30 días de acuarela: Un curso de acuarela en 30 proyectos

by Jenna Rainey

A contemporary paint-every-day watercolor guide that explores foundational strokes and patterns and then builds new skills upon the foundations over the course of 30 days to create finished pieces.
This beautifully illustrated and inspiring guided watercolor-a-day book is perfect for beginning watercolor artists, artists who want to improve their watercolor skills, and visual creatives. From strokes to shapes, this book covers the basics and helps painters gain confidence in themselves along with inspiration to develop their own style over the course of 30 days. Featuring colorful contemporary art from Mon Voir design agency founder and Instagram trendsetter Jenna Rainey, this book's fresh perspective paints watercolor in a whole new light.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Reference, How To, Crafts, Creative, Unfinished

218 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 10, 2017

Reviews

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came to know Jenna Rainey from following her on Instagram. Her specialty seems to be the type of loose florals that are pictured on the cover, which is not everyone's style. However, this book doesn't focus on style nor does it go into how to achieve that loose floral look, rather it's a good foundational book on how to get started with watercolors.

Jenna's style is very casual and it almost feels like a friend is teaching you. She eases readers into the world of watercoloring by talking about supplies, color theory, and a few easy practices. The book is broken down by day with a time limit to set aside and the objective for that day. I was actually impressed with the organization of this book and I do believe that if someone takes the time to do all the lessons they can learn fairly quickly.

I had already started my watercolor journey by taking a class and YTing, so I had supplies and a little bit of experience going in, but even the beginning lessons were pretty useful to me. I just wish that she gave better direction or explanation in certain areas, but this might just be me being a more visual learning person. I didn't get to complete all the lessons (borrowed from the library) and I was learning through other forms as well, but I think at some point I may buy it. I also liked that Jenna encourages people to use IG and the hashtag #EverydayWatercolor. This is useful in many ways from creating a supportive environment, getting a sneak peak at projects in the book, and seeing how everyone else is doing in comparison.

My only real critique and the real reason I knocked a star off is Jenna's supply list. This book and well, honestly her website and IG are all about product branding. A huge turn off for me. She loves Winsor & Newton tubes for paint, Stonehenge for paper, and Princeton brushes. If you are a newbie and you don't know if WC is for you the upstart cost of her supply list is very expensive. Not to mention, you may not like using the same supplies. For example, I prefer the M.Graham paints because they're high quality and more bang for my buck. So my suggestion on that front, is use what you got on hand until you get better and decide this is the medium you want to continue with.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

gonna be doing this as soon as my paints come in the mail!! it's really pretty and has step by step instructions for 30 days so yay!!

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Learn to paint watercolor in 30 days". Not an estimate but concrete lessons divided in 30 days. Meaning you can actually learn everything inside the book in a month. I like time frames (or else I don't do things), so I found that way of organizing the information appealing. Each day covers a specific topic and a task for you to complete. The first days are about basic things like swatches (blobs of paint), value scale, shapes, etc. Those will get you used to manipulating watercolors. The next days it just keeps incorporating the knowledge of previous days into the new lessons . As it increases in complexity, you move forward all the way to completed watercolor scenes.

This book is great for beginners, it makes it easy for you to start your watercolor journey. Jenna Rainey explains tools, color theory and everything you need to know before moving to the first day. However, what I found more important is that it doesn't only teach you but also entices you to start practicing:

- It gives a defined time frame "30 days of watercolors", so you can see the goal.
- Each day has an estimated time to complete, thus allowing you to organize your day better.
- The example images are not intimidating and portrait only what you are supposed to learn (not astonishing pieces that obviously required more knowledge than what they teach and you go "no way I can do something like that" and give up).
- It invites you to share your work on social media with hashtag #everydaywatercolor, which can be great to add accountability, meet other students/readers and keep on track. I like the idea of connecting with other people who also read the book and share our projects.

If you are looking for a "draw this specific gorgeous flower in 3-easy-steps" this is not your book. It doesn't focus on making you achieve a specific stylized design, but if you want to build solid foundations in watercolor and go beyond the examples provided, then go for it!.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Everyday Watercolor" is a how-to for those who want to learn Rainey's bleed-painting watercolor style. In this technique, you paint in the darkest part, then use clean water to wet the lighter areas, and a final stroke joins the two to create a bleed of the dark into the wet areas. She claims you can control the process, but I found her hints about this so vague it was just a matter of trying different things until I liked what I was getting.

