This is a really fun book that will help kids or adults paint darling cats. I appreciated that Runyan showed how to paint via several methods like wet on wet, wet on dry, starting with blobs and sketching first. She also talks about how to use acrylic markers, masking fluid and colored pencils to enhance the paintings. The writing is charming and the art is gorgeous. Delightful.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.

Painting Cats Curious Mindful & Free Spirited Watercolors by Terry Runyan is both a fun and thoughtful guide to—well, like the title says—painting cats.

And these cats are cute and fun! Terry tells us what supplies we need and guides us thru techniques to try when painting kitties. She brings her cats, Tucker and Rylee, along on our watercolor journey.

She tells us to stay playful, be curious, and to stretch ourselves as we play with our paints.

Mindfulness is an important part of our journey as well.

“Cats are the perfect example of how to live fully in the moment…”-Terry Runyun

I loved all of the cat artwork shown throughout the book, it made me smile, and I can’t wait to try more of the suggested techniques!

Thank you to Netgalley and Leaping Hair Press for allowing me to read an eARC in return for my honest opinion.

This is a really fun book, especially if you are a cat lover like me. But it’s more than that, it imparts a lot of information and instruction about water colour painting and it does so without it feeling like it is something intimidating to try.
I feel like I learned things that I would like to try and have a go at myself.
The illustrations are quirky and cute, just like cats are. The author has a writing style that feels more like she is talking to you in person, and I really like that, it puts me at ease as I read.
Overall this is a great book that I highly recommend and I think it would make a great gift too.
My thanks to the author, the publisher and to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. I am leaving this review of my own volition.

Thank you Leaping Hare Press and NetGalley for a copy of Painting Cats.

I requested this purely to learn how to paint cats! I never expected a crash course on watercolor and expanding our creativity. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially the cat coffee shop page. Highly recommend to everyone (not just cat lovers!). <3

This watercolor book is so cheerful. I'm excited and feel inspired by all the cute cats to paint, and there is so much inspiration. I will definitely try some more techniques with my watercolors, and I will be recommending to coworkers.

This is a great book, not only is it about cats, but it uses the painting of cats as a tutorial on how to use watercolor, add expression and movement to what is being painted (in this case cats). There is cat- tails woven throughout the book, which makes it more fun to learn and helps give ideas o personalities. All the way through there is information and instructions and lovely cat watercolor paintings to learn with.
Really fun book. Thanks you NetGalley and the publishers for the DRC

I sought out this book on the back of enjoying 'Painting Happiness', a previous book from Terry Runyan, and I can testify that this too, is a book that has brought me happiness!

At first glance it might seem quirky - lots of projects with cats as hair pieces, as restauranteurs and up to countless other interesting shenanigans! What really appeals to me however, is the modern style of the artwork, and the step-by-step approach that makes creating really great art accessible to us all. The use of watercolour is lovely and really complements this style. This is a book that is as delightful to browse, as it is to fully engage with the projects! For anyone interested in creating beautiful art, or anyone who just likes cats!, I would highly recommend this book.

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity ti review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

This book is the cutest!
If you love kitties and painting – or if you have someone in your life who loves kitties and drawing, or someone who is learning how to paint and draw, who needs an extra push and extra encouragement to draw, paint, be creative, then this book is the perfect gift!
Sketch or no sketch, watercolor, adding layers and mixing colors, adding paper cutouts, being creative and fearless, all while painting cats. Love it! This book is almost 150 pages of pure kitty cuteness and inspiration. It will not tell you how to draw a cat step by step, but it will encourage you to be creative, take that first step, and then ten more steps.
Oh, and did I say that the book is absolutely adorable? Yup. It is absolutely adorable!

This was a really cute book but I will admit that I was a bit disappointed with how it was structured. I was hoping for a bit more of a how to than what I got. It's not that there isn't a good level of instruction, but in the end, it was more about presenting visuals of the cats in cute situations. Fun. Cute. Not really about how to paint them in a concrete way. I appreciated the start of the book where Runyan talked about the tools of her trade and the techniques, but that only accounted for less than half of the overall pice. Generally, this is a book for someone who already knows how to paint watercolours and work with pen or ink, serving as inspiration rather than instruction. And the way that the instructions are provided is more storytelling, so again, this is a book for someone who is interested in cats, Runyan as an artist, or who has the basics well in hand.

