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Creating Textures in Pen & Ink with Watercolor
Claudia Nice shows you how to turn ink and watercolors into the coarse-barked trunk of an oak, or the burnished smoothness of brass, or the verdant velvet of moss or any of many other things. She shows you how to use dots, fine lines, brushstrokes, black and white, color--a mixture of mediums and techniques--to suggest: glass, cast iron, adobe and brick, sunrise and sunset, driftwood, leaf textures, basketry, surf and ocean, waves, enamelware, rainbows, wood grain, distant trees, eggs and onions, animal hair, and dozens of other textures! You'll learn how to use materials, from technical pens to paint brushes, colored inks to liquid acrylics. You'll discover ways to blot, spatter, stamp and otherwise alter and combine ink and watercolor for exciting texturing effects.
144 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1995
140 people are currently reading
567 people want to read
About the author
Claudia Nice
42 books33 followersClaudia Nice, a native of the Pacific Northwest, attended the University of Kansas, but gained her realistic pen, ink, and watercolor techniques from sketching nature.
She spent over 15 years traveling across North America for Koh-I-Noor/Rapidograph and more recently Grumbacher as an art consultant, conducting seminars, work shops, and demonstrations at various schools, clubs, shops, and trade shows. Her relaxed, informative method of instruction is geared to put the beginner at ease, and encourage the seasoned artist to new heights.
Claudia has authored over a dozen successful books, including "Creating Textures in Pen & Ink With Watercolor." This fully illustrated text book was not only a Northlight "Book of the Month," but a best seller for F & W Publications. Her art work has won numerous awards and is often found in leading art instruction magazines.
She spent over 15 years traveling across North America for Koh-I-Noor/Rapidograph and more recently Grumbacher as an art consultant, conducting seminars, work shops, and demonstrations at various schools, clubs, shops, and trade shows. Her relaxed, informative method of instruction is geared to put the beginner at ease, and encourage the seasoned artist to new heights.
Claudia has authored over a dozen successful books, including "Creating Textures in Pen & Ink With Watercolor." This fully illustrated text book was not only a Northlight "Book of the Month," but a best seller for F & W Publications. Her art work has won numerous awards and is often found in leading art instruction magazines.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
June 24, 2021
Simply a great book, taught me the great majority of art techniques I know.
July 30, 2009
I love her books. She must spend all her time with pen and paints.
November 3, 2018
Very Good Reference
Sometimes a great reference image with a short description is much more useful than long explanations.
With its detailed introductory chapters explaining materials that may be needed, followed by pages and pages of drawings and paintings with short descriptions of pen techniques, color palettes, and watercolor techniques, I found this book to be extremely useful.
I wouldn’t recommend it for a beginner but once one has the basics down this book will show numerous methods of achieving certain looks as well as many new techniques.
A very nice painting of an old barn may only go into detail about the colors and techniques used on the roof yet at the same time it makes it much easier to understand how other parts of the painting or drawing were done even though they weren’t explained.
I often find myself flipping through the book looking at drawings and paintings just to come up with new ideas.
And as a big fan of pen & ink I enjoy the detailed drawings as much if not more than the finished watercolors. I have a few other books from this artist/author and have enjoyed them all.
Sometimes a great reference image with a short description is much more useful than long explanations.
With its detailed introductory chapters explaining materials that may be needed, followed by pages and pages of drawings and paintings with short descriptions of pen techniques, color palettes, and watercolor techniques, I found this book to be extremely useful.
I wouldn’t recommend it for a beginner but once one has the basics down this book will show numerous methods of achieving certain looks as well as many new techniques.
A very nice painting of an old barn may only go into detail about the colors and techniques used on the roof yet at the same time it makes it much easier to understand how other parts of the painting or drawing were done even though they weren’t explained.
I often find myself flipping through the book looking at drawings and paintings just to come up with new ideas.
And as a big fan of pen & ink I enjoy the detailed drawings as much if not more than the finished watercolors. I have a few other books from this artist/author and have enjoyed them all.
October 1, 2023
Is it doable? Yeah, sure.
Do you want to learn to do it though? Uh.
