One of the best Watercolor books I have read in my life! I am so in love with the book that I bought a physical copy to keep in my own library and do all the watercolor exercises. Will be on the lookout for more books by the author!

Very helpful for people who want to use watercolor, but have no idea where to start. Before this, my only time using watercolor was in elementary school. This really helped my confidence and creativity.

Wonderful creative guide. Perfect for painters just starting out or looking for new ideas.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

Incredibly well done the book is fantastic and the artwork is beautiful. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in watercolor.

I was provided an advanced copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third book from Ana Victoriana Calderón, and I never hesitate to buy her books! The techniques are always beautifully photographed and well explained.

Like the first two, this one has a good review of basic watercolor supplies and moves a bit further into advanced supplies. This book also gives a quick overview of basic techniques as well - these two qualities makes it a decent book for beginners who can operate with a quick learning curve.

The book then delves into a bit more advanced techniques, that the book will make look a lot easier than they are, but the key principle to any art technique is PRACTICE. They're not going to come out perfect the first time you attempt them, but after you practice painting, you'll be able to paint just like Ms. Calderón. Far too many people get frustrated when their paintings don't work out exactly like the ones in the book, and don't stop to realize that art is a process, not a stopping point. When purchasing a book like this one, with midlevel-to-advanced techniques, keep this in mind, and maybe purchase her first or second book and work through those first.

Modern and fresh projects for beginning watercolor artists. A variety of techniques are demonstrated through projects with beautiful results. I did feel there could have been a bit more "mixed media" incorporated in the book and it felt a bit slim as far as number of projects go.

Wonderful book for creative exploration. Specially suitable for beginners and art enthusiasts. Simple and beautiful projects that will entice you to experiment with watercolors, gouache, metallic paints, ink and even household supplies. Projects are inspired by nature. Among others: whimsical clouds, moons, galaxies and crystals.

First section of the book gives a very detailed explanation on the different tools and materials used for the projects, even brand names used for these projects are mentioned. Second section covers basic watercolor techniques and exercises to get you started experimenting and getting familiar with your paints and tools. The remaining four chapters are step-by-step projects where you can make use of the techniques you just learned.

It’s interesting how many books for watercolor beginners don’t mention things like how air humidity, different paint, paper or even type of salt (when using that technique) can create very different results from what you see in the book images. Ana makes sure to mention those things, making this book truly friendly for beginners. I really enjoyed exploring different mixed media techniques and de-stressing with one of the projects from this book

Great tutorial book for mixed media and watercolor. The pictures are great quality and the author covers all basics from materials and mediums to different techniques. I find this artists style very inspirational for my own artwork and I love the techniques she uses. I also suggest watching her videos online on skillshare or youtube. I definitely recommend this book for beginner artists.

Creative Watercolor and Mixed Media is a super book. I really liked the way it was written, and the photography was excellent.

The instructions were simple to follow and there was a comprehensive list of items you would need to make the same projects at the author. A terrific book if you are starting out on a painting journey or if you are a bit more advanced and want to do a bit more.

Thanks to Netgalley and Quatro Publishing for the ARC Copy. My Review is my own opinion.

A really different approach to watercolour for me, but a book that offers a lot of ideas to create with combining water colour with other media. These include metallic, gouche, neon pigment and ink to name a few paints. Then there is the technique of using masking fluid, bleach, splatter, misting plastic wrap just for starters. The book has lots of full colour instructions and photos and many exercises to follow to achieve beautiful effects and learn the technique to make your own creative work.

The projects include jewel/crystal facets, solar skies, horizons, clouds and a lovely chapter on pleasing shapes of the seed of life, mixed with enhanced pressed floral botanicals
Really fun book to try

Apply your Creativity
Ana Victoria Calderón presents simple step-by-step techniques for painting in her book "Creative Watercolor and Mixed Media. A Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving Stunning Effects--Play with Gouache, Metallic Paints, Masking Fluid, Alcohol, and More" which was published by Quarto Publishing Group – Quarry as a part of the "Art for Modern Makers" series.
Calderón writes in her preface about painting with watercolor and also as goal of the book: "Throughout the years I’ve found that many watercolor enthusiasts are interested in the medium, even if they are not sure what they want to create with it. Drawing and painting are two very different things. It is certain you don’t have to be a gifted hyper realist artist to appreciate the joys of painting. I’ve always thought of art as an intuitive process, where the experience is just as, if not more important, than the result.
This book will take you on a path of discovery through experimentation. Drawing prompts are mostly simple geometric shapes anyone can do. Leaving room for the alchemy of watercolor and mixed media to work with to create stunning pieces of art (p. 9)."
The book is divided into six chapters: 1) Mixed Media: Watercolor & More, 2) Basic Techniques & Beyond, 3) Horizons, 4) Celestial Skies, 5) Gems & Crystals, and 6) Earth & Sacred Geography. It also contains four projects for the artist to apply the gained knowledge as well as templates, resources, and an index.
This is the second book by Calderón which I read and I am impressed again by the great design, great images, the photos and many examples. There are also notes throughout the book that are helpful for the artists. I highly recommend this book for all that like to use watercolors but also for those who are interested in mixed media.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#CreativeWatercolorAndMixedMedia #NetGalley

Creative Watercolor and Mixed Media; A Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving Stunning Effects--Play with Gouache, Metallic Paints, Masking Fluid, Alcohol, and More by Ana Victoria Calderon is a step by step guide with lots of information for beginners.  There are lots of photos to help you.

