Billy Showell is a well-respected contemporary artist whose watercolour flower portraits have earned her the respect of watercolour artists all over the world. Worked to the same degree of accuracy as traditional botanical paintings, Billy's compositions are given a more contemporary twist, combining her unique eye for design with her love of flowers. In this book, 40 flower portraits are presented, arranged in alphabetical order, each one accompanied by small studies, details, step-by-step instructions and the colour mixes used to accomplish the finished work. At the start of the book there are useful sections on the materials and equipment needed and the main techniques used, including wet-into-wet, colour blending, lifting out, layering glazes, dry brushing and colour mixing, and at the end of the book Billy gives her own unique slant on composition and discusses the importance of creating a sketchbook. Whether you love to paint, or simply love flowers, this book will delight and inspire you.

NEW IN PAPERBACK Billy Showell's exquisite and technically brilliant watercolour flower portraits are beautifully presented in this highly informative, lavishly illustrated book. Packed with information on drawing and painting techniques, colour mixing and composition, it is an invaluable source of ideas and inspiration for anyone who wants to develop their flower painting skills, whether or not they have any previous experience.

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.

"First published in hardback in Great Britain 2009" -- Colophon.

The seventeenth century heralded a golden age of exploration, as intrepid travelers sailed around the world to gain firsthand knowledge of previously unknown continents. These explorers also collected the world’s most beautiful flora, and often their findings were recorded for posterity by talented professional artists. The Golden Age of Botanical Art tells the story of these exciting plant-hunting journeys and marries it with full-color reproductions of the stunning artwork they produced. Covering work through the nineteenth century, this lavishly illustrated book offers readers a look at 250 rare or unpublished images by some of the world’s most important botanical artists. Truly global in its scope, The Golden Age of Botanical Art features work by artists from Europe, China, and India, recording plants from places as disparate as Africa and South America. Martyn Rix has compiled the stories and art not only of well-known figures—such as Leonardo da Vinci and the artists of Empress Josephine Bonaparte—but also of those adventurous botanists and painters whose names and work have been forgotten. A celebration of both extraordinarily beautiful plant life and the globe-trotting men and women who found and recorded it, The Golden Age of Botanical Art will enchant gardeners and art lovers alike.

Award-winning artist Harriet de Winton shows you how to create contemporary watercolour artworks to treasure and share. Through more than 30 step-by-step projects, discover how to paint individual flowers and foliage, as well as beautiful botanical compositions. Use your new skills to make art for your wall, unique cards, invitations, or simply paint for pleasure.

Anna Mason's exceptional floral artwork has won awards from the Royal Horticultural Society, International Artist magazine and seen her elected to the prestigious Society of Botanical Artists. In this book, she shares her innovative watercolour technique so that you can paint flowers in her clean, crisp style. The book covers every aspect of painting modern botanical-style portraits of flowers, from tips on gathering your reference to Anna's six stage watercolour process. There are instructions on setting up your studio and how to produce the detailed drawings. Each of the six step-by-step projects is accompanied by an outline drawing, tonal notes and useful colour swatches so that you can compare the tone and hue of your mixes to Anna's own. This all builds into a fantastic guide that will inspire and challenge the experienced watercolour artist, while drawing in and reassuring the complete beginner.

Learn to paint gorgeous watercolor flowers, houseplants, and arrangements with this inspiring guide that includes 30 step-by-step tutorials. Filled with lessons and daily exercises, this fun introduction to watercolor teaches beginner artists how to create their own botanical-inspired paintings. It covers everything from selecting paper, paint, and brushes to choosing a palette, blending colors, and adding dimension and detail. Once you’ve mastered the essential techniques, you’ll learn to paint cacti, popular houseplants, and individual flowers, and see how to combine these components into more complex compositions, including frames, wreaths, and colorful bouquets. Step-by-step tutorials, along with artist Eunice Sun’s expressive artwork, provides all the guidance and inspiration you’ll need to render small motifs, decorate a card, paint a charming still life, and more.

Colors of Nature is the perfect companion for anyone who is puzzled by the seemingly unpredictable behavior of the paints on their palette, as well as those who would like their watercolor paintings to look fresher and livelier. In this new paperback edition, the author has tested more than 150 artists' watercolor paints from six manufacturers, and the results of this exhaustive testing are included here, along with recommendations for the best colors in the palette sections at the end of each chapter. This beautifully illustrated book guides the reader through a world of colors and exquisite flowers and fruit, explaining simple concepts and more advanced color-mixing theory while exploring the serendipity and beauty of wet-in-wet watercolor painting.

Trees have inspired artists for generations. This unique watercolour artist's guide offers easy-to-follow, plant specific information on how to paint a wonderful selection of the most popular species of trees. This book begins with a description of the materials vital to successful watercolour tree painting. The main part is an illustrated directory of twenty-five trees, from Acer to Zelkova. Step-by-step sequences show how to paint each one in a fresh, lively style with all the essential details of shape and form beautifully captured. The author explores the overall shapes and masses of branches and leaves, outlines in full foliage, winter trees, branch and twig details, and presents stunning leaf and flower portraits shimmering with life. A source of inspiration, as well as a manual of techniques, this book is a must-have for every tree painter. - The most popular trees are included - Contains fully illustrated step-by-step demonstrations - Trees are shown in different stages, from full foliage to winter outline