Watercolor Workbook: 30-Minute Beginner Botanical Projects on Premium Watercolor Paper

by Sarah Simon, Paige Tate & Co. (Produced by)

Overview

Build your watercolor skills with confidence with these 25 beautiful and beginner-friendly new projects on premium watercolor paper!

This easy-to-use watercolor workbook is filled with unique and beautiful flower and nature sketches that are ready for you to watercolor—no drawing skills required! Each page is specially designed with simple step-by-step instructions so you can easily and confidently paint each project and create artwork that matches the quality of the author's example.

Watercolor Workbook features:

An introduction to fundamental watercolor techniques

25 projects on thick, 200 gsm premium watercolor art paper—no color bleed-through!

Easy-to-follow instructions that can be completed in 30 minutes or less

Beautiful floral and plant artwork, including: wild roses, poppies, sunflowers, buttercups, dandelions, and more

Easy-to-follow instructions, including suggested paint and paintbrush materials, so you can start painting today

Artist and author Sarah Simon, a.k.a. @themintgardener, has taught thousands of people how to paint with watercolor. Her first book Modern Watercolor Botanicals provides everything you need to know about the art of watercolor and, now in this new workbook, Simon offers 25 watercolor projects that you can sit down and enjoy painting today!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781950968268
Publisher:	Blue Star Press
Publication date:	04/27/2021
Series:	Watercolor Workbook Series
Pages:	76
Sales rank:	80,826
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Sarah Simon, aka @themintgardener, is a designer, artist, illustrator, and author of Modern Watercolor Botanicals and The Plant Lady. Based in Seattle, Washington, Sarah creates and teaches lush watercolors inspired by the colors and textures in her urban garden.

Table of Contents

Introduction 2

Materials 3

Techniques 7

Color Recipes 33

Botanical Projects 35

Long Leaf Eucalyptus 35

Dahlia 37

Round Leaf Eucalyptus 39

Foxglove 41

Buttercup Wreath 43

Fiddle Leaf Fig 45

Wildflower Swag 47

Daisies 49

Lady Rose 51

Fruit Blossoms 53

Peony & Lilac Swag 55

Lupine 57

Hellebore 59

Peony & Wildflowers 61

Lady Sweet Pea 63

Blueberry Branch 65

Poppies 67

Garden Bouquet 69

Lady Wisteria 71

Lady Banana Plant 73

Lady Monstera 75

Berries & Cypress 77

Lady Lily 79

Cosmos & Magnolias 81

Plant Lady Besties 83

Acknowledgments 85

Editorial Reviews

"Sarah's fun and simple approach will have you painting with watercolors in no time. I love how easy she makes it: the book is filled with premium paper so you can start painting right on the pages!”
—Ashley Kelley, creator of the Watercolor Summit™

"Sarah Simon is an expert watercolor teacher! This workbook is an excellent tool for beginners who appreciate beautiful artwork and want to build confidence in their painting skills. I also love the fact that the projects in this book already come printed on cold-press watercolor paper. That makes this book a serious value and means you can sit down and start painting today."
—Alli Koch, bestselling author, artist, and muralist

"I am in love with this book. I've admired Sarah's work for years, and the way this book breaks down the techniques, provides color recipes, and gives easy step-by-step instructions all make it so much more approachable to get started with painting gorgeous botanicals like hers!"
—Becca Courtice, founder of The Happy Ever Crafter

"An instant confidence boost! Sarah Simon makes watercolour painting easy and enjoyable. The easy-to-follow botanical projects in Watercolor Workbook will take your painting to the next level!"
—Laura Horn, artist

From the Publisher

★ 2023-03-10
Simon’s how-to workbook aims to teach the fundamentals of watercolor techniques.

When taking up a new hobby, it’s often hard to know where to start or what to buy. In this introductory workbook, learning to paint with watercolors is laid out in a simple, easy-to-follow plan. The suggested materials list is simple without being too basic, with Simon noting to the reader: “I want you to see how much beauty you can create with minimal supplies and expense.” She recommends just two student-grade brushes, a waterproof-ink pen, and nine suggested paint colors, only one of which she recommends buying at professional quality. The text notes that the project pages are printed on premium watercolor paper, meant to be painted upon directly. (A digital copy of the book was provided for review.) Before starting each exercise, the author explains methods clearly, including specific water-to-paint ratios, color “recipes” to create various shades, including a comprehensive guide for human skin tones, and, of course, various painting techniques, such as wet-in-wet, wet-on-dry, dry brushing, and more. To perfect these new skills, there are more than two dozen line drawings of plants and animals. For each, Simon indicates suggested colors and brushes at the top of the page alongside a completed full-color version of the painting. The painting process is meticulously described in anywhere from five to nine stages, with specific techniques helpfully made more prominent by using all-caps: “With your Round 4 brush, WASH an entire tulip flower (or just a few choice petals!) in a clear wash, leaving RESERVED areas on some petals, as well as the flower centers.” Simon’s voice is affable and supportive, giving the book the feeling of spending time with a talented friend. Her assurance that one can get beautiful results using easy-to-find materials is sure to be appreciated by newcomers to the craft.

A simple but comprehensive guide, offering warm and engaging encouragement for anyone looking to learn how to watercolor.

Kirkus Reviews