Watercolor in Nature: Paint Woodland Wildlife and Botanicals with 20 Beginner-Friendly Projects

by Rosalie Haizlett

Capture the Natural World with Vibrant Works of Art

Nature illustrator Rosalie Haizlett has hiked through countless forests with her sketchbook and watercolors, documenting the plants, animals and landscapes that she encounters. She has also taught tens of thousands of students to paint and appreciate nature’s beauty through her popular online classes and in-person workshops.

In this book, Rosalie provides step-by-step instruction on how to paint 20 realistic insects, fungi, birds, botanicals and mammals in her vibrant wet- on-dry watercolor style. Pick up the skills you need to become a better observer in the outdoors, take your own reference photos and paint a wide variety of subjects so that you can continue to draw inspiration from nature long after you finish the projects in this book. You’ll also learn some fun nature facts along the way! Whether you’re a total beginner or ready to take your skills to the next level, Rosalie is here to walk you through every step of the process.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Reference, Nature, Drawing, Crafts

168 pages, Paperback

First published November 2, 2021

Reviews

[Michael Kiripolsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super great book! Easy to follow along. I won’t ruin the ending, you’ll just have to go out and get it yourself!

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did a few projects in this book.
I like that this provides clear step by step instructions with great pictures.
I really like that even though it’s step by step she’s using a real reference photo and the steps can be adapted and applied to our own observations.
I plan to make it part of our homeschool art rotation.

[Juli Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful, approachable introduction.

[Kelley S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic step-by-step tutorials. Very easy to follow. The aesthetic is nice as well. Love the blend of ink drawings and colorwashes..

[Ren Ness · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a cute starter book.

[Cori K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a gem! I am not naturally artistic, but as Rosalie points out drawing and painting are learned skills and with practice and time we will all improve. The illustrations alone are reason enough to buy this book. Rosalie captures the natural world vividly and whimsically. Her love of nature shines through on every page. This is the first watercolor book I’ve owned that has broken down the process of drawing in such an easy manner for me to understand. I am a visual learner and having more pictures alongside the instructions is an immense help. Bravo Rosalie Haizlett for channeling your love of nature into artistic works, and then teaching us all how to do it! I look forward to your upcoming book.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased this for my talented young granddaughter and read through it to make sure she could handle it. I think she is going to love these truly beginner friendly nature projects. There are 20 projects for painting woodland plants and animals, flora and fauna, each with clear, precise instructions, diagrams and paintings. Specific paint colors, and how to mix the limited palette, and proportions of paint to water are clearly explained. The first ten projects involve pencil, pen and ink, and watercolors. The second ten skip the pen and ink and work from pencil sketches straight into watercolor. Bravo to Rosalie Haizlett got this excellent book on painting the nature around us.

[Jennifer Emch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started painting with watercolor in 2020 and have been trying to define my style and what I like to paint. I have settle of painting birds as a hobby. My mom bought me this book for Christmas in 2021. Since receiving this book, I practice almost every day. Rosalie gives easy to understand directions on how to cultivate the look you want. The prompts are easily adaptable to an artists own style while using Rosalie’s style as a base. The book also has all the information on supplies you could need from brushes to paint to paper. It’s amazing and so incredibly helpful!! This book is perfect for beginners like me.

[Daniella Higson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm loving this so far. On my fifth painting, doing them in order. The mushroom is my favourite so far. Left feeling super proud that I was able to guess where the ink lines should be thicker for 3D effect/shadowing because of how well the author explains technique in the previous examples. Each new painting builds off the techniques from the previous one so you really feel like you're building and practicing your skills rather than just copying someone else's art. Plus the author is just a wonderful person so being able to support them is amazing too!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosalie starts at the beginning, explaining papers, paints, brushes and styles. Each chapter focuses on an aspect of watercolor like drawing, mixing palettes, building textures, light/ shadows, and includes a photo, her sample, and step by step instructions and examples! I’m so excited to have my 1st watercolor painting and feel confident to try more! Experienced painters will enjoy Rosalie’s commentary, images and opportunity to learn and practice additional skills

[Olga Tsvetkova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely awesome step by step tutorials of botanical and animalistic sketches in watercolour and pure watercolour. All assignments are done with a palette of up to 8 colours. Loved working with this book and hope to use it to teach others. Great for beginners and advanced alike. I’ve been doing watercolours for years on and off, but was afraid of tackling botanicals, this book helped me overcome this fear and find my confidence again.