Each lesson lasted between 30-90 minutes, with the first few lessons being shortest. In the lessons, you learn how to paint various leaves, flowers (roses, paradise flower), plants (trees, cacti), fruit (papaya, dragon fruit), animals (chickens, hummingbird, toucan, elephant, macaw), and several landscape or collage-like paintings using these objects.

The book is aimed at complete beginners to watercolor, but she wants you to buy expensive, professional-quality watercolor paper, paints, and brushes. I really liked the idea of teaching the basics (color theory, basic strokes for round brushes, etc.) during actual painting practice, but I think a complete beginner would find the book confusing and frustrating at times.

Some examples: On page 13, she tells you to include both warm and cool colors without explaining these new terms (until a later lesson). The illustrations often had confusing subtitles, like two swatches of green paint with "Winsor Green + Lemon Yellow Deep" under them. The way the text was placed, I initially thought one swatch was supposed to be the green and the other the yellow rather than two greens that you can make using those two paints. She frequently urged "add lots of water," leaving it mostly up to the reader to figure out how to keep the paint from escaping the desired bounds. As her technique requires "lots of water" yet "not too much," more advise on this from the very beginning would have been useful to a complete beginner. However, artists who are more used to the runaway tenancy of watercolor will probably turn out some nice finished lessons.

I received this book as a free review copy from the publisher through Blogging for Books.

[Flora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Look at that cover! Isn't it gorgeous! The author is well known for her wonderfully impressionistic flowers and I have seen and admired many of her beautiful work on Instagram. Loose florals are her strong point.

I was therefore rather disappointed when I saw that she did not include more step-by-step instructions on how to paint flowers.

Still, Everyday Florals will be useful for the beginner watercolorist.

Thank you, Netgalley and Ten Speed Press, for giving me an ARC.

[Andrew Farley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyday Watercolor is a great book for learning the watercolor techniques needed to create beautiful pieces of art. This book teaches you what you need to know by breaking it down into 30 easy to follow lessons. Each lesson is short enough to finish in one day, so that by the end of 30 days you will have the knowledge you need to confidently paint anything you want.

I did feel that the equipment section was a bit lacking. The only paint recommended was in tubes and it was suggested to let that dry overnight. Why not just recommend half/full pans? For someone new the this medium they may see the pans in store and wonder why already dry paint is different from wet paint allowed to dry. Also, there was no mention of gouache which is opaque, but still a watercolor. Even if the paint wasn't used or demonstrated in the book, mention of it would be helpful. However, these small omissions do not take away much from an otherwise spectacular introduction to watercolor.

If you have ever wanted to learn how to use watercolors, this book is a very good place to start. By the end of 30 days you will be able to use confident brushstrokes, know the color theory necessary to make your colors pop, and the importance of Wet On Wet and Wet On Dry. You may need to repeat a single "day" lesson for multiple days to nail a technique, but the simple, fun instructions and activities make it a joy to learn.

I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review.

[Nadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Ah, watercolor its beautiful luminous quality is pure delight. Watercolor is wildly uncontrollable and at the same time containable. It's a visual medium that moves around with ease, exploding and bursting into surrounding strokes, creating texture and depth that can't be found in any other type of media." Introduction - pg. 1

With the first thirteen pages covering Tools, Materials, Color Theory, The Value Scale, Composition, and Painting Techniques this gem of a book starts off quickly and then slows to a subdued, comprehensive pace. As Jenna takes the fledgling watercolorist through a 30-Day step-by-step development of methodology from Day One with using Basic Strokes, to Day Fifteen's focus on Complementary Colors, all the way to Day Thirty where you Learn how to paint in up to 6 layers creating a jungle scene that includes a parrot. Well laid out with colorful illustrations, this is an invaluable book for the novice or curious Creative who is looking to develop in this medium.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took more than 30 days but I think I learned to watercolor! Would definitely recommend supplementing with videos from her YouTube page and perhaps even a class where an instructor can offer insights on techniques but this gave me a very solid foundation to work from! Cool!

[Callie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fall, before I had Georgie, I decided to try to get better at watercolor painting. I have dabbled in it for a couple years, but I haven't been consistent about practicing at all. I love the look of watercolor and it's one of those things that I know I need to practice more consistently in order to get better. I signed up for an online class this fall, and I snagged Everyday Watercolor by Jenna Rainey as soon as I saw it!

