And Storytelling in Color - A Guide to Drawing

If you are just getting into watercolor, or you're just getting into urban-style sketching, this is the FIRST book you should buy. Mr Scheinberger has a simple and joyful way of approaching the medium, and his explanations are clear and without the affectation that so many "seasoned" teacher-artists seem to employ. In roughly 2 pages per topic, he covers every main issue a beginner will find with watercolor, and with urban-style sketching in particular. I have read lots of watercolor books, and I've devoured urban sketching books. I'm a seasoned artist who is just now learning how to draw. Looking back, I wish I could have read this book first; it would have saved me a lot of headaches, because I wouldn't have had to interpret what others were trying to tell me!

I like the author/artist's loose handling and spontaneity of expression in his pen and ink and watercolor paintings. His teaching approach allows a student to experiment, but gives him/her sufficient guidance. ( I am a retired art professor.)

This was really helpful in terms of breaking down creating a "window" of what to sketch as well as basic color theory. Very helpful and a book that I return to when I have difficulties or questions as I sketch.

This book is great for getting the basics on using watercolor, mixing colors and handling a drawing. Great for beginners with some basic previous experience. All of the important basic points are covered in depth and with examples. This book is written responsibly and with criteria. I highly recommend it.

Purchased based upon the reviews here. After receiving a was a bit disappointed by the contents of it. The drawings are sketches but very messy as well as the handwriting used to make points. Messy handwriting isn't so easy to read. Plus I didn't get much information from the book as a beginner to sketch/watercolor process. A Definite disappointment especially purchased as a brand new book that was so positively reviewed.Time to sell it I guess. Not a keeper for me. Sorry.

One of the most informative and visually appealing instructional books on water color, and painting in general, I ever seen. Every page is has stunning design and is chock full of useful information. A necessity for any contemporary artist from beginner to expert.

One of the most informative and visually appealing instructional books on water color, and painting in general, I ever seen. Every page is has stunning design and is chock full of useful information. A necessity for any contemporary artist from beginner to expert.

The book has some good sketches by the author, but besides that it is very poorly done. It contains a random collection of some basic watercolor beginner concepts that are covered much better in other books. It is full of simple cliches and unrelated "history". It has nothing to do with storytelling or urban sketching as the cover title suggests. I'm sorry I bought it, it's not worth the money.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I was able to finish this book in a few days of traveling to work. If you have a quiet afternoon to yourself I'm sure you can knock it out without a problem. The stories and pictures were delightful. I found the history or different kinds of paints and colors interesting. I liked the different techniques discussed as I was aware of some and not of others which is helpful. This book is a lovely addition to your watercolor or urban sketching library.

I really enjoyed the book because there was something for everyone. On one hand, it had quite a lot of great technical information…and on the other, the whimsical nature of the artist's hand was delightful and unstuffy.

This book has plenty of colorful illustrations, but just doesn't pertain much to urban sketching which I feel should be the main subject. It covers too much on paint, pigments, paper & brushes, just like any other watercolor book.

This book is an introduction to watercolor painting, with sections on pigments, brushes, pens, and papers, but the author never talks about sketching in an urban setting. However, his illustrations are in the currently favored style of loose, imaginative ink sketches freely watercolored. His section on papers only talks about loose paper and blocks. No word about journal formats, sketchbooks, or similar. There are one or two illustrations showing what look like Moleskine sketchbooks, but no captions. The book should be titled directly from its German title, which another reviewer says is "Watercolors for Designers". I don't know any German, but had I known this would not have bought another beginners' watercolor guide.

I was looking for more straight-sketching books (like The Technical Pen) when I came across this wonderful book by Felix Scheinberger. My mind has now been opened to an incredible new world of color theory and surprisingly to watercolor painting. This book of 156 pages is filled with playful drawings and splashes of vibrant colors that demonstrate a very modern and contemporary use of the 4,000 year old painting technique.

Not did the images inspire me to embrace my drawing style more and explore color in a new way, but I found the text most fascinating as well. Scheinberger is a really intelligent artist who can communicate his thoughts concisely in light-hearted conversation. I highly encourage you to pick up this book, which is a superb English translation of Wasserfarbe fur Gestaller (2011).

This book has lots of really great info about watercolour painting, especially for beginning and amateur artists. It is comprehensive on that level and for that reason I give the book 4 stars. It is visually beautiful and as an artist, I am enjoying reading and re-reading it.

The book loses a star because it is not a book about Urban Sketching. Yes, the author uses his urban sketches to illustrate the book and demonstrate the techniques, but the book is not about urban sketching. On that the title is a tad misleading and, if you were not looking for a book about watercolour specifically, this would be disappointing.