The Botanical Palette


Book Description

From the creators of The Art of Botanical Painting, here is the essential guide to achieving perfect color in your paintings The Botanical Palette, published in association with the Society of Botanical Artists, is the first instructional guide to focus entirely on the art of color in botanical painting. Each chapter in the book looks at a specific color, providing expert advice on how to achieve the right color in both painting and colored pencil work. The detailed step-by-step demonstrations reveal exactly how each flower painting is built up, from the initial stages to the finished illustration. pi”The Botanical PaletteIn addition to beautiful botanical paintings throughout, a superb gallery of paintings by members of the Society completes the book and provides additional inspiration. Featured artists include: Valerie Baines, Susan Christopher-Coulson, Brigette Daniel, Paul Fennell, Susan Hillier, Jennifer Jenkins, Barbara McGirr, Vicky Mappin, Susan Martin, Kay Rees-Davies, Margaret Stevens, Ann Swan, Sandra Wall Armitage, Brenda Watts, and Janet Wood.




Billy Showell's Botanical Painting in Watercolour


Book Description

Billy Showell is a well-respected botanical watercolour artist, and her exceptional eye for detail and ability to re-create the form, texture, colour and patterning of a wide range of plants have earned her a formidable reputation worldwide. Her compositions are given a contemporary, sometimes playful twist, while retaining all the beauty and accuracy of traditional botanical paintings. In this inspiring and indispensable guide for botanical artists, she reveals the materials, methods and techniques she uses to attain her stunningly beautiful portraits of flowers, fruit and vegetables. There is expert guidance on tools and materials, working from life, observation, and drawing and painting techniques, as well as detailed sections on pattern, texture, and colour and colour mixing. With numerous step-by-step studies, close-up photographs and examples of Billy's exquisite paintings, this book is not only packed full of invaluable advice and information but also a visually stunning showcase for the work of this amazing artist.




Botanical Painting with Gouache


Book Description

A practical guide to using gouache in botanical painting, by a leading botanical painter. Gouache is an opaque water-based medium, often called body colour, that produces crisp and vibrant paintings, and is becoming increasingly popular in botanical painting. Leading botanical painter, Simon Williams, specializes in painting in gouache and this is his first book. Botanical Painting in Gouache is full of practical advice on all aspects of using the exciting medium of gouache and contains many step-by-step demonstration paintings. In addition to the sumptuous flower paintings there are also sections on painting butterflies, birds and exotic and unusual plants from the rainforest.




The Art of Botanical Painting


Book Description

This is the definitive instructional guide to the art of botanical illustration, published in association with The Society of Botanical Artists and featuring detailed step-by-step demonstrations by members of the Society. Botanical illustration has been a popular art form for many centuries, with its appealing traditions of detail and beauty. This beautifully illustrated book covers all aspects of the subject and is an essential book for all serious students of botanical painting. The book includes useful information about materials, basic plant anatomy, flower and leaf shapes, and then explores the techniques for drawing and coloured pencil work, as well as painting with watercolour and gouache. Subjects include exotic and common plants, flowers, fruit and vegetables, as well as flowers in the garden. Packed with step-by-step demonstrations and stunning illustrations, this is an inspiring, practical guide, as well as a visual treat.




Botanical Sketchbook


Book Description

This is the story of one woman's journey from amateur painter to botanical artist, told through the sketchbooks and paintings she produced for the Distance Learning Diploma Course run by the Society of Botanical Artists. Packed with advice and tips, this book will serve as a guide and inspiration to anyone wanting to embark on life as a botanical artist. This book is both a showcase of Mary Ann Scott's work and a record of her achievements, including first-hand accounts of the joys and challenges she faced as she progressed. It contains work from every assignment she undertook, from her first attempts at drawing a tulip to the triumphant paintings she made for her diploma portfolio. Along the way are delicate floral compositions, juicy fruit and vegetables, botanical dissections, and her adventures out in the field. Margaret Stevens's comments on each assignments are also included, giving an insight into the assessment process and an all-round view of Mary Ann's successes and (very rare) failures. The book ends with a glorious selection of Mary Ann's ongoing work as a botanical artist.




