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Books

* Club prices are available through Watercolour Challenge Club membership. Go to Join the Club for further information.

Watercolour Challenge by Diana Vowles (Channel 4 Books, 2000) £16.99 (*Club Price £13.50).
Available to purchase online at the Channel 4 shop.
Paperback edition: (Channel 4 Books, to be published September 2001) £9.99.
An accessible, practical guide to watercolour painting, including guidance on how to get started, descriptions of all the major techniques, hints and tips from the Watercolour Challenge experts, and detailed descriptions of the styles employed by the competitors.

Painting with Watercolour Challenge by Diana Vowles (Channel 4 Books, 2000) £16.99 (*Club Price £13.50).
Available to purchase online at the Channel 4 shop.
The experts who feature in the Channel 4 series sit alongside the contestants and create a selection of different paintings of the same scene. By recreating the process that the experts use, readers can learn new techniques and familiar pitfalls, and be inspired to have a go themselves.

Mike Chaplin's Expressive Watercolours by Mike Chaplin with Diana Vowles (HarperCollins, to be published October 2001) £16.99.
A practical guide intended for artists with some painting experience who wish to develop their technique, style and outlook. Covers a wide range of subjects from the natural landscape to urban scenes as well as special features and step-by-step demonstrations, superbly illustrated by the paintings of the popular Watercolour Challenge expert.

Learn to Paint Vibrant Watercolours by Hazel Soan (HarperCollins, 2000) £8.99. (*Club Price £6.99).
Another of the Watercolour Challenge experts, Hazel Soan invokes enthusiasm with her style and now shares some of her techniques to help artists produce vibrant pictures.

Watercolour Flower Painting Workshop by Hazel Soan (HarperCollins, 1999) £17.99 (*Club Price £14.25).
Includes instruction on watercolour techniques and methods, as well as step-by-step demonstrations, exercises, and projects with a system of self-assessment so that readers can monitor their progress. The different styles and methods available are revealed through paintings.

What Shall I Paint? How to find the right subject in watercolour, oils and acrylics by Hazel Soan (HarperCollins, to be published September 2001) £15.99.
With a combination of practical advice, illustrated projects and step-by-step demonstrations, Hazel Soan explains how to recognise a good subject and draws attention to the enormous number of painting possibilities in everyday life, at work, at home, while travelling and on holiday. This book will ensure that artists need never be at a loss for inspiration, or think any subject inappropriate or uninteresting to paint.

David Bellamy's Watercolour Landscape Course by David Bellamy (Collins, 1993) £17.99.
A structured course in landscape painting for beginners or amateur artists. Looks at the practical aspects of watercolour painting, encourages students to develop their own style, and demonstrates how to paint the many different elements of the landscape.

Creative Watercolour Techniques by Richard Bolton (Search Press Ltd, 2000) £5.95.
Using over sixty photographs, the author demonstrates how to paint texture, atmosphere, reflections, light and shade.

Developing Style in Watercolour by Ray Campbell Smith (David & Charles, 2001) £12.99.
Experienced art teacher and author explains the importance of choice of paper, paints and brushes, then considers the colours on the palette and the need for good composition. He suggests techniques and brushwork that will allow the reader to break out of the timidity, tightness and need to paint what is there, which can limit a painter's development of style. The painting of skies, light in the landscape and adding detail are also considered.

The Watercolour Painter's Pocket Palette by Moira Clinch (Search Press, 1998) £8.99 (*Club Price £6.99).
An easy-to-use guide for mixing colours with over 800 mixes and overpainting effects. Experienced painters and beginners can create new colour combinations or select a palette to work with.

Collins Watercolour Made Easy by June Crawshaw (Collins, 1999) £9.99.
Aims to reassure and encourage even the most timid of beginners. The guide contains over 20 simple exercises and projects specially designed to help build up confidence and expertise in this popular medium.

A Duffer's Guide to Painting Watercolour Landscapes by Don Harrison (Collins, 2000) £14.99. (*Club Price £13.50).
With a simple and straightforward approach, Harrison teaches how to paint skies, mountains, boats, trees, bridges, buildings and figures in the landscape. He starts with very simple exercises of individual features of the landscape and gradually shows the reader how to bring together all those elements to create a full landscape painting.

Watercolours in a Weekend by Hazel Harrison (David & Charles, 2000) £14.99 (*Club Price £11.99).
This unique instruction manual, divided into six short courses, aims to give a total beginner the skills to paint a watercolour landscape in a single weekend.

JMW Turner: Watercolours, Drawings and Paintings by Luke Herrmann and Colin Harrison (Ashmolean Museum Publications, 2000) £6.95.
Turner – generally acknowledged as one of the finest and most original of all landscape painters – is well presented in this Ashmolean collection.

The Art of Watercolour by Charles LeClair (Watson-Guptill Publications, 1999) £19.99.
This guide provides studio information within the context of art history. Full coverage of techniques and materials is complemented by work from 20th-century artists.

Watercolour Landscapes from Photographs by Ron Ranson (Collins, 1998) £17.99.
Does not advocate copying directly from photographs, and emphasises that the camera's role should be that of servant rather than master. The author explains how to use reference photographs of favourite landscapes and then shows how to distil the essence of the scene into the painting.

Exploring Flowers in Watercolour by Siriol Sherlock (Batsford, 1998) £17.99 (*Club Price £14.40).
A comprehensive guide to painting lifelike flowers. Wonderful illustrations combined with practical information; from basic equipment and materials to essential tips and techniques.

The Watercolourist's Guide to Painting Buildings by Richard Taylor (David & Charles) £16.99 (*Club Price 13.50).
Beautifully illustrated guide for those wishing to meet the challenge of painting buildings. Basic and advanced techniques are covered, demonstrating detail and the use of colour to create perspective, light and texture. Step-by-step illustrations and annotated sketches.

Buildings in Watercolour by Richard S Taylor (Batsford, 1997) £14.99.
The author trained as a painter and then chose to specialise in architectural drawing. In this guide, he sets out to demystify the process behind drawing and painting buildings, introducing various techniques throughout 14 distinctive architectural projects, from farmhouses to shops.

Lucy Willis' Light in Watercolour by Lucy Willis (Collins, 1999) £12.99.
The author shows the artist how to produce paintings full of light and space – whether you decide to paint outside on a summer's morning or indoors with candlelight as your only light source. The subject is discussed in depth and the book includes many exercises and step-by-step demonstrations for painters to try out in their own time.

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