As someone who has had cats since they were small and who engages in creative pursuits to relax, I was instantly drawn to ‘Painting Cats’ as it ticked a lot of my boxes.

The introduction and beginning chapters are written in a really personable manner, the author touches on her own experiences and introduces us to her own cats in her writing. All throughout, she cleverly intertwines her subjects (cats) with her medium (watercolour) cleverly weaving in the unpredictable nature of cat ownership with the creative process.

The instructions are easy to follow and very beginner friendly, they are encouraging in embracing mistakes. The book is all inclusive, not just providing instructions for painting, both in step-by-step format and with reference images, but also provides a list of the different equipment, styles and colours that will be needed in your artwork.

The illustrations throughout are stunning, the watercolour medium presents the cats in a lovely, whimsical and relaxed fashion that makes it a real joy to read.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review, these thoughts are all my own.

Terry Runyun excels at painting watercolor cats, so I was happy when saw this book. This book will guide you through some of the basics of watercolor painting and will soon have you painting cats of all sizes and colors.

A wonderful art instruction text for artists looking for more mindfulness exercises and cat lovers wanting to doodle their furry friends. I loved the combination of art technique and tips while a steady guide of embracing the experience and embodying a cat's "joyfully unselfconscious".

"Cats are the perfect example of how to live fully in the moment without caring about how things will turn out."

The inspiration behind Terry's art comes from her siblings Tucker and Rylee, and in this book, she showcases her beautiful cat paintings and provides practical advice and techniques for watercolor painting. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, you can benefit from her explanations of tools and techniques. And Cat lovers, you're going to absolutely adore the stunning pictures in this book. I really need to get my hands on the actual book, The pictures are absolutely beautiful.

"There is no limit to what you can create with cats as inspiration and with watercolors at hand."

This is an "INSTANT REVIEW" as I had read a friend's copy!

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
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In this follow-up to her hit Painting Happiness, Instagram sensation Terry Runyan shows you how to play with watercolour to create quirky cat portraits – and let go of stress.

Perfect for cat lovers and watercolour artists of all skill levels, from absolute beginners to more experienced, Painting Cats teaches you how to go from a blob of paint to a beautiful portrait of your fluffy friends. Drawing on art therapy techniques that emphasize fun and freedom in creativity over technical perfection, Runyan guides you step by step through the process of adding details to loosely painted shapes to create your own unique and distinct cats!

This joyful book brimming with inspiring watercolour artwork and you can easily embrace techniques and lessons in creative mindfulness whilst having lots of feline fun and letting your creative instincts go free.

A blob of paint can go a long way --- not that watercolours use blobs of paint! I loved the ideas in here and as I personally paint in acrylics, I could also use the techniques to make creations in that medium... not that I need more paintings. I have about 250 completed ones split between three closets at the moment that are going to go away to the Mission Charity Store very soon as I need the room and don't even remember 99.9% of the ones that I painted. (let's just say that there are a lot of different versions of cats, trees, lakes and planets in my home!)

Great instructions and cute ideas abound - if you are NOT an artist, Terry does an annual calendar that you can hang on your wall so you can enjoy happiness and cats without you creating them. #shortbutsweetreviews

Thank you so much to Net Galley, the publisher, and author for providing this whimsical book on how to paint cats using watercolors. I love the authors ideas and tips for creating cats. The author really encourages creativity and creating your own unique cat rather than following one specific project. The author provides plenty of information and tips for anyone to be successful. There are also instructions for various watercolor techniques such as wet on dry and dry brush painting. I think this is a great book for beginners who love painting unique and fun cats. I look forward to following her techniques to create my own watercolor paintings. Thank you again for a fun and informational book. I can’t wait to get a physical copy of my own!

Absolutely stunning books not only full of amazing art tips even the most beginners could follow but some utterly beautifully illustrations of cute cats doing cute cat things. Am not arty but as the resident family crazy cat I would love to get this book as a gift and give some cat crafts a go. I will be buying this book for my very arty niece age 11 who loves cats. Thank you the ARK this cute pictures brighten my day