Ready to Paint in 30 Minutes: Animals in Watercolour

This complete beginner's guide to painting animals and birds is ideal if you want to learn to paint in watercolour but are short on time. Broken down into 32 quick and easy paintings measuring just 15 x 10cm (6 x 4in), this basic course will teach you all the skills you need to paint domestic and wild animals and birds, in home settings or in nature.

Best-selling author Matthew Palmer shows you how to paint a diverse range of animals and birds, including a parrot, cat, dog, zebra, stag, cow and swan, and teaches you how to paint realistic markings, fur and feathers, and how to create faces filled with character and personality.

Tracings are provided for all the paintings, including the three projects at the end of the book. Simply trace them off onto your watercolour paper and paint with confidence, without the need to make an initial drawing.

Each painting takes just 30 minutes to complete and teaches you a different technique, so by the end of the book you will be equipped with all the skills you need to complete one of the three full-size projects: a King Charles cavalier spaniel, a snow leopard and a hummingbird. 

Book Contents

Tracings, Introduction 6, Basic painting equipment 8, Basic techniques 10, Parrot at sunset 16, Bird in flight18, Koi carp20, Zebra22, Swan24

Key features 26
Cat’s eyes 28, Peering tabby 30, Curious kitten 32, Tiger 34, Dog’s eyes 36, Puppy 38, Highland cow’s muzzle 40, Cockerel’s head 42

Textures and markings 44
Penguin’s wing 46, African elephant 48, Lamb 50, Ram 52, Great tit 54

Portraits 56
Drawing a portrait from a photograph 60, Alsatian 62, Rabbit 64, Chimpanzee 66, Meerkat 68

Animals in the landscape 70
Cat on the lookout 72, Sheep in a field 74, Flamingos paddling 76, Penguins 78, Asian elephant 80, Stag in woodland 82, Robin on a branch 84, Stag in winter 86, Giraffe 88, ‘Max’, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel 90, Snow Leopard 92, Hummingbird 94

Index96