Customer Reviews

Watercolor, You Can Do It!

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After reading at least 30 watercolor instructions books, this one goes to the top of my list. Couch covers everything from the basics (from equipment to how you actually get paint on to the paper) to the essential guidelines of design and composition. These (sometimes boring) subjects are covered in an easily-digestible, easily-usable manner, making it exciting to get to your next painting and apply what you have read. The book includes a really good description of how the painter is a "shape maker, symbol collector and entertainer" and numerous step-by-step examples of painting basic landscape components (trees, sky, rocks, water). The book is upbeat with a wonderful sense of play and humor running through it -- plus the reader is given dozens of examples of Tony Couch's own marvelous watercolor paintings, as well as examples from eight other superb watercolorists. The gallery of paintings alone is worth the price of the book (which, by the way, is about 30 pages longer than most watercolor instruction books -- so you really get your money's worth!)

This is a great book that addresses problems that I haven't seen addressed in other books. He is also encouraging to the painter who may not feel they have a lot of talent but still want to paint. He feels that all people with the desire can do it. I got the book from the library, and loved it so much I purchased it. I've heard his videos are great too.

This is one of the best books teaching watercolor painting. I've bought many. He stresses that the journey (learning) is more important than the goal (being a great painter). He's an excellent teacher and his step by step illustrations are some of the best. A great help to me.

The early chapters on handling paint and the brush seems to really get to the point. The section on "moisture control" really is a must read for anyone still struggling with this aspect of watercolor painting. I recommend this book all the time to anyone who asks about good reading material. Too bad it is out of print. A must for the watercolorist library!

I can not believe that Amazon does not carry Tony Couch's books.
He is an awesome teacher that gets his points across to the novice.
His advise is easy to follow and he uses his colour in a pure and simple way

Whether your interest is in watercolor or not, this is the best book on general art design principles I've ever seen. It is worth the price just for those sections alone! You'll learn the components of design, design principles, all sorts of useful stuff. It will help your photography, your web design, your interior decorating, your landscaping ... whatever you do that the eye can see, this book can help you with it!

My art teacher recommended this artist's books as a great resource, so I ordered Tony Couch's Watercolor, You Can Do It. And I love it. Using his direction and techniques, I've managed to create some pretty impressive paintings. This book has given me a lot of confidence, and contains information on ways to practice. I just started painting in watercolor a few months ago and love it so much. What a relaxing activity!

This is a special book in that it treats the wonders of watercolor in a logical and methodical manner. I have used it as a guide to allow me to express my feelings through this exciting medium with reasonable chance for success.

Tony Couch has done a masterful job at explaining the logic of a complex medium. Thank you, Mr. Couch.

I just finished a five-day workshop with Couch, during which I bought his book (after reading about it here). I thoroughly recommend it. His writing is direct and the information he provides is thorough but not exhausting. The book is comprehensive yet manageable. (His previous career as an airline pilot might explain his direct, no-nonsense approach to teaching...)

After a simple explanation of tools and equipment (he favors the "less is more" approach), Couch focuses on the eight principles of design. He stresses thinking, planning, simplicity and symbols. As a writer, I actually enjoy reading this book, which is an added benefit.

Even as someone with a few classes under my belt (but having taken many long hiatuses between), I learned more than I imagined, and -- here's the good news -- the book reinforces all the messages in his classroom teaching. So if you can't or don't want to take a workshop, the book is excellent on its own.

And one key message (for novice or intermediate painter, anyway): Don't be wedded to the photograph. Use it as a reference, but not a literal one. Use it as a tool from which to design your painting. Do a sketch, then put the photo aside. I've found myself so focused on the photo ref. that I forget about what I wanted to say and overwork it or try to cram in too much.

One reviewer mentioned that some of the book is "outdated." I'm not sure I understand what that means. His paintings do have a certain sameness about them: a lot of barns, hillsides and grasses, and therefore may seem like a visual cliche. Still, I don't fault him for keeping a simple palette of long-proven colors and for stressing the fundamentals of design. Would I buy one of his works? Probably not. But his technique -- loose yet mindful of important features of the natural and manmade landscapes -- is well worth learning.

Couch has a practical, efficient approach (no group hugs here) that leads to a much better understanding of how to create a good painting.

This text on watercolor technique is written by an artist who has a profound understanding of the principles and nuances of watercolor painting and an exceptional talent for clearly explaining them. The book is generously illustrated and a pleasure to read. I have adopted it as my mentor for the next stage in my coloring attempts, i.e. intermediate.