Take Three Colours: Watercolour Lakes & Rivers: Start to paint with 3 colours, 3 brushes and 9 easy projects

With 3 colors, 3 brushes and this practical advice, you can start painting water scenes in watercolor with just 9 projects.

Even if you have never picked up a paintbrush before, professional watercolor teacher and artist, Stephen Coates, shows you how to paint convincing water scenes in watercolour using just three brushes, three colors, a plastic palette and a watercolour pad.

Only students' range watercolour paints are used, yet from these Stephen shows you how to paint nine realistic watercolor scenes. There is no off-putting color theory or long-winded mixing information, but a practical absolute beginner's course that shows the three colors in action. You need only three affordable brushes: a hake and a no. 8 and no. 2 rounds in a synthetic range, to achieve all of the paintings shown. Build your skills through nine easy exercises, starting from the simplest of scenes, resulting in paintings of rivers and lakes you'll be proud of.

There are step-by-step photographs for each project, meaning clear instruction and advice throughout, and handy tips and jargon busters appear alongside the steps for short and simple answers to your watercolor woes. Each of Stephen's finished paintings are shown at full size for easy reference, which you can even use to trace from for a stress-free painting experience - a helpful how-to-trace section at the back of the book shows you how to do this too, with Stephen's friendly instruction.

Stephen Coates was born in Sheffield in 1960. Son of a draughtsman, he was introduced to drawing at a very young age.
Largely self taught, Stephen specialised in watercolours and over a period of around twenty years, developed his own style and unique brand of teaching in his spare time. In 2011 he traded his business for a career in art and teaching. He became a full time professional freelance artist and set up his own studio in Sheffield with a purpose designed teaching facility. He runs courses, workshops and hosts his own amateur art groups. Stephen's successful teaching business inspired him to write and compile a watercolour teaching manual. He wanted to bring the excitement of his live teaching into the pages of a book so that students could truly experience the learning process in a vivid and lifelike way in the comfort of their own homes. Stephen exhibits at a variety of art shows and loves to share his experiences with people.