Creative Watercolor and Mixed Media: A Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving Stunning Effects--Play with Gouache, Metallic Paints, Masking Fluid, Alcohol, and More! (Art for Modern Makers)

by Ana Victoria Calderon

In Creative Watercolor and Mixed Media, popular watercolor artist, instructor, and author Ana Victoria Calderon shares her simple step-by-step techniques for painting exciting and colorful motifs by combining watercolor with a variety of other user-friendly materials.

• Start with the essentials—paint, paper, and brushes—then learn about the featured mediums for mixing, including masking fluid, gold leaf, bleach, salt, and alcohol
• Take a step-by-step look at fundamental watercolor techniques
• Learn to paint a variety of striking organic motifs and surface effects, including stirring skies and clouds, sparkling galaxies, flowing oceans, and dazzling crystals
• Find great project ideas for stylish gifts and stationery

Whether you're new to the medium or are looking to add new techniques to your watercolor practice, go grab a brush, paints, and some easy-to-use materials and take a beautiful creative journey with watercolor!

Perfect for all skill levels, the books in the Art for Modern Makers series take a fun, practical approach to learning about and working with paints and other art mediums to create beautiful DIY projects and crafts.

• ISBN13: 9781631598807
• Publish Date: 30 November 2020 (first published 17 November 2020)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Quarry Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 144
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Creative Watercolor and Mixed Media is a new tutorial and technique guide by Ana Victoria Caderón. Released 30th Nov 2020 by Quarto on their Quarry imprint, it's 144 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is an exuberant and colorful art tutorial with an emphasis on spontaneity and flexible results using gouache, metallic paints, masking fluids, alcohol inks, pigments and more. The artist has an encouraging and easy to understand style of teaching. I can imagine taking a workshop or class led by her would be rewarding and fun. The introduction gives a short background to mixed media techniques, tools, and supplies. I liked that the author didn't advertise for any particular brand of supplies and encourages readers to try a wide variety of products to find the best results for their own work.

The chapters are arranged logically - with several shorter tutorials building up techniques thematically: watercolor + other media, basic techniques, horizons (skyskapes), celestial compositions, gems/crystals, and earth & sacred geometry. The projects are very well photographed and include tools/materials in a bullet point list, and step by step instructions. The photos are clear and easy to follow.

The book also includes an index and resource lists.

Five stars. This would make a good addition to a home studio library, maker's group library, guild or public library or similar.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.