★ Highly recommended by Zhang Chenliang (a.k.a. "Wuxiaoliang") — Deputy Editor-in-Chief of "China National Geographic"’s youth edition "Nature History", Director of China National Geographic’s New Media Center, and renowned science communicator!
★ 14 Marine Species: The illustrator meticulously selected 14 common marine creatures from Chinese and Japanese waters (including cowrie shells, abalone, paper nautilus, mussels, hermit crabs, snapping shrimp, squid, swimming crabs, cuttlefish, mantis shrimp, gobies, octopus, seahorses, and hawksbill turtles).
★ Realistic Watercolor Techniques: Step-by-step tutorials guide beginners in painting 17 marine creatures, featuring delicate and vibrant artistry with rich techniques—perfect for watercolor enthusiasts and detail lovers!
★ Fun Science Facts: The book blends ancient records of marine life from historical texts with modern marine biology knowledge, offering both artistic and educational value.

This book is a modern watercolor painting guide inspired by two classic East Asian marine illustrations: Haicuo Tu (China) and Baien Kaifu (Japan). The illustrator carefully selected 14 marine species commonly found in Chinese and Japanese waters, providing detailed step-by-step tutorials to help beginners recreate these exquisite creatures. It’s a unique artistic gift for readers who love literature, painting, and life.

*Haicuo Tu (Illustrations of Marine Creatures): Painted during the Qing Dynasty by artist Nie Huang, this illustrated catalog features over 300 marine species, combining scientific observations, literary research, and whimsical poems, making it a fascinating read.
*Baien Kaifu (Baien's Manual of Shellfish): A masterpiece by Japanese naturalist Baien Mōri from the late Edo period, documenting and classifying numerous marine creatures accompanied by short poetic descriptions.

Li Li (birth name: Li Lianying) is a Gemini graduate of Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, working in film and television art design. Specializing in realistic watercolor, she lives by the motto: "Spend time on what and who truly matters." Fascinated by flora and fauna, her marine illustrations are vibrant, delicate, and decorative, earning her a devoted following.

CHAPTER 1 Painting Tools
Watercolor Tools
Watercolor Paper
Watercolor Paints
Watercolor Brushes
Other Tools

CHAPTER 2 Basic Techniques
Color Theory
The Three Attributes of Color
Creating Dimension
Watercolor Techniques
Dry Brush Technique
Wet-on-Wet Technique
Other Techniques

CHAPTER 3 Painting Tutorials
Cowrie Shell
Abalone
Paper Nautilus
Mussel
Hermit Crab
Snapping Shrimp
Squid
Swimming Crab
Cuttlefish
Mantis Shrimp
Goby
Seahorse
Hawksbill Turtle

Afterword

Beijing has probably the longest night in the world, and I often feel this way, especially in winter, especially on winter nights, which reminds me of Calvino's "If on a Winter Night, a Traveler"; I am very aware that there are many people who share this winter night with me, and when hardship and despair strike, I often wonder how those people will spend it. This is the reason for the creation of this book - those nights.

Homo sapiens, like myself, who reside in this international city, will find some possibilities in life when their daily work comes to an end, social interactions disperse, and they return home to face themselves. So it also reminds me of the distant sea. The sea is very close to home, it is a warm and reassuring comfort, as well as a huge mysterious attraction. Love needs illusions, life needs fantasies - so the paintbrush came to touch my hand, and everything in the sea unfolded before my eyes.

When I frequently move out and into many houses, carrying a pile of paintbrushes, I feel like a familiar marine creature - a hermit crab. You see, it frequently changes the shell on its back, like a young Beijing drifter who moves around and never leaves. I want to paint them, and let this hard shell guard every soft heart on every lonely night. As one life, we fight against fate together. On every night when I start painting, I swim in the ocean with my pen tip, surrounded by tranquility and silent stars and moon.

As someone with a background in dyeing and weaving design, the colors in my paintings are very pure to ensure that the colors remain clear when complex patterns are printed onto fabric. Continuing this approach, I gradually found my own painting style. During this period, Professor Zhang Chenliang, who identifies popular creatures online, accidentally identified the work I posted on Weibo.

Mr. Zhang is the deputy editor in chief of "Natural History", the youth edition of "China National Geography" magazine, the director of China National Geography Media Center, and a popular science author. He gave me encouragement and recommended the book "Meiyuan Jiepu(Baien's Manual of Shellfish)" painted by Japanese Baien Mōri to me. Seeing the ocean painting notes meticulously recorded by the author in ancient books, my heart was deeply moved. Inspired by this, I continued to trace back and decided to find my favorite species of organisms in two ancient books, "Mei Yuan Jie Pu" and "Hai Cuo Tu" by Mr. Nie Huang of the Qing Dynasty in China, and use my painting techniques to redraw them into a book. This way makes me feel like I'm going back in time to have a conversation with two gentlemen.

This book uses 14 cases of marine organisms to explain the techniques of realistic watercolor painting and how to express the texture of different surface materials of organisms through watercolor techniques. Each case has an extension of popular science knowledge of the same species. I hope that while drawing this creature, you can also truly understand and feel it. I have encountered many people in my academic and professional career who question copying, believing that it can stifle students' creativity. But in fact, creation requires solid basic skills and proficient techniques as a foundation. We are not copying paintings, but rather thinking and understanding the author's painting process through copying, learning the author's ability to process images, and finding suitable painting techniques from it. Beginners should not be limited to one painting style when copying works. They can choose master works of different styles to find their own style. But every artist's style will change as they grow up, because each age group has different perceptions of life, and changes in thinking can also affect their art style.

In short, "painting art is a mirror that reflects your inner self". The rainbow that brings happiness to people cannot be seen every day, but the colors of happiness created by oneself can accompany them all day long. Let's go to the sea together with a calm and warm heart to search for treasures!

Li Li
January 16, 2023