Thinking in Watercolor: A Daily Practice to Unlock Your Creativity & Discover Your Inner Artist

by Jessie Kanelos Weiner

A 30-day masterclass in the art of using watercolor to tell your own stories. 

Unlike most watercolor instruction books based on rote copying of classic watercolor subjects, Thinking in Watercolor encourages readers to use art as a means of self-expression. Author and in-demand illustrator Jessie Kanelos Weiner encourages readers through foundational watercolor techniques and shows how to adapt them to share their personal experiences over the course of several days. On Day 10 they’ll illustrate a family recipe; on Day 14 they’ll go on a scavenger hunt through a local museum—and so forth.

As both a commercial illustrator and professional art instructor, Jessie is uniquely poised to offer readers insider tips and clever visualizations of the creative process—and she brings each lesson to life with her vivid illustrations and stories from her life as an ex-pat in Paris. It all adds up to a volume that’s at once inspiring, charming, and informative—the perfect gift for anyone looking to begin or reignite a personal art practice.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Reference, Crafts

191 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 4, 2025

Reviews

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes you through simple steps to build your skills with watercolor. Starting with what type of paper and brushes to buy, and then moving on to the intensity and value of the paint colors, you will learn how to blend and build texture as you paint.

There is a section on color theory with simple color wheels and descriptions of hue, tint, tone, and shade. Then there are examples of how you can create different effects by manipulating the colors you use.

The daily exercises are simple enough that there is lots of room for personal creativity, but also challenging in developing skills like creating depth and texture. You learn to paint in layers of light and dark, and think carefully about the perspective and composition. There are exercises to paint objects, landscapes, architecture, and portraits.

The author tells personal anecdotes about what inspires her when she is painting, along with stories that encourage the reader to keep improving your skills and keep trying even when your art doesn't turn out quite how you had hoped. This inspiring book embraces creativity and wild imagination!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.

[Eric Stilan · Rating 5 out of 5]

lots of inspiration

This is a great book to tackle beginning watercolor, and also coming up with ideas on what to paint. The examples are fresh and fun and give you a lot of leeway to work on your own idea and create your own watercolor habit.

[Marylou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not for true beginners

The book assumes you can sketch and the thirty days of exercises looked difficult for me as a beginner. I did like the opening instructions. I think it would be good for someone who has existing artistic knowledge but wants to add watercolor to their repertoire.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the daily approach where each day is given a prompt and there's technique explainers throughout the book. It gave me things to try in watercolor and inspires an artistic eye when navigating the world. I look forward to repeating a few exercises here and there!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice, easy book of the basics to get you started in painting.

[Carrie Cantalupo-Sharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really 4+ stars. I learned a lot and am still enjoying the exercises.