Landscapes in Watercolour: Techniques and Tutorials for the Complete Beginner - Art Techniques (Paperback)

Dive into the enchanting world of watercolour painting with this insightful book. With practical techniques and inspiring landscape projects, this guide is ideal for beginners and seasoned enthusiasts alike. Embrace the fluidity of watercolour to unravel your imagination and improve your art. - Named as Book of The Month - Artists & Illustrators magazine

A perfect introduction to the medium, Landscapes in Watercolour by Lois Davidson will teach you everything you need to know to start painting the world around you. With over 40 years of experience using and teaching how to use watercolour, Lois provides information on how to choose your tools and materials. Basic drawing and painting techniques are clearly explained, and Lois offers advice on subjects such as colour theory, composition and perspective. The main body of the book is devoted to ten different landscape paintings, from a midwinter farm to a coastal waterfront, with each subject broken down into easy steps, interspersed with tutorials that explain how to paint special elements of the landscape, such as trees, skies and reflections. This is a well presented and well written book that will encourage beginners to get started straight away. - Leisure Painter magazine

There is much to like in this attractive volume, even though it has no pretensions to be anything other than a relatively elementary introduction. A more experienced artist might find some of Lois Davidson’s pictorial elements a little flat and the style perhaps naïve, but her use of colour, control of washes and understanding of simplification seem instinctive. So, is it worth a look? Let us assume that you are not in the market for a basic introduction to your favourite medium. However, there is a brightness to both the work and the reproduction here which will draw you in. It is at this point that you will start to notice the details I mentioned above, as well as the clever use of almost-sharp line to define shapes and I think that tenner might be tempted out of your wallet. Sometimes, the simplest and most basic things are the best. - The Artist

There is much to like about this short, practical guide. After a concise introduction to materials and techniques, Lois proceeds by way of a series of demonstrations that introduce trees, flowers, skies, buildings, water and even boats. Her compositions are simple, but not simplistic, meaning that they are easy to follow without leaving you feeling short-changed. Although some of the pictorial elements can seem a little flat, Lois has an excellent command of washes in particular and her colours are well balanced, whether in bright sunshine, cloudy or overcast conditions. She is also excellent when it comes to simplification and, although there isn’t a chapter on knowing when to stop, each demonstration is a lesson on that in itself. As my introduction promises, this is hard to fault, but even the more experienced artist should be able to find plenty to satisfy them, especially at the very modest price being asked. - Henry Malt, Artbook Review