5 Beginner-Friendly Watercolor Books You’ll Love

A mix of artist guides and reference books I personally recommend for new artists at every point on their journey!

✅ Quick Overview

• 5 of my favorite watercolor books for beginners — a mix of inspiring artists and practical guides.
• Contemporary artists like Harriet de Winton, Jenna Rainey, and Emma Block share approachable, creative projects and teaching styles.
• Classic references such as The Artist’s Manual (Angela Gair) and Watercolor Secrets (Robin Berry) provide structured tips and techniques.
• Together, these books support new artists at every point in their watercolor journey.
• Bonus tip: check your public library before buying — many of these titles may already be available near you.

✨ Intro

When I first started learning watercolor, I was constantly searching online for tutorials, tips, and inspiration. That’s wonderful — but sometimes, nothing beats the feel of a good book in your hands. Books give you structured learning, beautiful visuals, and a resource you can return to again and again without distraction.

In this post, I’m sharing five of the best watercolor books for beginners (in my opinion as a self-taught artist and avid reader). I’ve included three by popular artists you may already know from YouTube or Instagram (including one personal favorite that never fails to spark joy when I open it), and two technical guides full of practical advice. I've made multiple projects from each of the artist books, and consulted the two reference books more times than I can count — these 5 books have never let me down! 📚

And here’s a beginner-friendly bonus: some of these books are available at public libraries (I’ll share which ones I found at mine). So even if you’re not ready to buy, you can still enjoy the benefits of learning from these resources.

📚 Featured Books in This Post

Here are the five watercolor books I’ll be sharing with you today — a mix of inspiring artists and practical reference guides, all perfectly suited for beginners at every stage:

1. A Year of Watercolor by Harriet de Winton
2. Artist’s Manual edited by Angela Gair
3. Everyday Watercolor by Jenna Rainey
4. The Joy of Watercolor by Emma Block
5. Watercolor Secrets by Robin Berry

Now let’s take a closer look at each one ✨

1️⃣ Harriet de Winton – A Year of Watercolor: A Seasonal Guide to Watercolour Painting

If you love flowers, leaves, and all things botanical 🌸, Harriet de Winton’s book is an absolute gem. Her projects are elegant yet achievable, and she explains techniques in a way that’s easy to follow. Even though my local library didn’t carry her books, they’re popular worldwide and available on Amazon. She also runs a successful YouTube channel, which means you can learn from her in both print and video form. A perfect book for beginners who want to paint nature-inspired art that spans the seasons.

📖If you’re looking for inspiring watercolor books, this season-based creative project guide by Harriet is a wonderful choice — available on Amazon.

2️⃣ Angela Gair (Editor) – Artist’s Manual: A Complete Guide to Painting and Drawing Materials and Techniques

This is a classic reference book that goes beyond watercolor, covering a variety of mediums — but the watercolor sections are detailed, visual, and very beginner-friendly. It’s a wonderful resource if you want a structured, big-picture guide to materials, techniques, and methods. I borrowed this from my local library early in my watercolor journey, and it gave me a solid foundation when I was still figuring out what supplies and techniques worked best for me.

📖 Library-friendly and also available on Amazon if you’d like your own copy.

3️⃣ Jenna Rainey – Everyday Watercolor (or Everyday Watercolor Flowers)

Jenna Rainey has built a huge following online for her fresh, modern watercolor style — and she has a vibrant YouTube channel if you want to check out her videos. Everyday Watercolor walks you through approachable exercises, step by step, and makes the process of learning watercolor feel doable. 

📖 I borrowed this from my local library first, but it’s also available on Amazon if you’d like to keep a copy on your bookshelf. I ended up buying the spiral-bound version — such a useful format :)

4️⃣ Emma Block – The Joy of Watercolor: 40 Happy Lessons for Painting the World Around You

This one holds a special place on my shelf 💕. Emma Block’s book is colorful, playful, and full of approachable projects. Her style encourages you to let go of perfection and paint with joy, and that's such an important reminder for beginners. For beginners who feel intimidated by watercolor, this book is like a friendly coach at your side, reminding you to keep it simple and have fun. Emma loves inspiring people to embrace their creativity. Even though my library didn’t carry this specific title, it did have another of her watercolor books — proof that her work is widely loved and accessible.

