How To Paint Like Turner

J.M.W. Turner was one of the greatest artists Britain has ever produced. His watercolours, with their extraordinary effects of shifting light and dramatic cloudscapes, are especially highly regarded.

For the first time, this book reveals the secrets of his technique, allowing present-day watercolourists to try them out themselves. There is an accessible introduction that explores Turner's life and career and the materials he used to achieve the masterpieces we know and love today. The book then goes on to list the modern materials the twenty-first century watercolourist will need if they aspire to take on similar subject matter.

Successive chapters look at a particular theme, such as Sky, Water, Trees, Buildings, People, Animals, Sunrise, Moonlight and Fire, illustrating each with one of Turner's works. Expert contemporary watercolour artists then explain, step by step, how to paint a version of that particular picture and how to use the techniques learnt to paint other compositions. With a glossary of technical terms, high quality colour reproductions and backed by the authority of Tate, the world centre for Turner scholarship, this is a must-buy purchase for all lovers of JMW Turner and of watercolour painting.

About The Author

Nicola Moorby works at Tate on the Turner Bequest.

Ian Warrell is Curator (18th and 19th Century British Art) at Tate and is one of the world's leading authorities on Turner. He has contributed to many books, including JMW Turner, Turner Whistler Monet and Turner and Venice.

Joyce Townsend is Senior Conservation Scientist at Tate and the author of Turner's Painting Techniques.

The artist Mike Chaplin was art expert on TV's Watercolour Challenge and his paintings have been reproduced in the book Mike Chaplin's Expressive Watercolours.

Tony Smibert is a painter based in Tasmania who has held over forty exhibitions worldwide. His paintings are in many public and private collections.