Watercolor Made Simple

Book excerpt: Learn to paint in watercolor—with joy and confidence—as you explore simple techniques, popular subjects, and simple papercrafting projects. Watercolor is a wonderful medium to explore your creativity, unwind, and have fun. Whether you’re new to watercolor painting or looking to expand your skills, Watercolor Made Simple will guide you to connect more personally with your watercolor practice and build your painting skills in a relaxing, welcoming way. Nicki Traikos, founder of the popular online art school life i design, wants to help you avoid the struggles and frustrations she experienced when learning to paint with watercolors by providing encouraging instruction, easy tutorials, and beautifully illustrated step-by-step projects. Consider this your invitation to the world of watercolor as you: Get familiar with paints, brushes, and papers Learn fundamental watercolor washes and brushstrokes Explore simple color theory and color mixing Use a sketchbook to gather inspiration Paint more than 15 popular subjects, such as flowers, leaves, feathers, still lifes, and simple landscapes, step by step You’ll also find: Links to helpful video tutorials Charming papercrafting projects to feature your watercolor paintings Tips for storing and displaying your art—and even what to do with paintings you don’t love With gentle encouragement and techniques she has honed through teaching tens of thousands of watercolor students, Nicki will soon have you painting your favorite subjects with ease and enjoyment.