Watercolor Artist

Packed with page after gorgeous page of illustrations demonstrating tried-and-true techniques, inspirational ideas and the most up-to-date information about must-have painting tools and materials, watercolorists find everything they need in WATERCOLOR ARTIST to help them create stunning art...from start to finish.

Editor's Note

Watercolor Artist

/ MAKING A SPLASH / Poppy Balser

Brush, Paper, Paint!

New + Notable / ON THE SHELVES /

/ MUST-SEE SHOW / Mary Cassatt at Work • PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART MAY 18-SEPTEMBER 8

An Expert Draftsman • RICHARD PARKES BONINGTON left his technical mark on architectural illustrations and painted landscapes.

Who's a famous artist you think was uniquely able to capture the power of place in watercolor?

The Perfect Pair • Learn how the fusion of line and wash can produce portraits loaded with expression.

Line & Wash

Movement, Excitement, ENERGY • THE PAINTINGS OF JEFF STEINER BREATHE LIFE INTO URBAN AND SMALL-TOWN STREET SCENES, TRANSFORMING EVERYDAY VIEWS INTO DYNAMIC COMPOSITIONS.

Meet the Artist

New York Streets • Follow along to see Jeff Steiner's process for capturing the dynamic energy of an urban street scene.

SHAPED BY Travel • STEWART WHITE TRAVELED OUT OF NECESSITY IN HIS YOUTH. NOW HE TRAVELS FOR THE JOY OF A DIVERSE PALETTE, ENDLESS ARCHITECTURE AND THE HUMAN SPIRIT.

Meet the Artist

YOUR OUTDOOR STUDIO • PLEIN AIR PAINTING, WHILE EXCITING AND REWARDING, IS NOT WITHOUT ITS CHALLENGES. LEAVING BEHIND THE CONVENIENCES AND COMFORTS OF THE STUDIO CAN BE TOUGH, BUT IT CAN BE DONE! THIS GUIDE WILL HELP YOU FIGURE OUT HOW TO MINIMIZE YOUR LOAD TO CREATE A PRACTICAL PLEIN AIR KIT THAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU. SO, PACK UP AND HEAD OUT THE DOOR. YOUR NEXT PAINTING ADVENTURE AWAITS!

Pick a Spot

Autumn in the Surrey Hills • In this plein air painting, my goal was to capture the beginning signs of autumn color in a scene bathed in late afternoon light.

A Twist OF FATE • A DEVASTATING TORNADO— AND THE DESIRE TO HELP HEAL THROUGH ART—HAVE POINTED JOHN HERRON TOWARD “CHAOTIC” NEW CREATIVE TERRITORY.

Creating Texture That Doesn't Scream “Salt”

Artist's Toolkit

Meet the Artist

Around the Globe • FOR DAUD AKHRIEV, BEING IMMERSED IN VIBRANT LOCALES AROUND THE WORLD AND USING WATERCOLORS TO CAPTURE HIS IMPRESSIONS ARE FUNDAMENTAL TO HIS CREATIVE PROCESS.

Meet the Artist

Have Sketchbook, Will Travel • ARMED WITH A PARED-DOWN SKETCH KIT AND AN APPRECIATION FOR OBSERVING THINGS DEEPLY, THIS INTREPID TRAVELER DISCOVERS RECURRING THEMES IN DIVERSE SETTINGS.

Sketch Prep • If you're thinking about sketching on your next trip, keep these three tips in mind so that you're primed and ready to go.

Meet the Artist

Playing the Odds • The rule of odds is one of the simplest—yet most dramatic—design principles you can apply to your composition and painting process.

May Contain Pits • Follow along to see how I apply the principle of the rule of odds to a still life painting.

artist's marketplace

Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona • A scenic gorge in Northern Arizona supplies Julie Gilbert Pollard with ongoing inspiration and creative purpose.