Nature's Palette


Book Description

Though he didn’t realize it at the time, David Lee began this book twenty-five years ago as he was hiking in the mountains outside Kuala Lumpur. Surrounded by the wonders of the jungle, Lee found his attention drawn to one plant in particular, a species of fern whose electric blue leaves shimmered amidst the surrounding green. The evolutionary wonder of the fern’s extravagant beauty filled Lee with awe—and set him on a career-long journey to understand everything about plant colors. Nature’s Palette is the fully ripened fruit of that journey—a highly illustrated, immensely entertaining exploration of the science of plant color. Beginning with potent reminders of how deeply interwoven plant colors are with human life and culture—from the shifting hues that told early humans when fruits and vegetables were edible to the indigo dyes that signified royalty for later generations—Lee moves easily through details of pigments, the evolution of color perception, the nature of light, and dozens of other topics. Through a narrative peppered with anecdotes of a life spent pursuing botanical knowledge around the world, he reveals the profound ways that efforts to understand and exploit plant color have influenced every sphere of human life, from organic chemistry to Renaissance painting to the highly lucrative orchid trade. Lavishly illustrated and packed with remarkable details sure to delight gardeners and naturalists alike, Nature’s Palette will enchant anyone who’s ever wondered about red roses and blue violets—or green thumbs.




Watercolour Mixing Techniques for Botanical Artists


Book Description

Colour mixing is a key skill for the botanical artist. In this practical guide, Jackie Isard explains how to observe and use colour accurately. She shows artists how to make informed choices when selecting pigments, as well as how to learn about colour mixing and its application. Detailed instruction and advice are given on understanding colour and pigments. The author explains how to 'see' colour and tricky mixes, from greens and reds to the difficult botanical greys. Includes advanced colour application techniques - colour enhancement, shadow colours and colour temperature transition. Finally, step-by-step guides illustrate how to paint with layers, how to use underlaying colours to enhance, and colour and fine detailing.







Modern Watercolor Botanicals


Book Description

Unwind and get creative as you learn all about watercolor painting--one of the fastest-growing activities for everyday adults who are looking for a hobby to easily relax and relieve stress! Modern Watercolor Botanicals is a comprehensive guide for all skill levels--beginner to advanced--that teaches everything you need to know about watercolor using easy-to-follow diagrams, pictures, and instructions. Learn how to paint and advance your skills using pieces of beautiful, traceable artwork, including detailed wildflowers, shade tropical leaves, eucalyptus wreaths, and more. Lessons in Modern Watercolor Botanicals include: • Instructions for every skill level: beginner, intermediate, and advanced • Easy-to-follow diagrams, pictures, and instructions • Each lesson builds upon skills learned in the previous lessons • 15 pieces of traceable artwork to paint, no drawing experience required! • Lessons that promote focus and mindfulness and help you reduce stress through the enjoyment of the artistic process • All you need to know to create frame-worthy masterpieces and thoughtful gifts • Prompts, challenges, and ideas to take your creativity to the next level Author Sarah Simon (@themintgardener), a Seattle-based artist who leads sold-out watercolor workshops across the U.S., shares everything she teaches her students in this book. She also answers some of the most common questions from watercolor artists at all levels: • What tools do I need? • How do I mix interesting colors? • How do I create shape, movement, and definition in my piece? • How do I find my own creative style? Delve into Modern Watercolor Botanicals to develop your skills and form your own unique artistic approach to the world of modern watercolor!




Natural Palettes


Book Description

“The plant-lover’s alternative to the Pantone color guide.”—Julia Sherman, creator of Salad for President Renowned natural dyer, artist, and educator Sasha Duerr envisions a new age of fresh, modern color palettes, drawing from our original source of inspiration and ingredients—the natural world around us. This innovative plant-based color guide includes twenty-five palettes with five hundred natural color swatches, providing a bounty of ideas for sustainable fashion, textiles, fine art, floral design, food, medicine, gardening, interior design, and other creative disciplines. Bring the healing power of forest bathing into your home with a palette of spruce cones, pine needles, and balsam branches. Move past Pantone and embrace the natural balance of a pollinator palette with Hopi sunflower, red poppy, echinacea, and scabiosa. Duerr complements her palettes with illuminating reflections on connections between color and landscape, the healing properties of medicinal plants, the ways food and floral waste can be regenerated to enhance lifestyle experiences, the ecological benefits of using natural colors, and more. You may never view color—or the plants that surround us—the same way again.