Tate Watercolor Manual ─ Lessons from the Great Masters

A classic medium, watercolor is practiced by many but mastered by few. This accessible and clear workbook is both a practical guide and an informative history. Beginning with a “1-day course,” the chapters cover technique, equipment, general theory, painting plein air, and conservation. The authors also examine the work of watercolor masters, among them Claude Lorrain, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, John Constable, J. M. W. Turner, and John Ruskin. Each chapter includes photographs and helpful examples of works in progress, explanations of methods, and how-to demonstra-tions. Designed for those who have not picked up a paintbrush since high-school art class as well as more seasoned practitioners, this guide is a must-have for anyone who wants to start out in watercolors, become a more assured and better artist, or simply gain a new understanding of the great watercolorists.

Tony Smibert is a painter based in Tasmania who has held more than 40 exhibitions worldwide. His paintings are in many public and private collections. Joyce H. Townsend is senior conservation scientist at Tate and the author of Turner’s Painting Techniques. They are coauthors of How To Paint Like Turner.