved artist and teacher Claudia Nice leads you on an inspired journey through the great outdoors. With paints in hand, she shares with you her best techniques for creating landscapes that come alive with richness, depth and textured detail. Open this guide and start painting right away. As you follow engaging, step-by-step demonstrations and exercises, you'll learn to recreate the textural elements of a range of terrains and landscapes. Chapters include: • Creative clouds and skies • Majestic mountains, hills and mesas • Texturing trees, trunks and foliage • Rugged rocks and gritty gravel • Transparent textures for rivers, falls and lakes • Flowers of the field In a special section, Claudia covers basic texturing techniques with mini demos using lines, dots, bruising, scribbling, spattering, blotting, printing, stamping and more. From paints and pens to sponges, leaves and facial tissue, you'll explore all kinds of fun and inventive ways to create amazing textures. And to help you put it all together, Claudia includes her masterful advice for creating compositions using reference photos, field sketches and your own creative license. Each demonstration features a large image of the completed landscape, so you can see exactly how Claudia's methods work - from start to finish.

Texture is one of the most crucial elements of any successful painting - and now, with Paint Luxurious Textures in Watercolor, readers can discover the secrets of this powerful technique. This book features: An overview of texture techniques, including glazing, underpainting of and masking; 15 close-up, step-by-step demonstrations of how to create texture for a variety of subjects, including lace, embroidered silk, silver teapots of and cats; Two longer demonstrations that show readers how to combine all of the texture techniques discussed throughout to create a sophisticated, multi-layered painting; Readers will learn how to capture rich textures so realistic of that their paintings will seem to jump off the canvas.

Claudia Nice shows you how to turn ink and watercolors into the coarse-barked trunk of an oak, or the burnished smoothness of brass, or the verdant velvet of moss. Or any of many other things. She shows you how to use dots, fine lines, brushstrokes, black and white, color—a mixture of mediums and techniques—to suggest: • glass • cast iron • adobe and brick • sunrise and sunset • driftwood • leaf textures • basketry • surf and ocean waves • enamelware • rainbows • wood grain • distant trees • eggs and onions • animal hair • and dozens of other textures! You'll learn how to use materials, from technical pens to paint brushes, colored inks to liquid acrylics. You'll discover ways to blot, spatter, stamp and otherwise alter and combine ink and watercolor for exciting texturing effects.

Shows how to use texture techniues such as spattering and spritzing to suggest detail and create a variety of moods and effects in watercolor painting.

In Creative Watercolor and Mixed Media, popular watercolor artist, instructor, and author Ana Victoria Calderon shares her simple step-by-step techniques for painting exciting and colorful motifs by combining watercolor with a variety of other user-friendly materials. Start with the essentials—paint, paper, and brushes—then learn about the featured mediums for mixing, including masking fluid, gold leaf, bleach, salt, and alcohol Take a step-by-step look at fundamental watercolor techniques Learn to paint a variety of striking organic motifs and surface effects, including stirring skies and clouds, sparkling galaxies, flowing oceans, and dazzling crystals Find great project ideas for stylish gifts and stationery Whether you're new to the medium or are looking to add new techniques to your watercolor practice, go grab a brush, paints, and some easy-to-use materials and take a beautiful creative journey with watercolor! Perfect for all skill levels, the books in the Art for Modern Makers series take a fun, practical approach to learning about and working with paints and other art mediums to create beautiful DIY projects and crafts.

Michael Rocco's methods are simple - gentle blends, delicate washes, drybrush, stippling, glazing, scrubbing away. But the results are incredible...lifelike textures that he uses to translate everyday objects and scenes into remarkably realistic paintings. In this book, Rocco will show you how to create textures and effects that will add depth, weight and "realness" to your art. Step by step, you'll learn how to achieve: natural textures... apple tree leaves, bare branches, clumpy earth, feathers, stone, morning clouds, tall grass, trees, wildflowers; man-made textures... barn siding, bright metal, old brick, old metal, painted wood, rusted metal; light and shadow textures... flowing water, moonlit snow, reflections, snow shadows, sunlit people; and still life textures... dark glass, draped cloth, glazed crockery, rope, stained glass, wicker. In eleven complete step-by-step demonstrations, you'll see how you can use these and many other textures - woven baskets, icy ponds, the sheen of a horse's coat - to bring your paintings to life.

How to paint your world in watercolor…and have fun doing it! The day Sterling Edwards watched an artist paint an entire sky with three deft brushstrokes was the day he committed to trading his tiny oil brushes and photorealistic style in favor of big, bold strokes of watercolor. In the years since, he's developed not only a wonderfully fresh, luminous painting style, but also an approach that takes the intimidation out of this beautiful but often-mystifying medium. In this book, he shares both. • Initial chapters lay the foundation for successful paintings, from choosing the right brushes to achieving vibrant colors, interesting textures and strong compositions. • Step-by-step demonstrations illustrate techniques for painting rocks, skies, trees, foliage, buildings, water and other landscape elements. • An easy-to-follow, four-step painting process makes for easier starts and stronger finishes, complete with rich darks and sparkling highlights. • Eight complete painting projects cover a range of breathtaking scenes and seasons. Whether you're dipping into the medium for the first time or you're a watercolor devotee on a quest for clearer color and more personal statements, this book will help you make the most of the time you spend with brush in hand.

Expand your artistic horizons with watercolor! Watercolor is a fun, challenging medium that captures the magic of light and color. Now world-renowned artist and instructor Claudia Nice helps you get started in watercolor today. In Watercolor Made Simple with Claudia Nice, you'll start with the very basics, learning new techniques as you paint. Detailed instructions and step-by-step artwork show you how to: • Explore the amazing variety of effects you can get by painting watercolors on dry, damp or wet paper • Mix paint and water to create a variety of soft, beautiful washes • Use fun and easy techniques such as spatter, sponging and stamping to bring a lively new look to your work • Blend colors on your palette to capture the precise shade you're seeking • Use your brushes, papers and paints to produce wonderful textural effects Throughout, you'll find helpful troubleshooting tips, practical exercises, and Claudia's encouraging advice - all so you, too, can become a watercolor pro.