Watercolour Animals for the Absolute Beginner - (Absolute Beginner Art) by Matthew Palmer (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The quick way to watercolor success is here! If you have ever wanted to learn to paint animals, then this is for you.

Part of the bestselling Absolute Beginner Art series from Search Press.

Packed easy-to-follow techniques, quick exercises and 9 outlines - so there's no need to draw anything - let best-selling author, artist and teacher Matthew Palmer show you how to use watercolors with confidence to paint a range of animals in simple steps. Matthew expertly demonstrates how to paint realistic eyes, mouths, noses, fur markings and feathers in watercolor, and clearly explains all the techniques needed for the projects, including wet into wet, lifting out, adding shadows and the all-important dry-brush blending.

Full-size, fold-out outline sketches are provided for all projects, allowing you to simply trace the sketches onto watercolor paper and start painting with ease. A clear and comprehensive color-mixing section is included to allow you to confidently choose and mix the colors you need.

3 starter projects to start you off with a simple: Bird, Dolphin, Penguin - are the perfect introduction to the basic techniques before moving on to 6 larger projects, each set in a simple scene: Parrot, Cheetah, Panda, Giraffes, Sea turtle, Polar bear.

Matthew includes many handy hints and tip for beginners and improving artists alike to fill you with confidence to create your own stunning watercolor animals.

Review Quotes

Art Book Review - June 2024
This is a book that absolutely lives up to its title. Matthew paints birds, mammals and reptiles in a style that is easy to replicate and he provides fully illustrated instructions that explain every step. You'll never have trouble again with textures, skin, fur, feathers, eyes or any other detail.

These are not animals that live and breathe on the page. That element of character we so admire in the best animal paintings is missing, but that's deliberate. This is a book for the beginner and it produces recognisable, realistic results without over-elaboration. Work through this and you'll be able to replicate what Matthew does and be ready to move on to those books that do include the elusive element of character.

There are nine full demonstrations, as well as preliminary projects that concentrate on specific techniques including wet-in-wet, drybrush and lifting out. It's nice that all this is done in an actual painting (of an elephant), rather than with abstract marks that have all the excitement of practising scales. Just be sure to pay attention at this stage, though. As an added bonus, traceable outlines are provided, so you're freed from worrying about getting form and proportion right at this stage.
This is a book that knows exactly what it's required to do and delivers it with considerable aplomb.

About the Author

Matthew Palmer is a renowned demonstrator of watercolor painting, and his classes are particularly popular with beginners. He has been painting seriously for over twenty years and specializes in landscapes, still life and animals. He has his own studio at his home in Derbyshire, UK and teaches hundreds of people each week, as well as running watercolour workshops and holidays. He has many personal exhibitions, participates in several art shows and appears regularly on television as well as on his own internet-based art show at www.watercolour.tv