No-Fail Watercolor: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Painting with Confidence

Because we live in our motorhome, storage is very limited and my books are all in storage. I debated getting the Kindle edition because I felt it would be better to have actual paper pages in hand. Have to say that I am really enjoying the Kindle edition. I can carry it outside easily, take it back to bed easily, yet have it here at the work table when I want the reference at hand.I am so glad I bought the Kindle version and will definitely look forward to more. I had a question on page 46 and sent Mako and email asking about it. Response was very quick and very thorough. How wonderful to get some first hand help. Would definitely encourage anyone to buy either version. On my iPad, the colors are so bright and seem very true. I can make notes with my pencil, and the whole process seems to work for me. Thank you for a great addition to my on bur resources.

Everything in this book feels authentic, filled with love, and it's like Mako's voice speaks through these pages. You can tell that she is very adept and knowledgeable in the realm of watercolor which shows from her hard work in creating this book. Her explanations make it cordial to the beginner and to the advanced, that I think one may feel encouraged from her confidence. This is noticeable from the foundation of watercolor painting (techniques, mixing, theory, etc.). Note that the supplies section has no photos, but not necessary as later sections provide photos that complement her explanations--this section is pretty general, though her YouTube videos cover these topics in-depth.The layout of the book is organized and fresh, that it feels inspiring to learn from this book. The manner that the subtopic of watercolor occurs makes sense logically to how one would approach watercolor painting. Thus, I think this watercolor book appears like other watercolor books but it is the content in this book that feels like Mako put a lot of her knowledge into this, and knows how to guide the beginner to the right path.Often times with some watercolor books, I feel like many projects and applications seem like fillers appearing basic and banal, which bore me from following through the book. Some other subjects may not interest me, which feel like song albums, where some are amazing and others are meh. However, projects in this book appeal to my aesthetics thus, inspire me to try them all.The categories of the projects are divided into different types of natural scenery, with variety, of course. This includes scenes and landscapes liken to natural "aesthetic" photography, subject matters that many people enjoy, though not every type of landscape is included. Well, it isn't meant to be a scenery and landscape watercolor book after all (there is a book for that). This is the kind of subject matter that Mako would mostly enjoy painting, shown in this book. Different skill levels throughout are very balanced, making it friendly to all skill levels; it contains 10 beginners-level, 9 intermediate-level, and 6 advanced-level, totaling 26 projects. "Big picture" projects are approachable to the beginner, while others with more detail require a certain adeptness.For the materials used in the projects, I like that the materials apply to many of the projects. Although I mainly use round brushes, many projects require a 20 mm flat brush, assuming it is a 3/4 or 1" flat wash, though I think a flat wash would suffice. I do not own one, so I may not be able to try them all, as using flat washes makes the painting experience more fluid.Note that some projects may require a lot of colors, depending on the skill and budget. Combining the amount of watercolor used in all the projects adds up to approximately 12 different colors. (One issue that I think some people may notice is the galaxy moons combination, on page 95, though these are the possibilities she came up with and I think she encourages us to experiment).Perhaps, this review sounds all too verbose, optimistic, and spoilery. From skimming through the pages, I feel like it is the one; the content is balanced and concise, and if anything is missing, it can be found from her companion online guide located near the end of her book.I would recommend this book to anyone interested in beautiful and colorful scenery. Those who prefer painting different subjects or objects can still enjoy this, making a great addition to existing watercolor books.This is technically the first beginner type watercolor book, I own and enjoy. A watercolor book I think pairs well with this book is "Wilderness Watercolor Landscapes" with a similar subject matter.Edit: adjusted and fixec wording for clarity.

Just got this today and can’t put it down. Mako has the ability to teach, inspire and cheer you on, while providing enough instruction to ensure success. She keeps going simple but at the same time provides you with guidance to finish completed projects. Unlike other beginner books which are pretty much piecemeal, she takes you step-by-step through the basics, simple projects and the more advanced projects. There’s a reason she has so many followers on YouTube and if you’re not already one, this book will convince otherwise. Highly recommend for beginners to watercolor. Enjoy!.

Mako is one of the three watercolour artists that taught me on Youtube. Her clear tutorials have always been a precious resource and her cheerful energy, a joy.Her book retains both factors without discounting a solid art science foundation that every artist should have.I recommend this book warmly. Thanks Mako

I found Mako through her YouTube videos and so glad I did. She has a way of encouraging the artist inside you in the most gentle, unjudgmental way. Now add in her book which is a true blessing. Even if you have attempted painting in watercolors before this, this book is a great guide. In just the first few pages, I picked up tips that will be used on my next attempt. With Mako's guidance, you do feel like you cannot fail.

Loved this book. Mako is an amazing artist and a wonderful teacher. I really enjoy the simple ways she explains how to do things. This is the painting I did with one of her tutorials from the book. I often find myself going back to the book for tricks and tips on skills or color combinations.

This book has a wonderful color theory section. But the best part is the step by step instructions! Mako did a great job, the book is beautiful.

Received TODAYLooks amazingCannot wait to get startedSue-eSEyBee

I really liked the look of the author's style based on the pictures when searching for beginner watercolour books, and took a quick look at their tutorials online and it was clearly pitched at someone like me with minimal starter knowledge. I took a chance and the book was actually as expected! Love the style and colours and helps that you can look online to see some of the exercises in real time which for a very unconfident beginner like me helps me personally to learn better. Relatively simple exercises that teach skills I have played with but I have enjoyed this greatly and would hope the author does another book. As I liked the style, I really liked the book.

This is the first book I have found that makes watercolour accessible for a beginner like me.Within the first few pages, I knew I had found a gem of a book. It explains watercolour so clearly and I love the 'try it out' sections. I am also looking forward to working my way through the lovely painting projects in this book. A brilliant book for a beginner!

Lots of practice pieces from beginner to advanced. I've really enjoyed learning about value and there are some gorgeous projects to try.

lots of helpful test subjects

Ich male noch nicht lange mit Aquarellfarben und habe schon einige Bücher gekauft - und leider recht schnell wieder verkauft, weil sie mich nicht wirklich von den Motiven her angesprochen haben. Dieses Buch hier ist wundervoll: Tolle Motive, hilfreiche wirklich praxisnahe Tipps, sehr liebevoll gestaltet - mal was ganz anderes. Lohnt sich! Mein Englisch ist nicht das beste, aber es ist trotzdem einfach verständlich. Hoffentlich wird es mal in deutsch übersetzt. Also, ich kann das Buch sehr empfehlen und die YouTube-Videos von Mako sowieso :-)