Top 10 Best Watercolor Painting Books for Beginners
Soma Mandal Datta 
Beginner-friendly top 10 book recommendations to help you ease yourself into learning watercolor painting
Watercolor painting is an art form that involves using water-soluble mediums such as watercolor, gouache, and tempera to create paintings. It can be a great way to create unique pieces of art that require relatively fewer supplies than oils and allow painting in various styles from realism to whimsy abstracts.
However, it can seem like a finicky medium to master especially when trying to teach yourself how to paint with watercolors. The common challenges experienced by beginner’s range from controlling water and pigment to choosing the right materials for one’s creative goals. So, I went through my collection of all the books I have read and reviewed and put together a list of ten books that I believe are the best for absolute beginners.
These beginner-friendly recommendations will help ensure that you ease yourself into learning this versatile medium, discover its quirks and identify ways in which you can use this best to express your creative voice through step-by-step painting demonstrations.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which means I may get a small commission when readers make purchases through links in this post. All of these books I recommend are ones that I have personally reviewed, referred to, or owned and are highlighted for their quality of content regardless of any affiliate relationships.
#1: The Joy of Watercolor: 40 Happy Lessons for Painting the World Around You
This is one of the key books I recommend to the uninitiated to watercolors for the simple and extensive range of exercises to build watercolor skills, complete with a basic list of materials to kick-start their watercolor explorations. 40 fun and whimsy projects to have fun with watercolors which require no previous skills. An extensive list of materials can pose challenges sourcing and fitting in a beginner’s budget and this book allows you to get started with basic supplies which is a big plus for those just starting on their creative journey.
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#2: The Complete Watercolorist's Essential Notebook: A treasury of watercolor secrets discovered through decades of painting and experimentation
by Gordon MacKenzie (Author)
This is one of my favourite books as it takes learners through step-by-step, bite-sized watercolor exercises to master watercolor techniques before launching into what looks like advanced but easy projects to explore the possibilities as presented by watercolors. It does not miss any steps or visuals to show exactly what you need to do to get to the final step of any of the step-by-step painting projects. The range of exercises helps you master watercolor techniques and build skills gradually to better watercolor paintings.
#3: The New Encyclopedia of Watercolor Techniques: A Step-By-Step Visual Directory with an Inspirational Gallery of Finished Works
by Hazel Harrison (Author)
This informative book is best used as a quick reference guide for watercolor techniques that you can use to explore the possibilities in watercolors. It’s a handy resource for when you are looking for simple, concise and specific information on how to do something in watercolors complete with visuals to take the guesswork out of the process.
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#4: Everyday Watercolor: Learn to Paint Watercolor in 30 Days
by Jenna Rainey (Author)
If you are time-poor and want to master the basics of using watercolors in less than a month, then this book is for you. Most books focus on teaching about the quirks of watercolor as a medium specifically on how to use it to illustrate different effects, mood and subjects. But, this book also helps you master one of the key fundamentals of painting with watercolors and that is mastering brushstrokes to be able to paint expressively. With beautiful illustrations and easy to follow step-by-step watercolor painting projects, you will find it’s easy to maintain the momentum to paint once you get started.
#5: Billy Showell's Botanical Painting In Watercolour
by Billy Showell (Author)
Botanical paintings are one of the best ways to master watercolour techniques and this book enables you to gain critical insights into the materials and techniques to paint stunning botanicals with ease. I would recommend this as the go-to book once you have familiarised yourself somewhat with the quirks of this medium.
#6. Creating Textures in Pen & Ink with Watercolor Paperback
by Claudia Nice (Author)
For those who love to mix up different mediums and those who love to create intricate details, this book will enable you to master ways of using dots, fine lines, brushstrokes, black and white, colors mixture of mediums and techniques to suggest numerous other textures from the world around us! From fur, fruits and feathers to glass, metal and rocks, the book shows you how to use pen and ink with watercolor paints to create exciting textural effects. This book offers content for beginners to experts alike.
#7: Collins Gem 10 Minute Watercolours: Techniques & Tips for Quick Watercolours
by Hazel Soan (Author)
Another desktop reference book for those who are pressed for time and yet want to keep practicing watercolor painting skills to avoid losing touch. This handy, practical and inspirational little book shows watercolor painters of all levels how to loosen up their paintings and maintain spontaneity by painting simple watercolor studies in no more than 10 minutes. From people, flowers to still-life, it offers an extensive range of subjects to practice watercolor skills and offers expert tips to achieve effective painterly results in less time.
#8: 15-Minute Watercolor Masterpieces: Create Frame-Worthy Art in Just a Few Simple Steps
by Anna Koliadych (Author)
15-Minute Watercolor Masterpieces by Anna Koliadych is one of the best books for those who want to master watercolors the easy way and also for those who want to discover why watercolors can be the perfect medium to paint your way to a relaxed state of mind. With 50 projects to enjoy painting, the book simplifies complex topics through its careful choice of subjects and techniques to achieve success painting with this medium. The author also offers tips to get the best results as illustrated in the book enabling you to paint well and feel a sense of achievement.
#9: Take Three Colours: Watercolour Mountains: Start to Paint with 3 Colours, 3 Brushes and 9 Easy Projects
by Matthew Palmer (Author)
This book helps beginners master watercolors through the use of only 3 colors and brushes. Ideal for beginners as it enables you to build your skills with less – fewer materials and confusing jargon and theories. In fact he offers ‘jargon buster throughout the book so you are familiar with expert terms and can launch into more advanced techniques once you have mastered the techniques in this book. It starts with easy to paint projects such as painting simple mountain and sky, building up to atmospheric landscape scenes of frosty peaks. It provides simple step-by-step illustrations to help you discover exactly what you need to do to paint effective reflections, foliage and light.
#10: Watercolour For The Absolute Beginner: The Society for All Artists
by Matthew Palmer (Author)
Matthew Palmer’s book enables beginners to take the next level up to tackle more complex subjects to paint in watercolors. It also covers the basics of fine art applicable to paint in any medium such as easy ways to draw for painting, easy perspective and ways to use light and shade to create depth in your paintings. My favourite section from this book would be the mini-lessons on painting the people, skies, trees and water as it presents an opportunity to paint an infinite choice of landscape subject combinations.
So these are my book recommendations for all who want to jump-start their creative explorations with watercolors. Let us know which one's you found the most helpful in this list. My tip would be to borrow a copy from the library first to check if it matches your needs and then buy it.
Happy Painting!
Categories: learntopaint, watercolorpainting
