Book excerpt: All the essential skills for successful painting are beautifully illustrated and described by one of the inspirational watercolour painters working today. James Fletcher-Watson inspires all enthusiasts with his translucent washes, dramatic skies, atmospheric mountain scenes and skill in capturing the true spirit of a place. While focusing on individual elements, including skies, trees, country cottages, town houses, mountains, water, people and animals, each chapter offers advice on putting them all together in stunning landscapes and townscapes. Along with information on choosing brushes, paper and colours, there is a helpful section on composition. Paintings are used to demonstrate how to build up texture and detail; the subtle mixing of colours to produce shadows and reflections; and how to introduce distance and perspective into a scene. Moving from brooding hills and lakeland scenes to the charm of country lanes and the grandeur of Venice and Florence, the book illustrates exactly what you need to know to make a successful painting. This revision and reworking of Secrets of Watercolour takes the best of James Fletcher-Watson's earlier work and combines it with his masterly work of recent years.