Frequent visitors to this website will know all about Search Press' pioneering Ready To Paint series. This is aimed at tyro painters who want to get some practise with the painting part but aren't too confident about their drawing skills. Each book contains six tracings and step-by-step instructions showing you exactly what to do at each stage. Now just in time for the Christmas market comes the Paint It! Series, a set of ten booklets that show the new artist how to work through one painting. I love this - if I were getting a wannabe artist a box of paints I would add one of these inexpensive wee books (GBP3.99 or $5.95). This is my own favorite out of the range, showing a glorious image of a bluebell wood taken from Ready To Paint Watercolor Trees & Woodlands. It takes you from the initial tracing right through to the best bit where you stand back and admire your masterpiece in no less than forty-three stages, each one illustrated showing the next part you paint in. If you think that this sounds somewhat akin to painting by numbers, think again. It is more about discovering the anatomy of a picture and getting the feel of drawing (even if it is only tracing at this stage) and the best order to paint which part when. Each picture comes with a useful list of which brushes and colors to buy, so if you are getting this for a present why not have a look first so you know what to put with it as regards colors and types of brush and paper? You won't hear a peep out of the recipient for hours - a lovely idea.-Myshelf.com

Geoff Kersey is an experienced watercolourist and is much in demand as a teacher and demonstrator. He lives and works in Derbyshire where he has a studio, and he exhibits extensively. He has made two watercolour videos and contributes to various art publications.