Okay, let's rephrase. Do you want to spend a gazillion hours working on every single face, posy and spoon until a strand of your soul is transferred to said subjects and hyperreality sets in? Maybe next decade.
Art that makes you feel things are usually art that has been done well. From one angle, art that is done well is basically art that has extracted a piece of the artist's soul and embedded it within the frame, structure, or scene.
From another angle, for those of us who are privileged to choose our horucruxes, may it be a worthy choice. May you sit strong in your commitment to present your soul to whatever passion of your choice. And have plenty of supporting pillows and rest time in between your servtitude.
Do you want to learn to do it though? Uh.
Okay, let's rephrase. Do you want to spend a gazillion hours working on every single face, posy and spoon until a strand of your soul is transferred to said subjects and hyperreality sets in? Maybe next decade.
Art that makes you feel things are usually art that has been done well. From one angle, art that is done well is basically art that has extracted a piece of the artist's soul and embedded it within the frame, structure, or scene.
From another angle, for those of us who are privileged to choose our horucruxes, may it be a worthy choice. May you sit strong in your commitment to present your soul to whatever passion of your choice. And have plenty of supporting pillows and rest time in between your servtitude.
October 7, 2023
I enjoyed the entire book!
Claudia has a teaching technique that is informative, encouraging and a light style that does not leave me with a headache.
I'm a hands-on learner. I don't learn well when a teacher gives too much information all at once. (It's like drudgery with a headache.)
I learned a lot with a quick read through and I'm ready to begin watercolor painting. I use oil and acrylic paints. I always shunned watercolor because of the masking and layers of paint. Claudia made it clear why we would need the layers, and the application excites me. Add in the ink techniques and I'm hooked. This book is a great resource book and will be kept close at hand. I'm thankful I found this great teacher. I have bought another of her books. I'll read that one tonight. Thank you Claudia!
Claudia has a teaching technique that is informative, encouraging and a light style that does not leave me with a headache.
I'm a hands-on learner. I don't learn well when a teacher gives too much information all at once. (It's like drudgery with a headache.)
I learned a lot with a quick read through and I'm ready to begin watercolor painting. I use oil and acrylic paints. I always shunned watercolor because of the masking and layers of paint. Claudia made it clear why we would need the layers, and the application excites me. Add in the ink techniques and I'm hooked. This book is a great resource book and will be kept close at hand. I'm thankful I found this great teacher. I have bought another of her books. I'll read that one tonight. Thank you Claudia!
December 2, 2020
This book is very helpful. I’d like to own it. There are many different categories of textures included, such as glass, water, lichen, animal hair, feathers, clouds, bark, wood grain, metals, and stone. I found it easy to follow, although much of it is written in an italic script that can get annoying to decipher sometimes. I learned a lot. I’m looking into this author more. Her catalog is confusing. Reviews indicate some books are practically reprints of previous books.
September 29, 2023
Excellent!
This book doesn't just show simple basic techniques, such as wet-on-wet, it also shows several ways to perform this technique. Later in the book, it shows pictures where they have been used, but instead of just saying 'wet-on-wet,' (for example), it provides the detailed description that allows the reader to see how to uses them. Really good book for the watercolorist of any level.
This book doesn't just show simple basic techniques, such as wet-on-wet, it also shows several ways to perform this technique. Later in the book, it shows pictures where they have been used, but instead of just saying 'wet-on-wet,' (for example), it provides the detailed description that allows the reader to see how to uses them. Really good book for the watercolorist of any level.
August 12, 2019
This book was an impulse buy that I am glad I followed through with. Lots of easy to follow instructions and really beautifully illustrated. Learned lots of new tricks form this one.
I expected it to be a lot on fur and feathers for some reason but it covered all types of textures and how to achieve them.
A good technique book for watercolor, pen and ink, or both at once!
I expected it to be a lot on fur and feathers for some reason but it covered all types of textures and how to achieve them.
A good technique book for watercolor, pen and ink, or both at once!
