With the current weather and temperatures closer to zero than I can tolerate, I have been hunkered down with Winston, stealing some reading time when I can!  One book that I have picked up recently and really enjoyed, is Felix Scheinberger's Urban Watercolor Sketching.  

Felix is a German illustrator, artist and designer, who has lent his talent to many magazines and to over 50 children's books. This book, his third, invites you into his travel /daily journal, where you get a great peek at his sketching and painting style in all of its quirky glory! I always love to see what people record in their sketchbooks, and here he shares hand-sketched and watercolor imagery of places he has traveled around the world, like the congested markets in Istanbul, ornate temples in Korea, waterfronts in France, etc., and all of the various characters he encountered along the way! HIs style is very reminiscent of Ralph Steadman's! 

If you are new to painting with watercolor, this book can serve as the perfect guide, or art lesson, for he covers everything from the basics of color theory, to the tools and tricks to mastering watercolor, to wisdom on developing your own style within the medium.

His fun doodles and renderings are a great visual and personally preferred over photographs that could have easily been incorporated. He is a great storyteller and imparts artistic wisdom while sharing the history behind the art form, watercolor pigments, their origins and their evolution.  

With the endless backdrop of bleak, gray skies, I encourage you to check out this book, even if you never intend to pick up a paintbrush or attempt painting in watercolor! It will at at least  brighten you with some funny sketches and doodles and some much-needed color!