I’m not sure if I have told any of my readers this before, but my family–especially the maternal side–has deep connections to the Arts and Humanities. As a genealogist with a lifelong passion for researching her roots, my mom has discovered that we are distant cousins of singers, artists, and writers alike (not to mention some politicians and royalty, but that’s a story for another day). However, there is a much more recent family member who connects me to the Arts: my grandfather, Al Blanchard, who drew portraits, landscapes, and building plans. While I barely have an artistic bone in my body besides my writing, I still decided to check out today’s book because of an intense curiosity my grandfather instilled in me for both art and the process of creating it. The book at the center of this review is Painting Glorious Rose Flowers in Watercolor in 7 Stages by Lela Stankovic.
This book is, as the title states, a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to painting a beautiful rose in watercolor. Still, it’s more than that; it contains the building blocks with which you can lay the foundation for a new skill, a.k.a. watercolor painting. From basic techniques to which art supplies you need and how to transfer a sketch for an outline, Painting Glorious Rose Flowers in Watercolor covers everything you need to know in order to start a fulfilling hobby–or, perhaps, something more if you have a knack and the patience for it.
Image retrieved from Amazon
I need to get this out of the way right now: watercolor and I do not typical get along. The edges of the pages always curl on me, which causes me to be frustrated and I quit before I even get a chance to practice. The funny part? If I understand Stankovic properly, there have only been two mistakes standing in my way of fully enjoying this activity: I use the wrong kind of paper and I don’t stretch it first. I might not have any talent for it even after this fix, but at least now I understand why the pages kept curling. Who knew? Thank you, Lela!
Given that, perhaps the best part of Stankovic’s guide is that it doesn’t just take readers blindly through the steps. Rather, Stankovic explains why each step is done, but what it does to the painting, and how it has the effect that it has. As someone who likes to know how things work and why they are the way they are, I found this element of the book both enlightening and helpful. When I can’t have someone there to show me how to do something, a guide as thorough and comprehensive as this one is the next best thing (and I’m guessing most writers would agree with me).
The second best part of this book is Stankovic’s honesty. She does not try to sugar coat the side effects of doing any of the steps incorrectly, but she also makes it clear that some variations can be used. She mentions some specific brands of paint, but she’s also transparent about the fact that she is not sponsored or reimbursed by any such companies. I can tell that she truly just wants to help budding painters, a trait which I admire in guides to crafts and which also makes me feel as though I’ve found a kindred spirit in the writer.
Don’t fool yourself into thinking that this book can make you a master painter in one session. In fact, one painting might not be completed in one day. Stankovic makes it clear that each step can take time depending on how much drying the paper needs to do in between and that some steps might even require repetition in order to get it right. You might need to just practice certain techniques before you can do it to your own satisfaction. This process takes time and patience, two things which can’t be taught. However, Stankovic makes the instructions as clear and easy to follow as possible, so even novice painters can give it a try to some level of success.
At 109 pages, this book is deceptively short. Nevertheless, I suggest taking Stankovic’s advice on how to read the book: read it through all the way a couple times and then keep it near you so you can refer to it while painting. This method might seem repetitive and tedious, but at least you’ll absorb more of the information and come at your first painting attempt with a better understanding of what you need to do.
The accompanying photographs are beautiful and useful, although I wish the sizes were adjust in the eBook copy. Admittedly, I was reading this book on the Kindle app on my phone, so that most likely distorted and shrunk the images unnecessarily. They might not be that way on other electronic readers, so I wouldn’t use that issue as a deal-breaker in your decision about this book.
Another very minor improvement that could be made would be the addition of a glossary. While I could go back to previous chapters for some terms, I came across painting terms often enough that would have rather turned to a glossary where all the terminology was listed. It would just be easier, and if people still couldn’t make things connect for them mentally after reading the glossary, then they could turn to the necessary chapter for further explanation.
Overall, Painting Glorious Rose Flowers in Watercolor by Lela Stankovic is enlightning, easy to follow, and a great place for any beginner watercolor artist to start–or even a great place for experienced artists looking for a refresher or a new perspective on their art.The writing is great and flows by fairly quickly, but don’t rush through this book. You won’t be able to do your own watercolor illustrations for the cover of your next book after just one read-through, but you’ll be ready to begin your journey to becoming a painter, whether by profession or by hobby.
I would also like to say that I think all writers should pick up some other form of art, whether it be sculpting, drawing, or watercolors. We can learn so much from the patience and attention to detail needed for those art forms, but that’s a subject for another day. Until then, you should check out Lela Stankovic’s book for a step-by-step guide to an entertaining and beautiful activity.
You can buy Painting Glorious Rose Flowers in Watercolor by Lela Stankovic as an eBook on Amazon. Also make sure to check out Stankovic’s website and Facebook page for more information on her and her art.
Do you know of a book I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and tell me about it!
Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011