THE PAINTED GARDEN SARAH SIMON
A Watercolor Paint-by-Number Book T H E PA I N T E D G A R D E N
SARAH SIMON
TO JESUS,
who is the Giver of all of these good gifts. TO MY DAUGHTERS AND HUSBAND,
London, Savannah, and Colin: Thank you for inspiring, encouraging, and loving me. AND TO YOU,
my creative friend who has found this book: May you grow and stretch and learn so much from these pages. This book is from my heart and hands to yours. I am honored to be a part of your artistic journey. A BIG thank you to the following fellow artists and friends who took time to play with the projects and test out all of the details: April, Anita, Jody.
Copyright © 2027 by Sarah Simon Published by Paige Tate & Co., an imprint of Blue Star Press PO Box 8835, Bend, OR 97708 contact@paigetate.com www.paigetate.com The authorized representative in the EU for product safety and compliance is Authorised Rep Compliance Ltd., Ground Floor, 71 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin, D02 P593, Ireland. www.arccompliance.com. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Written and illustrated by Sarah Simon Design by Bryce de Flamand Printed in China 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN: 9781963183634
Contents
INTRODUCTION 5 GET TING STARTED 6 MATERIALS 7 TECHNIQUES 9 HOW TO READ YOUR PAINT MAPS 11 TECHNIQUES IN ACTION 12 COLOR KEY 17 PRACTICE PAGES 18 WATERCOLOR PROJECTS 20
Introduction HELLO, FRIEND! WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF WATERCOLOR PAINT BY NUMBER.
If you love to paint by number, you already understand the quiet joy of filling in a shape and watching an image slowly come to life one section at a time. You trust the process. You follow the numbers. And something beautiful unfolds beneath your hands. This book invites you into that same satisfying experience, but with a new and luminous medium: watercolor. Unlike acrylic, watercolor moves. It blends. It surprises. Within a single numbered boundary, you may see soft gradients, delicate blooms of colors interacting with one another, and subtle variations in tone. Instead of laying down solid, opaque color, you’ll be guiding pigment as it flows through water, allowing each section to become its own tiny work of art. Because watercolor behaves a little differently than other creative mediums, we’ll begin by learning a few essential techniques that are unique to watercolor itself: simple, approachable skills that will give you confidence before you dive into the twelve projects inside. Once you understand how water and pigment work together, the numbered shapes become an exciting playland. Each prescribed color connects across hundreds of thoughtfully designed boundaries within these projects, creating combinations that are vibrant, layered, and delightfully satisfying. The numbers are your guide. The water is your collaborator. The beauty is just waiting for you. As you progress, you may notice that no two painted boundaries look exactly alike—and that’s the magic. Watercolor celebrates variation. It transforms small gestures into radiant moments on paper. Whether you’re brand new to watercolor or simply curious to try a fresh take on a craft you already love, I created this book to meet you right where you are. Get ready to delight your senses and grow your watercolor knowledge! The projects increase in complexity as you move along so that you build your skills and gain confidence with every page. I believe in the magic of painting. When my paintbrush moves and creates a beautiful image on the paper, it feels like I’ve grabbed hold of a dream and brought it to life. When the paint flows and my hands create things beyond what my mind can imagine, I enter a state of creative mindfulness. When I’m fully engrossed in my art, it’s as if time stands still. This book comes from my hands and my heart, and it is my gift to you as you embark on your own painting journey. I want your experience to be equally fulfilling and encouraging. I hope it inspires you to continue with your watercolor practice and to connect with the wider community of artists. I can’t wait to see what you create! Use the hashtag #thepaintedgarden if you’d like to share your paintings with me on social media!
ENJOY!
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Getting Started This book’s been designed to make watercolor accessible for beginners. In the Watercolor Projects section: •
The left-hand page shows a detailed paint map with faded coloring and numbering to show you where to use each color and technique.
•
The right-hand page is the outlined project you will paint. Some projects already have color applied in certain areas to provide color variety.
•
Projects are ordered from simplest to most challenging.
•
Fully colored examples of what you can expect your finished projects to look like are included at the end of the book.
Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the structure and projects, read through all of the instructions. Because watercolor behaves differently than other creative mediums, we’ll begin by learning a few essentials for navigating these projects and watercolor itself as a medium. Next, gather the necessary supplies: the book, the included paintbrush and paint set, and a small jar of water. Finally, practice your techniques and mix your new colors. And then . . . you’ll be ready to paint your first project!
Scan to follow along with step-by-step video tutorials!
N OT E : This book gives you the tools and basic information you need to get started with watercolor, but it is not a comprehensive guide. If you want to learn more about the intricacies of this fine art, you can find an in-depth study of watercolor in my first book, Modern Watercolor Botanicals, as well as my Watercolor Workbook series.
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Materials 01.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
PA I N T
All of the paint colors you need to complete the projects are included. We’ll be working with dry pan watercolors, also known as paint cakes! These invite a slower, more controlled approach, allowing you to activate pigment gradually with water. This makes them especially well suited for paint-by-number work, where each illustrated boundary becomes its own small world. You’re able to guide soft blooms, subtle gradients, and luminous variation within even the smallest numbered shapes. Paint cakes are tidy, portable, long-lasting, and beautifully forgiving—perfect for artists who are learning to let water do some of the work. The paint palette included with this book contains custom cakes created for the paint-by-number projects. Each color is labeled with a number 1–12. There are four additional empty wells where you will mix the final colors 13–16. You’ll learn more about how to use and mix these paints on the following pages. 02 .
