Paint This Book!: Watercolor for the Artistically Undiscovered

Yes, really! Young or old, there is an artist in each of us. If yours is hiding (perhaps behind a shred of self-consciousness?), just remember: Art is personal expression. You have your talent. Nobody else has anything like it!

If you are ready to discover (or re-discover) your genius, Paint This Book! is here to help. The paints, the brush, and the watercolor paper are all included--plus irresistible encouragement and exercises from authors John Cassidy and Thacher Hurd:

• Work small: Quick, spontaneous strokes will happen more naturally.
• Trust your instincts: Watercolor can turn to mush with a lot of revision. You’re better than you think you are!
• Choose your techniques: You’ll learn about light and shadow (page 43), perspective (page 51), and more. But it’s up to you whether to use these skills often, or never! Either way, there are many artists who do the same.

Don’t forget: Sometimes a shimmer of color on the page can look even fruitier than a realbowl of fruit. Between these covers, there are no mistakes. Just add imagination (and water)!

Thacher Hurd has received the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award and the New York Times Best Illustrated Award. He cofounded Peaceable Kingdom Press in 1983.
John Cassidy cofounded the children’s book publishing company Klutz Press in 1978, and served as its creative head until 2000. He has written over 200 books and is a recipient of the Legacy for Children Award. He is the coauthor, with Thacher Hurd, of Paint This Book! Watercolor for the Artistically Undiscovered. He holds degrees in English and education from Stanford University, and currently lectures at Stanford’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design. He lives in Palo Alto, California.