April 26, 2022
quick overview
Gives some overview and helpful hints, but this isn’t really a tutorial book. If you are looking for a book to give you some suggestions to improve your skills but not really giving you step by step, this is it
Gives some overview and helpful hints, but this isn’t really a tutorial book. If you are looking for a book to give you some suggestions to improve your skills but not really giving you step by step, this is it
May 18, 2022
Fascinating
This book is full of easy applied techniques to produce wonderful results. It includes many different ways too achieve textures and realistic pictures. There are many examples in the book to choose from
This book is full of easy applied techniques to produce wonderful results. It includes many different ways too achieve textures and realistic pictures. There are many examples in the book to choose from
September 17, 2017
An excellent resource to add texture and dimensions to watercolor using India inks. Wonderful examples and easy to follow directions. Hoping my art continues to improve.
March 6, 2019
Written for use mostly with a Rapidograph pen, a decent introduction to creating textures for water color and some forms of acrylic paintings for those who like a fairly realistic art style.
June 2, 2019
Excellent book
I learned so much from this book. The author is exceptionally talented and writes in a clear, easily understood manner.
I learned so much from this book. The author is exceptionally talented and writes in a clear, easily understood manner.
January 6, 2020
Claudia's books are indispensable for the animal artist. I come back to them again and again as reference and deeper understanding.
July 21, 2021
Fantastic book with handwritten type. Great for improving skills with both Walter colour and ink. This is easily transferable with pencil and pen to create visual texture.
October 30, 2023
Excellent advice on how to enhance my painting and also tips on how to do more with watercolor overall.
August 26, 2016
So huh, it kind of took me 3 months to finish reading this...didn't think it would take me that long. I read it a spread at a time, and most of it was, admittedly, images. But the swatches and details Claudia Nice writes as notes is truly stunning. I wonder if it was all done traditionally? I ask this because her handwriting is very amazingly old school, and, well, handwritten. I have learnt so much from reading this. JUST, WOW.
I will have to sit down and re-read whilst applying the information from the book at some point though, hopefully sooner rather than later. She ended the entire book on one of the most frustrating things to colour. Yet she did it with such grace and love. I hope i can do it well if only to make her proud that her book has meant something to me. To be honest, i'd like to just make sure i DO something with all the tips here. :) I have much to learn, and theory not applied is a wasted lesson.
I will have to sit down and re-read whilst applying the information from the book at some point though, hopefully sooner rather than later. She ended the entire book on one of the most frustrating things to colour. Yet she did it with such grace and love. I hope i can do it well if only to make her proud that her book has meant something to me. To be honest, i'd like to just make sure i DO something with all the tips here. :) I have much to learn, and theory not applied is a wasted lesson.
January 25, 2020
Not at all what I was expecting. I thought it’d be more ‘wordy’ but, while there was text it was mostly illustration, with excellent examples of how to employ the techniques to accurately reflect the texture of the object being drawn.
The illustrations are very precise and technical looking, as opposed to more abstract.
As an absolute beginner I was surprised how inspiring I found it, instead of feeling daunted (which is my default state when perusing drawing or painting texts)
The illustrations are very precise and technical looking, as opposed to more abstract.
As an absolute beginner I was surprised how inspiring I found it, instead of feeling daunted (which is my default state when perusing drawing or painting texts)
September 1, 2016
An okay book; a lot of the examples could simply be done with watercolor, so it doesn't seem as if the pen and ink would be necessary; in others, the watercolor is just used as a foundation with pen strokes on top, and it doesn't have the depth of color/texture that might be nice.
January 4, 2008
What a helpful book for anyone wanting to learn the art of realism in the difficult but rewarding medium of watercolor.
July 6, 2010
LOVE this style. I'm always struggling to get more texture and really dark lines in watercolors, and this is a great solution. Amazing examples.
November 18, 2013
I borrowed this book from the library last week and because I love it so much, I bought it.
September 12, 2016
Great book with tons of examples to work from.
August 9, 2016
I borrowed this from the library. Thought it would be a good reference for my personal library, so I bought a copy.
August 13, 2014
love books that explain in detail how to do something. This book is full of delightful pictures and step-by-step instruction. I'm happy with it.
June 13, 2015
Claudia' s instructions were easy to follow as I tried out the first few exercises. she also presents more details on the techniques with a wide variety of examples.
October 30, 2015
Very insightful for art.
September 29, 2016
Fantastic step by step instructions for creating different textures.
February 21, 2019
Excellent instructions and examples
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews