Painting Wildlife in Watercolor [Paperback]

Peggy Macnamara (Author), Marlene Donnelly (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2003

Peggy Macnamara, the only artist-in-residence at Chicago's Field Museum, shares her unique "No-Fear" approach to capturing all forms of wildlife in living, luminous watercolor. Co-author Marlene Hill Donnelly, Field Museum Scientific Illustrator and third-generation painter, discloses in-depth information on color, paint properties, and design learned over a lifetime of art study and practice. In Painting Wildlife in Watercolor, Peggy demonstrates her singular method, which relies on a gradual layering of washes that eliminates the rigid and disaster-prone formulas of traditional watercolor painting. Peggy and Marlene provide clear and simple instructions for any beginning to advanced artist wanting to know about creating life-like renderings of everything from fur to feathers, along with Peggy's detailed illustrations of a vast range of both familiar and exotic animals.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Peggy Macnamara teaches drawing and watercolor methods at the Art Institute of Chicago. She has been painting wildlife and nature scenes for more than twenty years. An accomplished and well-traveled artist, she lives in Evanston, IL. Marlene Hill Donnelly is a professional writer, book illustrator, painting instructor, and lecturer. She travels around the world hiking and diving to paint wildlife on land and under water. She lives in Glenview, IL.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill (November 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823038696
• ISBN-13: 978-0823038695
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #805,799 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BUY THIS BOOK!, January 20, 2004

By 

Mark Molitor (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Painting Wildlife in Watercolor (Paperback)

Buy this book and save yourself thousands of dollars literally. As a student of Peggy at the Art Institute of Chicago I know. I paid tons of money to go to art school. Almost everything I learned from Peggy you can learn from this book. Plus it is an excellent showcase of her artwork. One of the best draftsman you'll ever see. Stop reading this and go buy it.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the teacher that changed it all for me, November 26, 2003

By 

Megan E. Foldenauer "redmeg8" (Ypsilanti, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Painting Wildlife in Watercolor (Paperback)

Peggy was my teacher for years. She continues to be a mentor and inspiration for my work and my life. This book will give everyone insight into what it is like to paint alongside this amazing artist. You'll learn her fool-proof method of measuring to get the drawing right and a fearless approach to painting. I never "got" watercolor until I had Peggy. This book is wonderful for it's instruction AND for the wealth of lovely reproductions of Peggy's work. Buy it now!! :)

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to, that actually works, December 8, 2003

By 

Paul Brunsvold - See all my reviews

This review is from: Painting Wildlife in Watercolor (Paperback)

The beautiful images from the Field Museum notwithstanding, this is a how-to manual that actually offers watercolor methods that work. The reward is in the process. No Fear! I highly recommend picking up the book, gathering your art supplies, and getting started.

Thank you Peggy & Marlene