This book is a thorough introduction to modern watercolor painting. Rainey explains her choice of supplies and color theory in the introduction, and then she jumps right into 30 days worth of watercolor projects designed to help you develop your own painting skills. I loved that Rainey didn't just tell you how to paint each project, but she really explains the reasoning behind the different techniques that she uses so you can take them and apply them to different subjects.

The book is also just gorgeous to look at.

I really appreciated how Rainey guides the reader into thinking about the shapes of the subjects and how the light should fall, and I am excited to practice. I love Rainey's style of painting, and this book is perfect if you would like to learn to paint in a similar style. After reading this book I feel like learning to pain in watercolors is that much more attainable.

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to read this until after Georgie was born, and I haven't been able to actually sit down with paint between adjusting to five kiddos! But one of my goals for the new year will be to get back into practicing, and I'm excited to work through all the projects in this book. I'll hopefully share some of the projects in 2018 - my goal is at least one a week! Highly recommend if you are interested in the watercolor medium.

Note: I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for a review. This is my honest opinion.

[Kristen Lesperance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not finished working through this book. I was taking my time, but with the holidays I have not had the time to really commit to reading/doing, so I read the book from start to finish and now I am just dying to get back to painting.

This book is a fantastic reference for beginner watercolour artist, or anyone who wants to learn it one day with no prior knowledge of the medium like me. The pictures are to die for and Jenna is so good at explaining things. I follow her on Instagram and she also has some tutorials on there too.

I highly recommend this book.

[Romelina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Algunos ejercicios fueron confusos y me tomaron mucho más tiempo del marcado pero cada quien a su tiempo. Me pareció un buen libro para personas que necesitan empezar desde lo básico. 🖌️🎨

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed working my way through this book and trying out the techniques.

[Bianca Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good guide to beginners' watercolour painting some cool techniques found it at the local library. 😎

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This workbook a great start for beginners and a good way to take someone from beginner to intermediate. However it was disappointing that there are no demo’s of the beautiful flower arrangements on the book’s cover and shown throughout, although there is a lot of time is given to painting leaves.

[Kim Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great step by step guide to learning watercolor technique and paint control. Easy to follow instructions and interesting assignments to practice with. Well recommended.

[Subhamay Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you have access to the internet and You Tube videos, there is no dearth of water colour painting tutorials. Even if you want to buy a book on how to paint with water colour, 'Teach Yourself' books are a dime a dozen. So there is intense competition in this field and any new volume will have to provide the learners with something absolutely special to justify its price.

Jenna Rainey's Everyday Watercolor: Learn to Paint Watercolor in 30 Days is another addition to those illustrated 'how to paint' books. The introductory chapter has a few details on how the author became a 'self-taught artist' because, at a certain stage of life, she 'came across the right watercolor supplies'. She adds immediately…'and something changed for me'. Unfortunately, for this reviewer, that was a spoiler that came too early in the book. Jenna Rainey recommends expensive paints, paper and brushes and one wonders if these are really so essential for a novice or a beginner. Her emphasis on the 'correct materials' to make the process enjoyable perhaps reveals her own infatuation rather than a genuine need. She then endeavours to spread her own infatuation rather candidly: 'I hope the list of supplies and those fundamental tips are getting you excited to paint for yourself!' Thus, the first chapter of the book is more about the "I", the established artist, rather than the "you", the novice learner. Shouldn't it have been the other way round?

Everyday Watercolor will tell you about straight lines and curves, values and volume, shadows and patterns and will help you to learn some basic techniques of water colour painting with illustrated lessons. Jenna will teach you how to add a few layers of paint, one after the other, and how to create highlights and mid-tones. Jenna’s models are mostly natural objects — plants, fruits and flowers in their passive and inert state — a papaya or a saguaro cactus. There are a few very simple landscapes. After a few lessons, it becomes rather mundane and almost frustrating because there are very few live drawings that show objects on the move. Would it have been so difficult to introduce a few interesting scenes in those paintings? A beginner would do well to paint objects of her own choice than copying what is provided in this book.

Jenna Rainey’s words of wisdom like how you can make a beautiful picture without painting in great detail or how two reference photos, one black-and-white and the other coloured, can help you understand the depth and tone, do not impress much because neither her words nor the paintings are able to inspire the uninitiated to try her hand in painting. As the author of a ‘do-it-yourself’ manual, she would have been more successful if she could have stimulated, with her own paintings, her readers to paint for the first time. As Jenna asserts, ‘Break the rules!’

As I have hinted at the beginning, you’ll get better water colour lessons free-of-cost if you search the net and you have a great variety of good books to choose from. It’s a pity that I can’t include Everyday Watercolor in that list of books.

This reviewer received a free electronic copy of the book from Netgalley for an honest review.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Step one, step two.. LOOK AT MY MASTERPIECE!" The first few exercises of this, practicing technique without trying to actually make it look like something specific, we're alright. Then as it progressed, I could feel my perfectionism kicking in. "Paint this leaf you've never heard of...and at the end of the chapter you finally get some sense of what it should look like. "Draw two C curves..." yea I can follow the instruction and it will look NOTHING like what she says, until I turn the page and just follow the sketch she demonstrates. Not sure if author over-anticipates the clarity of her words or what. Then she has the gall to add, the "Isn't this easy and fun?" comments, and I'm still wondering how she got from here to there, because I'm following the steps and surely something is missing. I think more time could be spent on technique outside of replicating-life application, and I think it would be easier to follow if more numerical step-wise instruction rather than paragraphs. And a lot more specifics. Ok, toucan is facing left. Not until I see her finished piece do I notice her toucan is facing away and turning its head left, rather than...simply facing left. Kind of a difference there.

The instructions are such that I even managed to 'screw up'. In that, with the dragonfruit whole and half, it was unclear that I wasn't supposed to do the wash on the inside of the half fruit, until it was too late.

She makes assumptions that reader has background in art to know what 'envisioning your light source' would look like, and that you are right-handed. I'm almost done- day 22- and after washing both mountains read I was only supposed to do the first, and the second comes later (for what reason I don't know). She goes to final layer and "make any final marks on the piece" apparently means "add a ****ton of little details".

I plan to finish this book, if nothing else to have some 'timestamps' of my ability development, but I decided I think in week two that I don't really like it, the instruction could be much clearer, and I look forward to finding new material that doesn't try to incorporate light source, color mixing, and life-replication all in one go. WOW is an interesting thing to really grasp well as to how it works, and I can spend a lot more time there. I did learn in this book, more about sketching than I expected, but I'm looking forward to different books moving forward. If you have any perfectionistic tendencies, I do NOT recommend this book. I did a web lesson on values that I felt came out much better; I don't feel like she really teaches how to get good gradient depth representation. And, even as a beginner, there could be more spent on color mixing. (It's one thing to follow her instructions, another to try following her instructions when you don't have her exact palette, and yet another when you're new and don't know how to get the paints from the pans to the palette for mixing, whether cross-contamination is ok, how much of each to use). I'm still really confused how you start with a light wash which is really dilute, and then suddenly have a more saturated version of the same color for the value.

[DelAnne Frazee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Everyday Watercolor - Learn to Paint With Watercolor in 30 days
Author: Jenna Rainey
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Published: 10-10-2017
Pages: 224
Genre: Arts & Photography
Sub-Genre: Teaching; Painting; Watercolor; Plants & Animals; Themes; Crafts & Hobbies
ISBN: 9780399579721
ASIN: N01N7SOJIB
Reviewed For NetGalley and Ten Speed Press
Reviewer: DelAnne
Rating: 4.5 Stars


With plenty of illustrations and easy to follow instructions "Everyday Watercolor is a great source to help budding artist hone their skills. While encouraging readers to show their own styles and techniques. Shading and coloring are emphasized, but there are several other techniques discussed.


This is an interesting take on teaching painters. A useful resource to improve individual techniques.


My rating of "Everyday Watercolor - Learn to Paint With Watercolor in 30 days" is 4.5 out of 5 stars.


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[Christopher Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

We All Are Made To Be Creators

In EVERYDAY WATERCOLOR: LEARN TO PAINT WATERCOLOR IN 30 DAYS, author Jenna Rainey gives us a step-by-step approach to learning how to paint. I am not skillful in painting, and was curious to see if this book would be helpful for a beginner. It is indeed.

The beginning of the book provides tips on what tools and materials to buy. I found these sections to be practical, as I don’t really know how to get started. Jenna explains the differences in the tools and the paints, in a simple, clear way. As a beginner, I found this very helpful.

Day One starts off with just simple brush strokes. Succeeding days add more detail and complexity—but it all builds up slowly and gently. The pace is gentle and easy. Day Two has the student trying simple curves and circles. By Day Thirty, we are finalizing our “Jungle Piece.”

So all in all, I found EVERYDAY WATERCOLOR to be an outstanding book. The lessons start with very simple techniques, and slowly build-up. The material is presented in a friendly, easy-to-follow format. The artwork and other illustrations are encouraging as well.

I especially liked the author’s vision of what it means to be an artist: “We all are made to be creators. All it takes is practice, a lot of passion, dedication, and most importantly, patience.”

The author concludes the book with this encouragement: “Keep painting and dedicating this practice to yourself as an artist and creative individual.” I appreciate the author’s helpfulness, and warm encouragement.


Advance Review Copy courtesy of the publisher.

[Just Commonly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Everyday Watercolor by Jenna Rainey is a one of those books that are easy to handle since it's broken down into daily lessons. I like that approach, since it organizes things. You can proceed further along if you'd like. I like the simplicity of the lessons, which is great for beginners. However, since I've studied art and design before, I find some of the terms might not work well for beginners if they had no idea what it meant in the first place. There's a certain level of assumption, but there's also a good amount of information including how to hold the brush for a certain effect. Much of the terminology are noted in the beginning pages which I highly suggest beginners to take a look at first instead of jumping into the first lesson. With that said, there's a lot of reading. I think if there were an audio companion to this book, so as you are following the instructions, you can try it out as well would make this experience more fulfilling, and less confusing.

In all, I do find the lessons a great refresher and very useful. Each lesson focused on one organic item to draw and I look forward to spending more time on watercolors.



Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.

[Gayathri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my full review at Elgee Writes

You all know how craft challenged I am, and my last water coloring project made me question all my ‘sensible shopping’ techniques. So when I stumbled across Everyday Watercolor by Jenna Rainey in Netgalley, I decided I will give water coloring a final try. And Jenna Rainey delivered exactly what it promised. NO I didn’t turn out to be an artist but now I at least now I can make a not so messy painting (which is by itself a grand achievement).

Everyday Watercolor teaches simple techniques to paint right from brush strokes and increasing the complexity day by day (in 30 days). I liked Jenna Rainey’s encouraging tone and attention to small details while teaching. I definitely will not throw my water color supplies yet.

Final thought: Perfect starter pack for learning water color.
Recommended to: Anyone interested in learning water coloring.

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[Bailing Lue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before getting this book, invest in actual watercolor. The ones in the tubes not the tray ones that most schools use. It actually works very differently from how the instructions are in this book in reference to water retention and spreading/flow. You might want to look into brush terms as well. She doesn't really explain the difference in brushes but she does use specific terms that can be unfamiliar to you if you aren't in a watercolor community or new to painting overall.

Aside from doing a bit of shopping and vocabulary beforehand, this book is useful in increasing your watercolor skills in a step by step process. It starts off slow but then the 2nd phase hits you hard if you didn't take the first phase seriously.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted so badly to love this book but it’s not a great introduction to a total beginner. There was a lot I found lacking in explanation. Nothing came out good and there were a few that I spend days on, trying and retrying until I just gave up and said fuck it! Banana leaves aren’t for me to paint.

[Carolyn Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I didn't have 13 other projects, I'd run up to Hobby Lobby, get myself outfitted, and start at it! Obtainable, yet inspiring daily paintings fill this book. Lovely!

2nd reading, and I bought it this time, and the materials! Let's see how I do!!

[Lisa Hellenberg beers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an inspirational guide to get back to it or begin brand new. Open up your paint tin, get out your brushes and water cup, and start fresh. I don’t paint everyday but I paint much more after I found this book than I did before.

[Susan Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyday Watercolor is a contemporary watercolor guide for newbie artists to follow over a thirty-day period. The author begins with the basics of brushstrokes and ends with step-by-step, fully completed watercolor projects.

Everyday Watercolor is packed with eye-catching illustrations and informational tutorials set up with easy to follow instructions. There are five sections within this book:

• Technique
• Form, Perspective and Light
• Complex Shapes and Forms
• Value, Volume and Depth
• Application

Within each of these five sections is a wealth of tips, tricks, techniques and advice for even the most novice watercolor artist. The author has a lovely conversational style of writing, which makes the reader feel as though they’re being personally taught the art of watercolor.

The illustrations are beautiful and highly motivating. Even if one decides not to pursue the art of watercolor, this book is coffee table worthy just for the pictures alone. It’s fun to watch the artist turn a few well placed splotches of color into a beautifully detailed painting.

I’d highly recommend Everyday Watercolor to anyone considering taking up the art of watercolor painting. There’s so much valuable information here that you can’t go wrong. Thanks to Blogging for Books, the publisher and the author for providing a complimentary copy of this book!

5 of 5 Stars, Susan Barton, https://diymomblog.blogspot.com

[Jessie Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the moment I looked at the cover I knew this book would be amazing. It's gorgeous! The book is geared towards a beginner but moves quickly. Basic information including supplies to use, color theory, composition and painting techniques are clearly presented at the very beginning. Daily lessons build on each other. Estimated times for completion are given as well as clear steps to practice the daily skill. Lessons are separated into sections and start with basic strokes, curves and circles, straight lines and triangles, layout, compound strokes, light source and shading, and move into more and more complex techniques such as gesture, movement, values, perspective, grayscale, and final projects. The author explains everything so well in a simple way but not looking down upon or making a beginner feel like an idiot! She has a great knack for teaching and encouraging throughout the book. Her art is amazing and makes me want to paint more and more. Love all the colors used and different techniques presented. There's something for everyone in this book: those who like landscape, animals, floral arrangements, etc great book for a novice looking to develop skill. I highly recommend this book.
I received a copy of this book from blogging for books and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to post a positive review.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably one of the best beginning watercolor books that I have come across in a long time. I really like how it breaks down skills and puts it in easy to understand format. I would love to see an accompanying video since watercolor is a visual art. I think that it would also be helpful to grasp the concepts much easier. However, once you do the exercises one or more times it should become more clear in what skill the book is trying to impart. For those new to this art, I would suggest taking each project as it comes in the book. The skills build upon the other.

For more advanced artists, the earlier exercises might seem too simple, but it is also good to go back to the beginning and just practice. You should be able to fly through those first chapters or skip around in this case. The last projects were you put the pictures together would probably be more interesting here and I do like how her simple and bright washes keep the paintings clear and high value. Makes the art look very fresh and it seems to be a trend in the watercolor illustration market.

In conclusion, I give this art book 4 stars. I would recommend this book to someone wanting to try watercolor and some good practice for those that have been painting for a while.

[Sarah Cruse · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
This book covers basic composition and color theory. If you've never drawn in your life or are starting an artistic journey and want to be confined to a box, then this may be the book for you. It did not resonate with me.

Pros⭐️
- Basic step by step instructions from watercolor to basic sketching
- Daily tasks
- Started simple and gradually increased difficulty, well balanced increase of daily task challenges

Cons🔴
- Steps completely skipped. I consistently was re-reading pages trying to figure out where I missed a step, only to find that the author completely missed writing a step.
- Examples in the steps would be completely different than the paragraph describing what to do next.
- Steps on sketches would differ greatly from the actual work.
- Incorrect naming of plants. For example Chapter 27 calls a Pachycereus cactus a Saguaro.
- The author only explores the technique they use and does not instruct any other technique. She is a big fan of bleeding.

Overall, I learned a few things along the way, but this book made it more frustrating than it needed to be.

I would not recommend this to anyone unless you wanted to explore art for the first time and really wanted to emulate watercolor bleeding and are alright with whole steps being skipped.

[HalKid2 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Promising Start, Disappointing Finish - NOT for BEGINNERS

As a beginning watercolorist, I purchased this book thinking it would walk me through some basics in 30 days worth of “lesson plans.” Well, there ARE day-by-day lesson plans of a sort. But the progression made no sense to me.

What was worse is that the written instructions were not always clear. Instead, they were clearly written by a practitioner who already knows what they’re doing or has an image of what they want to do in their minds. Unfortunately, knowing is not the same as teaching and this author did NOT have the ability of translating her lesson concept into instructions a beginner could follow. That became very frustrating. Even the drawings and illustrations included were not always sufficient to show how to complete a task.

I did complete most of the lessons (though not all). But I would NOT recommend this book for a beginner. If you already have basic watercolor experience, however, you may find some of the lessons in this book fun to explore. They might even push you you to do something new. But I’m sure there are better books suited for a beginner like me. So, I will keep hunting.