If you're interested in starting watercolour, then this is a good book to help you!

 Creative Watercolor and Mixed Media; A Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving Stunning Effects--Play with Gouache, Metallic Paints, Masking Fluid, Alcohol, and More  was published on 17th November 2020 and is available to buy from  Amazon ,  Waterstones  and  Bookshop .

You can follow Ana Victoria Calderon on  Instagram ,  Facebook ,  Youtube  and her  website .

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to  Quarto Publishing .

A beautiful book that covers a wide range of watercolour techniques in a mixed media setting. I started my mixed media journey about two years ago so although familiar with most of the techniques it was still an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Quarry books for providing an advanced copy in exchange of a honest review.
Gorgeous book! If you wanted to know more about watercolor and experiment with it, this book is a great start. It introduces several techniques on how you can achieve interesting effects with the paint eg, mixing it with other types of paint, sprinkling salt over them or mixing it with ink. After an introduction to some of these base techniques the book offers step by step explanation for painting impressive cloudy skies or gem stone or even some flowery mandalas. I would recommend this book for anyone who needs some inspiration. I found the book a bit short but it offers a lot of interesting ideas. Great for beginners or people looking for some new experimental inspiration. Would also make a lovely present.

I enjoy all the art books I get a chance to see with netgalley. I do not always see such a variety I. The stores I go to. I am just starting watercolors and this book had some great information.

I love this book! Ana creates beautiful mixed media art. Her vibrant art style makes me happy. The step-by-step instructions are also easy to follow. I’ve completed two projects so far.

I have many art instruction books and I’d have to say this is one of my favorites. I highly recommend it! This book is just beautiful. It's rare for me to want to do every project in a book, but this is one of those exceptions. The step-by-step instructions are explained with several accompanying photos. I especially loved the Outer-Space Collage.

Creative Watercolor and Mixed Media is a new tutorial and technique guide by Ana Victoria Caderón. Released 30th Nov 2020 by Quarto on their Quarry imprint, it's 144 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is an exuberant and colorful art tutorial with an emphasis on spontaneity and flexible results using gouache, metallic paints, masking fluids, alcohol inks, pigments and more. The artist has an encouraging and easy to understand style of teaching. I can imagine taking a workshop or class led by her would be rewarding and fun. The introduction gives a short background to mixed media techniques, tools, and supplies. I liked that the author didn't advertise for any particular brand of supplies and encourages readers to try a wide variety of products to find the best results for their own work.

The chapters are arranged logically - with several shorter tutorials building up techniques thematically: watercolor + other media, basic techniques, horizons (skyskapes), celestial compositions, gems/crystals, and earth & sacred geometry. The projects are very well photographed and include tools/materials in a bullet point list, and step by step instructions. The photos are clear and easy to follow.

The book also includes an index and resource lists.

Five stars. This would make a good addition to a home studio library, maker's group library, guild or public library or similar.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Thank you netgallery and the author for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review. I do craft nights at our library and I am always looking for new and fun things to try. Filled with beautiful photos and detailed instructions, I can't wait to try some of these ideas out myself!

Great book that breaks down the trendy "galaxy" style illustrations as well as gemstones. As with most books the first section is dedicated to materials, in this one they showed the metallic watercolors which often get ignored in books. Great examples for hobbiests.

This is a great "hands on" book, with lots of detailed illustrative photos to help guide the reader through the various techniques.
Ana Victoria Calderón begins with an exploration of the basic tools and techniques used throughout the book, pitched at a level suitable for both absolute beginners and experienced amateur artists looking to broaden their skill-base. The section on experimentation with different media (including several household substances) was particularly well-illustrated and valuable, as testing the various effects is an essential part of producing watercolour art.
The remainder of the book is dedicated to chapters focussed around achieving particular effects - horizons, celestial skies, gems & crystals, and earth & sacred geometry (including botanicals). Using these techniques, an aspiring amateur artist will be able to progress a long way in creating landscape and still life pieces. Several templates are included at the end of the book for use as a reference point, although the author does emphasise the importance of an artist developing and practising their own drawing style.
In the course of reading Creative Watercolour and Mixed Media for review, my 11-year-old daughter and I worked through several of the techniques outlined, using our own materials. We both found the step-by-step style of the book really helpful in developing some new skills and finding inspiration for future artistic work. My daughter was particularly taken with the "celestial skies" project, while I'm working on incorporating some Aurora Australis images into Christmas cards, employing the "contstellations and cosmic textures" techniques using salt and gouache with watercolour.
This book was a joy to read and review, and I will be obtaining my own copy in the very near future. My thanks to the author, Quarto Publishing Group USA / Quarry Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.