Watercolour Animals for the Absolute Beginner

Art Book Review – June 2024
This is a book that absolutely lives up to its title. Matthew paints birds, mammals and reptiles in a style that is easy to replicate and he provides fully illustrated instructions that explain every step. You’ll never have trouble again with textures, skin, fur, feathers, eyes or any other detail.

These are not animals that live and breathe on the page. That element of character we so admire in the best animal paintings is missing, but that’s deliberate. This is a book for the beginner and it produces recognisable, realistic results without over-elaboration. Work through this and you’ll be able to replicate what Matthew does and be ready to move on to those books that do include the elusive element of character.

There are nine full demonstrations, as well as preliminary projects that concentrate on specific techniques including wet-in-wet, drybrush and lifting out. It’s nice that all this is done in an actual painting (of an elephant), rather than with abstract marks that have all the excitement of practising scales. Just be sure to pay attention at this stage, though. As an added bonus, traceable outlines are provided, so you’re freed from worrying about getting form and proportion right at this stage.
This is a book that knows exactly what it’s required to do and delivers it with considerable aplomb.