[Hawkeyejlp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosalie Haizlett has created an excellent book which allows beginner watercolor students to experience success. The supplies needed to begin are easily obtained, and the step-by-step directions for 20 projects are easy to follow.
I have long admired the artist’s work, and I have enjoyed practicing skills which have brought me joy and satisfaction.

[Sarah B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book, from the feel of it in my hand to the opening page asking us, the reader and artist, to slow down + zoom in, to the act of walking me through painting in nature. The book is an invitation to join Rosalie in the way she creates. The book feels like she has invited us to her painting party where she is gently guided us through and making us feel right at home.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading 'Watercolour in Nature'. Rosalie Haizlett has such a gentle way of making all these projects seem well with my reach, despite my being an entirely novice watercolourist. Her instructions are simple and each project builds on the one before, with both new and repeated techniques to practice skills. I am excited to get painting!

[Lila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very instructional step-by-step methods (which is my personal least favorite). The paintings are pretty, but there’s not a lot of background on color theory, material testing, etc in the beginning. The best part of this book is encouraging the use of a limited watercolor palette which is helpful for painting on the go.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

what an excellent resource to improve on watercolor painting. Whether you paint indoors or outdoors, this is a book to read, re-read, discover new techniques and suggestions on colors for shadings. This book will definitely help you on your watercolor art journey. I cannot wait to try some of the techniques given throughout this book in my watercolor journey.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

We keep copies of this book in the off grid cabins we rent on our farm. Our guests love to read them and often try a few paintings during their stay with us. It is amazing how nice the paintings turn out, even from inexperienced painters. The lessons obviously teach fundamental and accessible skills in an easy and accessible way.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful-so much fun. So simple and low-pressure, but the results are amazing. Went from never painting watercolor to painting for my girls and wife all the time-just small simple stuff; A flower, a bunny, a bird -but paintings that express my love for them and are now little heirlooms for them. So fun!

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this on a whim at our sweet local bookshop, The Irreverent Bookworm.

It has brought so much joy as I start working my way into watercolors again. The steps are easy to follow and the entire book is beautiful to look through.

[Erin Bowling · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is laid out in a way that helps you see Rosalie’s lovely perspective on art and nature. As a beginner to watercolor, I found it so fun to learn her techniques. And it doesn’t hurt that the book is filled with her illustrations. So amazing!

[MaryAlice Herring · Rating 5 out of 5]

This whole book was so helpful to me in developing my skills. I had been so frustrated in the past, but the author's step by step instructions WITH explanations was perfect. I have so much yet to learn, but I know this book is one I will return to repeatedly to review a technique or strategy.

[Rúna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully put together and wonderful book. I cannot recommend it enough to anyone wanting to begin watercolor painting. Rosalie is an amazing artist and natural teacher who makes each of the exercises both fun and challenging. I really loved working through this book.

[Kaitlynn Holcombe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great refresher for me! The reminders of not using white and black were so helpful, as well as breaking down basic shapes. I really appreciate that this book had me sticking with a specific color palette as so much dimension can be acheived without a boatload of tubes!

[Alisha Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

unique and refreshing

I find most watercolor books produce the same general outlines of flowers/animals with similar colors and techniques. Rosalie is talented in her eye for color, warmth and unique visuals. Thank you

[Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a beautifully illustrated and easy to follow along - for painters and non-painters alike. Would highly recommend!

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! It's very easy to follow along and paint the projects.

[August Schau · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book for anyone interested in watercolor, nature or just learning more about objects we see around us. Full of interesting projects and helpful steps.

[Rose Billington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished all of the exercises in this book except the Fox- truly helped me with drawing and simple watercolor illustration techniques!

[Ana Alvarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome for watercolor beginners and intermediates. I had fun with each project. Very clear step by step instructions.

[Sonya Toews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book!! With such a busy summer I set my watercolor painting aside but after seeing this book, the painting has begun again. It's gorgeous!