Watercolor Wisdom [Hardcover]

Jo Taylor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 5, 2003

Watercolor Wisdom is an essential reference for every watercolor artist. It shares the knowledge, insights, tips and tricks that author Jo Taylor has accumulated over 30 years of painting and teaching, delivering a complete watercolor course that provides all the answers any painter will ever need for good painting.

With the friendly tone of a gentle and seasoned teacher, Jo Taylor illustrates each lesson with large examples, stimulating exercises, visual comparisons and diagrams that are as engaging as they are effective. Beginning chapters focus on the basics of strong painting, including color, texture, value, composition and technique.

The last chapter challenges readers to develop their design abilities and experiment with new artistic techniques, drawing upon the elements and principles learned to reinforce the lessons of this comprehensive guide. Throughout, readers will find big, beautiful art that teaches as well as inspires.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: North Light Books; 1 edition (February 5, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581802404
• ISBN-13: 978-1581802405
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 8.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #738,032 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much to learn from this book, April 10, 2003

By 

J Johnson (Murfreesboro, TN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Watercolor Wisdom (Hardcover)

While searching through the vast selection of watercolor books in the city's bookstore, I found this book and feel it is well worth the money I paid for it.

It provides exercises for the reader to practice with watercolor painting, of which involve learning how to control the brush, how to unify and mix colors, and create textures using different effects. My personal favorite lesson of this book is its review of composition. The composition section is a bit hard to understand at first (as is composition in general) but after re-reading the dialog several times, my knowledge of composition in art has improved a great deal.

Though I advise to the readers that this book would be more useful to you if you practice all the exercises, the book will still teach you, even if all you do is simply read and look at the diagrams. I believe this book is most useful for amateur and intermediate watercolor artists, though it may prove to have sound tips for advanced artists as well.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For the watercolorist dedicated to serious study., May 4, 2003

By 

"radiger" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Watercolor Wisdom (Hardcover)

These are lessons and notes which serious students will appreciate having in an organized presentation. Workshop students often are caught up in ptg.and/or keeping up with the class and neglect to take legible notes. The deciphering at a later date,if it happens at all, often times is equal to reading a foreign language. Also, these lessons are passed on to the reader from the author/art instructor's knowledge received from other very well known artists. Many, of which are no longer with us and have become legends.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wisdom Indeed!, July 21, 2005

By 

CD "devotedmomof7" (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Watercolor Wisdom (Hardcover)

What a valuable asset to the community of watercolor artists. Jo has shared years of wisdom and experience in a well organized pattern of instruction, focusing on the "rules" of watercolor. Many modern artist "throw out the rulebook" to the detriment of their artistic outcome. Like learning to read recipes before possessing the inate skills to throw out the cookbook, Jo trains her students in the tried-and-true principles of design and composition that springboard into the creative elements of a seasoned artist. Her work is far from textbook traditionalism ~ benefitting the traditional artist to the abstract. This is also not a book just for beginners, though it is absolutely THE book to have as a beginner! Additionally there is a wealth of excellent paintings from Jo, who is an AWS signature artist, and several other artists. Unlike many "vanity" art books which merely feature the author's artwork with a sprinkling of instruction, Jo's book features numerous paintings as a support for the treasure of instruction which is the driving force of the book.