Product Description

This is an updated paperback edition of top TV artist Alwyn Crawshaw's guide to watercolour painting. Covering everything that the beginner needs to know in 32 comprehensive lessons, it has sold over 100,000 copies worldwide. Starting with the basics, readers are encouraged to work through each lesson in turn, enabling them to gradually improve their technique and gain in confidence. Alwyn Crawshaw explains each process clearly and offers advice and encouragement at every stage. The book includes: / A series of practical lessons covering all the basic watercolour methods and techniques / Simple exercises and several step-by-step painting demonstrations, with clear and detailed instructions / Revealing examples of 'what went wrong', showing how to avoid common painting problems / A wide variety of subjects - trees, water, skies, flowers, buildings, people, boats and animals

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #242979 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 136 pages

About the Author
Alwyn Crawshaw has a huge following among amateur painters and has had 7 successful TV series on Channel 4. He was the Founder-President of the Society of Amateur Artists and regularly gives lectures and demonstrations to painting groups. He is author of 18 books on painting, all published by Collins.

Customer Reviews

Easy to read, good pictures, good explanations
Having had only 1 two hour lesson whilst on holiday, water colour painting became very interesting. It is also a potentially expensive hobby/pastime and mistakes on purchasing items are very easy to make.

Alwyn clearly explains the basics and moves on from there. There are 28 lessons in total, so there is something for the starter to the experienced.

The only downside to the book are the actual paintings, I found them to be 'dull' but that could be the result of the printing process. This does not detract from the lessons, explanations, and the knowledge he provides. It is a must for a starter as it provides the guidence you may need to buy the right equipment. I would also 'guess' the lessons further on in the book would be of help to the experienced. You cannot learn too much.

Well worth the money!

ideal for the beginner
In summary this book is excellent. I am not a natural artist, but having worked patiently (most of the time) through lessons 1-10 I am really pleased with my progress - I've got something on paper with actually looks quite good!

I'd advise buying this book first, before buying any equipment because there is a lot of advice in there about what equipment, paper, paints, brushes to purchase.

Straightforward and encouraging for the complete beginner.
Lessons 1 to 10 concern the basic materials and techniques required to make use of colour, brush and paper. They are full of helpful advice and examples, obviously based on many years of teaching experience and written by a thoughtful, encouraging, talented teacher. I recommend them without reservation. Lessons 11 to 14 concern drawing, but this subject deserves a book to itself and I'd suggest getting one. Nevertheless they would all be helpful if you didn't intend to study drawing otherwise, and Lesson 14 follows on from techniques taught in the first part of the book. This is followed by some demonstrations, and advice on working outdoors; then most of the rest of the book is devoted to practical advice for the beginner on painting various particular kinds of subject.

Like some other reviewers, I don't find the paintings themselves (as reproduced here) inspiring, and this could make the later lessons seem like a slog. The book would be very much better if some paintings by other artists, or Alwyn's students, had been included. But inspiration can be had on a visit to any good gallery. Then you can return to any chapter for the advice of a kindly, intelligent and experienced teacher, not always confined to the subject at hand. That's the way I intend to continue using this book.