Book Description
This is simply the best and most complete course in botanical illustration ever produced, with each chapter a perfectly constructed and self-contained class. Created in conjunction with the internationally renowned Eden Project—home of the only jungle in captivity—it’s put together by two leading figures in the Project’s famed art school, and uses many beautiful works from its students. Artists and plant lovers will find a wealth of practical information, with easy-to-follow exercises and case studies. The priceless advice encompasses everything from honing observational skills and plant dissection procedures to color mixing and applying watercolor. Adding highlights, producing a pleasing composition, and developing a personal style—all the building blocks for achieving excellence are here.
Customer Reviews:
Botanical illustration.......2007-05-12
This is an in depth clear book about the process of botanical illustration. Well written and great pictures. Recommend highly!
Customer Reviews:
Botanical Painting.......2006-11-10
It is a nice book and the explain it good the art of flowers. I recommanded on every the draw with flowers.
Absolutely the best.......2006-04-08
I've bought all sorts of books on botanical painting but this is the best of the best. The illustrations are fabulous, the instructions clear and comprehensive. Have you ever heard of "botanical gray"? This book is something you can't live without.
Possibly the best available book on Botanical Painting.......2004-12-31
What a fabulous book!
If you paint flowers in watercolour or are enrolled on a course of Botanical Illustration, as I am, then this is the book for you.
Written by Margaret Stevens in association with the Society of Botanical Artists, the book takes the reader briefly through the beginnings of Botanical Art to a useful chapter on materials including paper, watercolours and brushes. Whilst it doesn't proscribe a palette of colours, the great majority of the illustrations detail the colours used. The chapter on plant anatomy is useful for the non-botanist as is the one on drawing technique for those new to this aspect of painting.
What gives this book a considerable edge over others of this type is that its other purpose is as the text book for a two-year diploma course in Botanical Illustration run by the SBA. (The author is the course director.) There are up to a dozen examples of work covered from start to finish over several pages produced by members of the SBA, some of whom are tutors on the course. There is excellent detail of watercolour technique and superb coverage of the production of varied coloured leaves and flowers and the colours used in their painting. The chapters on composition, working in the field and painting fruit and vegetables are extremely useful. All chapters are illustrated by high quality botanical paintings, mostly by SBA members.
A beautiful book to own, better as an inspiration to painting but best of all as a reference when painting flowers in watercolours.
Book Description
“International interest in this distinctive art form was renewed by Sherwood, whose personal collection is considered the world’s most comprehensive. Captivating and commanding, this opulent compilation superbly show-cases vivid new interpretations of familiar subjects.” —Booklist. “Equally important for both botanical and art collections.”—Library Journal.
Customer Reviews:
Reference .......2007-01-11
This book is very helpful, especially as a reference for anyone learning botanical illustration or anyone wanting to learn about specific botanical artists.
It's beautiful art work also makes it very nice as a "coffee table" book for others to admire.
Great Contemporary Botanical Art.......2005-05-07
As a rank beginner in watercolor and pen and ink I much appreciate the effort it takes to produce great illustrations of natural objects. Shirley Sherwood has brought together her remarkable collection of modern botanical paintings (and some ink renderings) in "A Passion for Plants: Contemporary Botanical Masterworks" and made them accessible to the public. It is certainly an impressive effort.
Unlike many styles of illustration, botanical art usually involved a finely detailed painting on a white background, occasionally with additional smaller drawings or paintings. Occasionally a background is also provided, but most have no background. The renditions of just about every artist featured are extremely well done and it is hard to pick a favorite. Kate Nessler's watercolor of Rose Hips & Oak Leaves, Mariko Imai's exquisite watercolors of carnivorous plants, Elizabeth Dowle's paintings of fruit, Francesca Anderson's detailed ink renditions of sunflowers and cacti, and John Wilkinson's ultra realistic (complete with insect damage and hover flies!) watercolor of Ligularia, are just a few of the treats in this magnificent book. It sure makes for a tough standard, but a worthy one, for us beginners!
A great book for artists, botanists and anyone interested in plant illustration!
