Book Review :: Just Add Watercolor by Helen Birch

Just Add Watercolor is an inspirational and informative book for those who are interested in watercolor and gouache.

The paintings are divided into 6 categories: traditional watercolor, gouache, digital, mixed media, other water-based media, and non-paper media. There is one painting per two-page spread throughout the majority of the book, and the paintings that are shared are done in a variety of styles from over 70 artists. I appreciate the layout of the book, because it is easy to flip through and see the paintings easily as they are all (or the vast majority) on the right-hand pages of the book. 

Although the descriptions for the paintings may reference certain steps in the creation process, this is not a how-to book nor will you find a start-to-finish description of each piece. What this book does do, however, is highlight specific techniques and art concepts used in the piece being highlighted. There are a few pages at the back of the book that discuss materials and equipment, but I would not recommend this book as a means to learn about those things - there are better books out there for that. 

I do think this book could have been better organized to highlight the specific tips and techniques, but it is fun to flip through for inspiration - with the added bonus of possibly learning something new. 

FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy through the Blogging for Books book review bloggers program. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.