Watercolor - First Steps: Painting Watercolors

First Steps: Painting Watercolors

By Cathy Johnson

Item No. #30724

Watercolor's vivid colors and fresh, direct brush strokes make it the most exciting way to paint. "But," you think, "learning to paint must be hard and frustrating." Not with Cathy Johnson as your teacher! Here, she makes learning to paint in watercolor fun. Even easy!With Painting Watercolors, you'll learn to paint by picking up a brush and painting—not by reading about a bunch of confusing theories.Cathy tells you everything you need to begin—including:

which tools and materials you should buy to get off to a good, affordable start
when, what, even where to paint
explanations of watercolor terms (such as "washes" and "puddles")
easy and useful painting tricks-such as glazing and drybrush

Excercises help you loosen up and learn the ins and outs of putting paint on paper. Easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions show you how to paint water, believable skies, a variety of trees in different seasons and other popular elements. Plus, a dozen demonstrations show you how paintings come together, from initial sketches to final brushstrokes.With Cathy's help, you can start painting right away. So jump right in!About the AuthorCathy Johnson is a rare combination of artist, writer and teacher. She began painting as a child and went on to study at the Kansas City Art Institute. Her work has appeared in numerous regional and national shows.Johnson's other North Light books are Painting Nature's Details in Watercolor, Watercolor Tricks & Techniques, Creating Textures in Watercolor and, in the First Steps Series, Sketching and Drawing. She lives in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, with her husband and their many cats.