A superb, international collection of botanical art........2002-05-30
This is an excellent collection of botanical illustrations reproduced in very detailed, rich color on quality paper. Artists from all over the world are represented with brief biographies of each one. I think this book is one of the best books to have if you love botanical illustration and would like to see examples done by highly skilled, scientifically accurate illustrators. Just as good or better than the first Shirley Sherwood collection book.
Book Description
A fascinating overview of the golden age of floral art! The Art of Flowers is a magnificent look into the very best in 19th century botanical illustration by such renowned artists as Pierre Joseph Redouté, George Brookshaw, Jane Loudon, Georg Ehret, James Andrews, Rogert Tyas, James Sowergy, and Clarissa Badger. Packed with scores of dazzling, full-color reproductions-many of them rarely seen before-this incredible book displays how the best artists of the era coaxed blossoms to flower on paper. The Art of Flowers begins by exploring how this artistic genre developed, discussing how some simple botany basics came to enhance the art of drawing flowers. It goes on to celebrate the wonderful passion for flowers that flourished in the Victorian era and discusses the beautiful botanical periodicals that swept through England and America. In fact, many of these periodicals are still popular with today's collectors for their dazzling illustrations. Next, readers will discover the intriguing phenomenon of language-of-flower books: charming and hugely popular references that assigned sentimental values to flora . . . and were often accompanied by poetry and delightful dashes of morality. These guides explained to gentle readers how to use flowers to send secret messages to lovers and admirers. Finally, The Art of Flowers provides a fascinating section of rare how-to-draw flower books from the 19th century, complete with ready-to-use templates for copying such flowers as anemone, clematis, dahlias, daisies, lilies, daffodils, pansies, roses, and more. Written by an esteemed authority, The Art of Flowers is a magnificent display of rare art and how-to instruction-the perfect addition to every art lover's library and a delightful gift for anyone who gardens, paints, or simply loves flowers.
Customer Reviews:
Botanical illustrations shine.......2006-03-09
This book is a compilation of several of the masters of botannical illustrations -- and even has a few how-to pointers. I found the stories about the painters interesting the the color plates irresistable. If you seriously like botannical illustration, this one is an excellent addition to your collection
Book Description
Florilegium Imperialis: The Floral Watercolors of Francis I of Austria
H. Walter Lack
Now available for the first time in book form, this collection of exquisitely rendered flowers presents one of the world's great collections of botanical illustrations in a deluxe format.
Francis I of Austria, the last monarch to rule over the Holy Roman Empire, was also obsessed with flowers. His Imperial Gardens, where he realized his passion for flowers, remain one of Vienna's most beloved treasures. In 1791, Francis I commissioned Matthias Schumtzer to paint portraits of every flower in the garden—a project that took more than three decades to complete. Until now, only six of the extant 1,300 paintings have ever been published. This collection features one hundred of the most outstanding of Schmutzer's watercolors. Painted life-size and with extraordinary precision, the flowers range from the exotic to the common. A fascinating text offers biographical information about Francis I, descriptions of the Imperial Gardens in the ruler's time, and photographs of how they appear today. A significant contribution to horticultural history, this unique and beautifully presented book will delight lovers of botanical art and Europhiles alike.
H. Walter Lack is director of the botanical gardens in Berlin-Dahlem and professor at the Free University of Berlin. He is the author of numerous books on botanical history, including Jardin de la Malmaison: Empress Josephine's Garden (Prestel).
Book Description
Christina Brodie draws on her extensive experience as a botanical art teacher in compiling this complete course on drawing and painting plants. Clear step-by-step instructions show how to accurately render a wide range of plants and plant parts — from flowers, fruits, and seeds through leaves, stems, bark, and roots to fungi, ferns, mosses, and seaweeds. Christina Brodie's concise text and beautiful, detailed examples illustrate techniques for various media, including pencil, ink, watercolor, gouache, acrylics, and scraper board. This highly practical manual offers a complete course of instruction in basic and advanced techniques of botanical illustration, and is suitable for beginning artists and journal keepers as well as teachers and professional illustrators.
