Review by Booklist Review
What other medium has the delicate power or the ethereal resonance of watercolor? It appears so easy to do, but at second glance, it looks so difficult to do. Beginners eager to try their hand should take Moses as their tutor. She sensitively guides readers through a complete starter course in watercolor. She begins with information on tools and materials, including paper, paint, and brushes; then she explains the seven elements of design. After that, Moses discusses color and various time-honored techniques. Readers are then directed step-by-step through a series of projects, of increasing difficulty, to apply what they have learned so far. And for inspiration and sheer enjoyment, she provides at the end a gallery of her own paintings. The entire book is beautifully designed for easy eye movement over its rich pages. An excellent place to start. --Brad Hooper
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Giving in to modern expectations for immediate satisfaction, Halliday promises that one can "pick up a brush and paint your first landscape this weekend." Halliday has an extensive background in teaching workshops and has distilled what he has learned into eight simple lessons on subjects like skies and clouds, water, mountains and lakes, and seasonal landscapes. For each, he has practice exercises to be completed on Saturday and a full-scale watercolor painting to be completed on Sunday. His is a reasonable concept for young, motivated beginners with little time. Moses's Easy Watercolor is another stress-free introduction to watercolor but without the weekend gimmick. She covers the requisite areas of tools, composition, color, washes, glazing, etc., and then adds a more personal chapter on creativity and inspiration. Taylor's Watercolor Wisdom is much more satisfying than either of these books. Based on 30 years of studying with some of America's best watercolor artists and teaching thousands in her classes and workshops, she offers a comprehensive yet still low-stress volume for the beginner. The sections on developing one's own style are especially good. Of the three, Taylor's has the most depth, the most engaging voice, and the best chance of making a lasting contribution to the watercolor field; the others are suitable only for collections with a strong demand for the quick and easy. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
