Customer Reviews

The Art of Watercolor

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This is one of the best books on watercolor I have read and I have read a bunch. Many watercolor books give demonstrations and descriptions of a limited range of techniques used by that particular author. The authors' focus is primarily on showing you how they painted particular sample paintings. You learn, but mostly how to paint the sample paintings and a little about the author's technique but not much else.

Mr. Le Clair provides the kind of instruction I would expect from a college watercolor class. He covers much more than just the basics but, nevertheless, the book could well serve as an introduction to watercolor. If I had to choose one instructional watercolor book this would be it. The second book I would choose is "The Watorcolorist's Essential Notebook" by Gordon MacKenzie, but it needs to be supplemented with a more basic book.

There are two things about this book I think make it a great book for any watercolorist's library. One is the sheer variety of paintings shown and the other is the numerous 'assignments' at the end of each chapter.

As another reviewer stated this book does not show you only one or a few artist's techniques. Rather it covers a broad range of techniques, art styles and artists and shows a diverse array of watercolor paintings. Everything from traditional representational paintings to contemporary and experimental works are shown. And all are used to illustrate that chapter's main point that they appear in. Works from famous artists to current living ones are displayed.

Each chapter ends with exercises designed to let you practice principles, techniques or styles the preceding pages discussed. Now some people don't like or need such 'assignments'. But other people, like me, enjoy them as a challenge and as a way to see that they've not only read the chapter but can practice till they've learned it. If you don't care for such things it's easy to skip over them. But I actually found some of these projects fun to do.

I have a sketchbook of watercolor paper that I use strictly for trying out projects from my various watercolor or other painting books. It is separate from my other sketchbooks or paintings and its sole purpose is strictly to practice, even copy, the demo projects and assignments. Even the greatest art masters learned first by copying the masters before them. There is so much to learn from this book. Not only how to paint in watercolor but also some art history as well. Definitely a recommended buy.

Perhaps the strongest effort I have read to date for instruction on watercolor technique.(David Dewey's book is also outstanding!) This book is for the advanced watercolorist, as well as the intermediate student. It offers art history, studies in color, tips on still life, specialty items such as how to flatten a buckled paper, and more! Although I have been a watercolorist for many years, Le Clair has brought new insight into working with and teaching the medium.

I bought this book when it first came out, and it was a real revealation to me. Water color wasn't really taught in American art schools at the time, and this book was my first guide to the wonderful adventure of watercolor painting. I'm reviewing the newer edition, which has the same great text but has added more full-color illustrations.

The pictures are great, but the text is what makes this book outstanding among the many watercolor books currently on the market. As the title suggests, the text explores and explains the many facets of watercolor as an art form. The illustrations support the text by showing well-chosen examples of the great variety possible with this beautiful and intriguing medium. Many books on watercolor offer lessons in a particular method or painting style, or focus on one style of painting (usually the author's). This one covers diferent ground entirely. Instruction books can be excellent, but if you are ready for more depth, this could be the book you need. It's true there is a typical section on materials and basic techniques, and there are suggested exercises at the end of the chapters. These are fine in themselves, but other books can give you that. What makes this book special is the author's wide knowledge of painting styles, and his careful avoidance of favoritism toward particular styles or artists. If you are ready to read this with an open mind, you may see the merits of painting styles that you thought you didn't like. This certainly was the case for me!


Who would benefit from this book? It would be useful to a complete beginner, if he or she is very disciplined, ready to work, and above all ready to READ a though-provoking non-simplisitic book. Non-painters who admire watercolor and would like to learn more about its history will probably enjoy a browse through the text. But I think it is most helpful to intermediate painters who are beyond the intiial struggle to master the basics of watercolor, and are ready to deepen their understanding of this wonderful art form.

Perhaps the strongest effort I have read to date for instruction on watercolor technique.(David Dewey's book is also outstanding!) This book is for the advanced watercolorist, as well as the intermediate student. It offers art history, studies in color, tips on still life, specialty items such as how to flatten a buckled paper, and more! Although I have been a watercolorist for many years, Le Clair has brought new insight into working with and teaching the medium.

This book by Le Clair is lucid and touches all the important aspects of water color painitng...It is a great instructional book...I wish I had studied this book several decades ago. I am a self-taught artist and this book will help all such self-taught persons

Perhaps the strongest effort I have read to date for instruction on watercolor technique.(David Dewey's book is also outstanding!) This book is for the advanced watercolorist, as well as the intermediate student. It offers art history, studies in color, tips on still life, specialty items such as how to flatten a buckled paper, and more! Although I have been a watercolorist for many years, Le Clair has brought new insight into working with and teaching the medium.

Le Claire has contributed a lot to watercolor painting in this book loaded with illustrations of expressionim,experimentation in the media it inspires to do watercolors ,This is surprisng since it is published by the American Artist (for many years since I have first seen the magazine has published little of advanced watercolor painting) But the book doesn't limit itself to transparent watercolor rules.Such as No embossing no cutting ,no ink,nothing but pure color that maybe started by pencil line.If a painter hasn't advanced from that rule ,then he isn't a painter of the 20th century to my mind.Too often watercolor books are promotions of a watercolorist's technique, many of these artist are hampered by poor formal ability: line ,color,shape, etc.Le claire has some ability so the book has authority. It is a book that is well worth the modest price.

Mr. Le Claire makes it much easier to navigate watercolor painting with his technique advice. The examples are stellar! If you need help, this is the book to read!

Excellant. I work mainly in oils but have wanted to use watercolor for years and most attemps failed due to lack of understanding and to a conventional approach to the medium. Nice chaper on a creative use of photographs- not adhering in a slavish style to the image recorded but to interpret and use as a source. Great chapter on alternative ways of applying paint. Good reproductions of interesting artists' use of water color and ideas. Good basic instruction as well. Nice exercises for self and for teaching. Inspirational and will keep for my library