7 Watercolor Books to Spark Your Inspiration
Are you looking for inspiration and guidance for your watercolor paintings? The market is flooded with watercolour and general painting books and it’s hard to pick one (I usually want to get them all). If you know me, you know I have a slight obsession with colours and colour mixing - I thinks it’s one of the most important thing to learn about when you’re painting! So, when I put together a small list of useful watercolour books, I realized it was a bit heavy on the colour theory side. Anyway, if you don’t know where and how to get started with your watercolours, here are some very useful books that I personally love:
"Watercolour Techniques for Artists and Illustrators: Discover how to paint landscapes, people, still lifes, and more." by DK
A comprehensive, very extensive book introducing you to 90 painting techniques and tricks. With contributions by several different artists, this is truely a proper guide that will not only get you started, but also give you inspiration and ideas as to what kind of painting subject and styles you might be interested in as you learn and evlove your own artistic signature.
"The Joy of Watercolor" by Emma Block
Emma Block is a British illustrator known for her whimsical and colorful watercolor illustrations. This book is perfect for beginners or anyone looking for fun and approachable watercolor projects. Her book features easy-to-follow tutorials on everything from florals to animals.
"Hazel Soan's Art of the Limited Palette: A Step-By-Step Practical Watercolour Guide” by Hazel Sloan:
Sloan is such a well-known watercolour artist with multiple books on the market and decades of experience in painting. Her signature style is loose painting with a focus on creating light and form with just a few brushstrokes. This book of hers focuses on painting with a limited palette, which I always think is best, especially when you’re a beginner.
"Painting Calm” by Inga Buividavice
This book aims to convey art and painting as a means to achieve inner calm and meditative happiness. You will learn the main necessary watercolour painting techniques while focusing on projects that have a positive therapeutic effect. This book is focused on the process rather than the end result.
„Color Choices. Making color sense out of color theory“ by Stephen Quiller
This book has been around for a while and with good reason. It is, in my opinion, the most in-depth guide to colours and colour theory you can find for watercolour art. Quiller has developed his own colour wheel for artists, the “Quiller Wheel” which I hung up on the wall next to my painting desk. Quiller shares his vast experience with colour mixing down to the specific pigments and how they vary from brand to brand, to applying colour concepts to different types of painting compositions. My own copy of the book is already a bit worn, because I use it so much as a reference guide.
"Billy Showell's Botanical Painting in Watercolour" by Billy Showell
Whenever the author’s name is in the title, you know that they have not much left to prove. Showell is a world-renouned botanical artist and a sublime teacher. If you’re interested in botanical painting that goes beyond the instagrammable loose flower wreath, her books (not just this one) will be the right pick for you!
"Jean Haines' World of Watercolour” by Jean Haines:
One of several watercolour books by the well-known artist Jean Haines. Her style is very recognizable, loose, expressive and bold. Painting with her book will invite you to let go of the forms and shapes of the world as you see them and give your illustrations a more creative and artistic touch.
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, these popular watercolor books are sure to inspire and help you improve your skills. From comprehensive guides to whimsical tutorials, there's something for everyone in these books. Happy painting!