WAT E R J A R
A clear container shorter than the length of your brush makes it easy to rinse between colors and lets you see when the water needs to be changed. Some say your water should stay clean enough for a goldfish to swim in—if that were the rule in my studio, I’m afraid my fish wouldn’t last long! Start with clear, room-temperature water, and don’t worry about keeping it perfectly clean as you go. Just make sure it’s clear enough that you’re not dragging the previous color into your new washes.
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03.
PA I N T B R U S H
This book includes a watercolor paintbrush designed to support a wide range of techniques. Watercolor brushes are crafted to hold and release water smoothly, allowing pigment to flow effortlessly across the page. You may occasionally notice a stray hair that extends beyond the others—this is normal, and you can carefully trim it with a pair of scissors to maintain a clean, even tip. The best brush grip is similar to how most people hold a pen or pencil for writing. Think of the point of your brush like the tip of your pen, keeping in mind that you have the most control if you pull the paint downward or move it from side to side, rather than pushing the paint upward. Holding the brush closer to the bristles gives you more control for finer strokes in smaller areas, while holding it farther back on the handle allows for greater freedom and looser strokes across larger spaces. 04.
PA I N T M A P
On each project spread, the paper on the left side provides you with a paint map, showing you which color and technique is intended for different boundaries. The colors on the map are very faded versions of the intended colors, included just to give you a helpful guide while allowing you to see the color’s corresponding number. You can reference the fully colored completed projects in the back of the book. Also, you may notice that due to space restrictions in some tiny art details, not every boundary is labeled. If you don’t see a number, you can reference similar colors in the paint map and the completed projects.
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Techniques WAT E R C O L O R WA S H
A
A wash is a translucent layer of color brushed onto watercolor paper. It’s the foundation for almost every piece you’ll paint in this book and is indicated on the paint map with a plain number (e.g., 5). To prepare your paint cake for a wash, wet your watercolor brush in the clear water jar, bring the wet bristles and a few drops of water to the top of your paint cake (see photo A), and brush the bristles in small circular motions to wake up the pigment (B). Return your brush to the water jar and back to the same paint cake a few more times, until the paint and water mixture on top of the cake starts to look and feel like the heavy cream you might pour into a cup of coffee or tea (C). For most washes, you’ll want a consistency of about 50 percent water and 50 percent paint (50w/50p).
B
C
W E T-I N-W E T
16-14
W16-11
Wet-in-wet using a wash of one color and dropping in a second color (16-14)
Wet-in-wet using plain water and dropping in two colors (W16-11)
Wet-in-wet means adding wet paint inside a boundary that’s already wet—either into a wet color wash or into a boundary you’ve dampened with clean water first. You’re not really painting so much as releasing the pigment and letting the water do the work. You’ll use this technique often throughout the projects. In the paint maps, it’s indicated two ways: a “W-” means start with plain water first, then drop in the specified color/s while it’s still wet (e.g., W16-11 or W4-6-10); a hyphen between two numbers (e.g., 16-14) means paint the first color as a wash, then drop in the second color.
Wet-in-wet close-up
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W E T- O N-D R Y
Wet-on-dry, also called glazing, means applying new paint to a completely dry painted surface. This creates sharper edges and richer color—perfect for adding depth, shadows, or fine details. In the paint map, it’s indicated by two numbers separated by a comma—such as “6,7” (wash with 6, glaze with 7 once dry) or “6,6” (wash with 6, glazed with the same color to deepen the saturation).
Wet-on-dry using the same color twice (6,6) to achieve the darker petals
MIXING COLORS
Paint Cakes 1–12 give you a rich, saturated palette, but for painting botanical subjects, a few nuanced greens and blues make a big difference. We’re going to mix four new colors to round out our palette. There are empty spaces in the included palette where you will mix the colors according to the rough percentages noted in the Color Key (page 17).
Mixing colors
W4-6-10
BOUNDARIES
Every numbered shape in this book is a boundary, and the techniques you’ve been learning are designed to help you fill each one beautifully.
W4-6-10
To keep your boundaries clean and separate, make sure wet boundaries don’t touch each other. If two wet boundaries meet, the colors will blend together—which can be lovely, but if it happens accidentally, just blot the area gently with a paper towel. That said, if you see several neighboring boundaries with the same paint cake number, feel free to paint them all at once! For smaller boundaries, use less water for more control. For larger ones, use more water and let the colors really move and shine.
W4-6-10
All wet at the same time
W4-6-10
You will get to practice painting these boundary techniques on pages 18 and 19, before you begin your projects.
All wet at the same time
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How to Read Your Paint Maps Every numbered shape in this book is a boundary—a space waiting to be filled with color. You will learn more about these techniques on the following pages and have a chance to practice before you begin your projects! I F I T S A Y S . . .
DO THIS:
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Paint a wash of Paint Cake 6 in this boundary.
one number
6,6
same number twice
16-14
hyphen between numbers
W1
W before a number
W 16-11
W before two numbers
W 4-6-10
W before three numbers
Paint a wash of Paint Cake 6. Once dry, come back and glaze with Paint Cake 6 to double the saturation. Paint a wash of Paint Cake 16. While the boundary is still wet, use wet-in-wet to drop in Paint Cake 14. Wet the boundary with plain water first. Once it’s wet and shiny, use wet-in-wet to drop in Paint Cake 1. Wet the boundary with plain water. Use wet-in-wet to drop in Paint Cake 16 and Paint Cake 11. Check the paint map to see where each color is most concentrated and place them accordingly. Wet the boundary with plain water. Use wet-in-wet to drop in Paint Cakes 4, 6, and 10. Check the paint map to see where each color is most concentrated and place them accordingly.
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