How to Paint like Turner

J.M.W. Turner is 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, the secrets of his technique are revealed, allowing present-day watercolourists to learn from his achievements.


Uniquely, this book combines unrivalled knowledge of Turner’s working methods from Tate curators and conservators with practical advice from some of the world’s most respected watercolour experts. Each of the twenty-two thematic exercises is illustrated with one of Turner’s works. Expert contemporary watercolourists then explain, step-by-step, how to paint a similar composition, learning from Turner’s techniques. This book is packed with invaluable information, from the materials Turner used to achieve the masterpieces we know and love today, to the modern materials the twenty-first-century watercolourist will need if they aspire to take on similar subject matter.


Backed by the authority of Tate, the world centre for Turner scholarship, with a glossary of technical terms and the highest quality colour reproductions, this is an invaluable resource both for lovers of Turner’s art and of watercolour painting.