Watercolor Pencil Magic

by Cathy Johnson

Book Overview

Water-soluble colored pencils are portable, versatile and much more forgiving than traditional watercolors, yet many artists have only just begun to tap into this medium's creative potential. This... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 158180119X
• ISBN13: 9781581801194
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Northlight
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 8.8" x 10.6"

Customer Reviews

Great Book! She makes itl fun and easy.

I'd been working in colored pencils for a while and bought some watercolor pencils to try them out. I watched some videos on YouTube,, bought one instruction book, but wasn't really understanding what to do with the pencils. Then I found Cathy Johnson's book and it all started to make sense and my enthusiasm ratcheted up and I loved getting up each day so I.could go on to another section of the book and try out something else new. Iit might seem old news to some one with more experience, but it is perfect for me and the pace and subjects have been exactly what I needed. Thanks Cathy Johnson!

So-so

Somewhere I had read that this was the ultimate ref for watercolor pencil use, but I find it to be 'ok' but not all that exceptional.

The definitive book on watercolor pencil

This has to be the definitive book on watercolor pencil. I haven't read another book with as much usable information as this one. Cathy Johnson has a great way of explaining how to use the pencils to achieve a variety of textures and effects. Once I quit thinking of watercolor pencils as a watercolor medium, and began to think of them (and use them) as drawing tools with which I can then achieve a watercolor effect, my drawings greatly improved. If you can find this book, I highly recommend it.

Magic book

This is the best book on watercolor pencil that exists so far. I have read several other books and they are very few. Kate Johnson is a wonderful teacher for this mostly ignored medium. I also took her online class for watercolor pencil and this book was the main text. I highly recommend both. I was an amateur when I started and now I am very confident with my pencils. I cannot recommend "Watercolor Pencil Magic" enough. If you want to learn how to use the medium and become more comfortable and proficient then you must do Kate's exercises. The only way to become good is to practice with your watercolor pencils and this book really put me on the road to becoming the artist I know I can be.

Easy techniques and great step-by-step illustrations

I am one of those people who are able to benefit from How To kinds of books. This particular book gives easy broken down steps to watercolor pencil techniques with plenty of room to explore and play with the medium in question. There is also a great balance of text and illustrations. In my opinion the best part is the listing of different products and how they interact with each other and on different kinds of watercolor papers (it also discusses basic color theory and how to use it). It lists brand names so that you can purchase those products and experiment with them yourself. Most importantly is that it's presented in a fun and casual manner, so it takes away a lot of the fear if you're new at working with watercolor pencils.

Beautiful Book and Practical Instruction

What a motivating guide! This has easy-to-understand directives and doesn't seem overwhelming. At the same time, the examples are so wonderful and varied the "student" cannot help but want to practice more and more, allowing it to become an urge to take a pretty scene and turn it into something that can be shared. I purchased this for my teen daughter (and to enjoy learning along with her) as a rich addition our homeschool curriculum. We enjoy sitting out on the deck and finding inspiration in our many trees, garden, the birds and squirrels, our beagles, etc. The author is very gifted and conveys her love of nature and capturing a fleeting moment very well. She is also instrumental in showing how to cultivate a reader's individual artistic tendencies, even if they may feel they don't have any. This is preseted in a non-intimidating manner. Highly recommended!

A Must for Anyone Working in the Medium!

When I first recieved a box of watercolor pencils as a gift, I had no idea what to make of them... I do passing fair work with colored pencils, but watercolors have always been beyond me. I muddled along, experimenting and tossing the miserable results, until I found this book. Oh, the joy! Finally, information on how to get the most out of my creations! How to balance the use of dry and wet, how to work the pencils to their best use, how to work in multimedia (which I do). This is most certainly a bible of sorts for the watercolor pencil artist!