📖 If you’re only going to buy one watercolor book to spark creativity, I’d recommend this one —it's full of projects you’ll actually want to paint! — available on Amazon.

5️⃣ Robin Berry – Watercolor Secrets: Over 200 Tips and Techniques for Painting the Easy Way

I think of this one as a “troubleshooting guide.” 🛠️ It’s packed with practical advice on every aspect of watercolor painting — from tools and supplies to the properties of paints, from golden rules to textural effects. The bite-sized tips make it easy to flip through when you’re stuck or want to learn a new technique quickly — and I love the handy "Try it" and "Fix it" panels throughout the book that suggest ways to practice new skills and provide easy solutions for correcting problems. I was happy to find this one at my library too — it’s a book I’d recommend for any beginner who wants straightforward answers to common watercolor struggles.

📖 Borrow from your local library, or grab a personal copy on Amazon.

💡 Beginner Tip: Check Your Library

Before you buy, don’t forget about your local library! Many public libraries carry fantastic watercolor reference books, and it’s a great way to explore without spending a dime.

For example, my library had:

• The Artist’s Manual by Angela Gair

• Watercolor Secrets by Robin Berry

• Everyday Watercolor by Jenna Rainey

It didn’t carry The Joy of Watercolor by Emma Block, but it did have another of her titles. And while I couldn’t find any books by Harriet de Winton locally, her work is widely available online. 

✨ Tip: Borrowing from your library first lets you “test drive” a book before deciding if you’d like your own personal copy. If you fall in love with one (or want to mark pages and notes), that’s when investing in your own copy from Amazon (or putting it on your wish list) makes sense.

📚 Quick Access: Shop These Books

Want to take a closer look? Here’s the full list of watercolor books featured in this post, linked for easy access on Amazon:

• Harriet de Winton – A Year of Watercolour
  Elegant and achievable projects for flower and nature lovers. Find it on Amazon

• Angela Gair (Editor) – Artist’s Manual
  A classic reference guide covering materials, techniques, and methods. Find it on Amazon

• Jenna Rainey – Everyday Watercolor
  Fresh, modern watercolor lessons in a step-by-step format. Find it on Amazon

• Emma Block – The Joy of Watercolor
  Playful, inspiring projects to spark creativity and joy. Find it on Amazon

• Robin Berry – Watercolor Secrets
  Over 200 bite-sized tips for troubleshooting common watercolor struggles. Find it on Amazon

🌟 Final Encouragement

The truth is, you don’t need a whole shelf of beginner watercolor books to get started. Choosing just one or two that pique your interest is more than enough. Let them inspire you — but remember that reading is only part of the journey. Picking up your brush regularly is where the real progress happens.

Think about what you need most right now: a spark of creativity from artist-led projects, or practical answers from trusted reference guides.

Whether you’re drawn to the creative inspiration and approachable projects from artists like Emma Block, Harriet de Winton, and Jenna Rainey, or you want the problem-solving and technical depth found in Angela Gair’s Artist’s Manual and Robin Berry’s Watercolor Secrets, each book offers encouragement, ideas, and guidance for your watercolor journey.

So check your library, flip through a few pages, and when you find one that speaks to you — let it live at your painting table as a creative companion. 

🔗 Recommended for You

• 🎨 How to Mix Watercolors Without Making Mud

• 🖌️ Choosing the Right Watercolor Paper

• 💐 Easy, Beautiful Watercolor Flowers for Beginners

🎁  What’s Next

These watercolor books are wonderful companions — but sometimes you also need quick, beginner-friendly tools at your fingertips. That’s where my free Watercolor Lite resources come in:

• 📖 Beginner’s Watercolor Glossary — A simple, clear guide to watercolor terms, so you’ll feel confident following projects and tutorials.

• 💧 Confidence Kit for Absolute Beginners — Printable warm-ups, prompts, and mindset tips to support your very first brushstrokes.

• 🖍️ Try-It-Out Guide for True Beginners — Fun, beginner-friendly projects to paint right away — no overwhelm, just joy.

✨ Choose the resource that speaks to you (or grab them all!) — I'm here to cheer you on at every stage :)