Adding a wash of color to a simple drawing is one of the first techniques every budding artist must learn, and a terrific stepping stone from sketching to painting. These comprehensive exercises and studies, utilizing Paul Taggart's uniquely detailed Artstrips, explain exactly how to master this skill. Demonstration studies, sketches, and finished compositions provide inspiring starting points, and there are tips on materials and advice on the basics of color mixing. Step by step, create landscapes, figures, flowers, and buildings, using an exciting variety of media, from pastels and watercolors to inks and gouache. Even those who already paint will discover new ideas for developing their abilities, tactics for bending the rules, and unusual ways to manipulate familiar painting tools.