Customer Reviews:
One of the best resources.......2006-11-10
Not only is the author a super artist, rendering her illustrations with fine, exacting detail, but she's also creative in the way she frames the subject. She also provides excellent and extremely helpful, easy-to-do (inexpensive) instructions on setting up a studio/supplies, etc. I love it.
Great book!.......2001-08-29
I am very pleased with Botanical Illustration in Watercolor
by Eleanor B. Wunderlich. It is a beautifully illustrated book both in presentation and in demos. It combines both worlds of wc and botanical illustration in a clear and precise manor. I would highly recommend this book for both beginner and serious botanical illustrator and/or for a good reference book for your art library. It is a very pleasing book just to browse through.
Absolutely the BEST BOOK on botanical illustration.......2001-04-30
This is the best book on botanical illustration I have found. It is suitable for all levels including complete beginners like myself. Although some artistic talent is certainly an asset, closely following the instructions here will come as close as possible to teaching virtually anyone to paint. From drawing to painting, it offers everything you need to create your own beautiful botanical artwork.
The book starts out by helping you choose a subject with practical advice on fruits, vegetables, flowers, mushrooms, bulbs, roots, trees, ferns, vines and more. Then, creating a space to work in and selecting materials from brushes to paper is covered. I love the many excellent tips on mixing colors.
The next section focuses on the many aspects of drawing including setting up a still life, planning the picture and transferring your drawing to watercolor paper. There are detailed step-by-step instructions for drawing a huge variety of botanical subjects including orchids, tulips and foxgloves. I really liked how the author discusses the various shapes of flowers such as round, teacup and tubular and then shows you how to block them out.
The final section covers the painting process. Along with numerous step-by-step demonstrations on painting botanicals there are hints on correcting mistakes, protecting your paper and tips on painting white flowers. Creating the initial washes, adding shadows, shading, layering and highlighting are included as well. To finish your artwork the author gives advice on matting, framing, exhibiting and selling your artwork.
The finished illustrations throughout the book are so beautiful. Each one has information on the kind of paper they are painted on, size and title.
Best book on the subject and beautiful, too.......2001-03-23
Not only is this a comprehensive guide to painting botanical subjects, but the book is just gorgeous.
Drawings and paintings of wild flowers and fruits bring out their beauty in ways photographs cannot. So this book is a really good resource if you like to sketch and hike, or if you garden and want to make a beautiful record of what you see. This is also a great resource if you are getting into journal writing and want to put in pictures of plants and flowers (many people keep a garden record journal, for example.)
The instructions are very good, from how to draw and sketch plants to choices of color. There are good examples to copy to learn the technique. I don't think there is a better book on this subject, nor a more beautiful book.
This is a book to love and cherish.......1999-10-23
Since I started learning botanical illustrating I have seen many books on the subject but few have held me spellbound like this one. The intelligence, helpfulness and sensitivity of the instructions would make it a book worth having on their own, but the glorious illustrations will keep you referrring to the book again and again. Their complexity and detail will hold you enthralled.
Book Description
The best introductory book on the subject examines plant structures and the problems they present to illustrators, then discusses the artist's tools and how to use them: pencils, erasers, papers, brushes, watercolors, gouache, and acrylics.
Customer Reviews:
Botanical Illustration.......2007-04-02
I purchasd this book on the recommendation of someone who is a very experienced botanical illustrator. It has been very informative and goes into all aspects of this wonderful art. I will continue to use this book for reference while practising my plant illustration. I have not been disappointed in this book but rather amazed how much help it has been to me!
all you ever needed to know!.......2002-09-26
This book really has all you ever needed to know about botanical illustration - history, mediums, styles, scientific considerations, and more. A must for anyone going into this field.
For those with some experience, Technical Drawing.......2000-05-02
This book focuses on technical drawing as the basis of botanical illustration. It brings together an understanding of plant structure with drawing technique as the keys to success.
Selecting, preserving and examining plants is discussed. A variety of plant structures are shown in detail with the process of building up the drawing.
Pencil, ink and scratchboard are the main media covered. The addition of color is presented in watercolors and acrylics. There are several beautiful color plates, some historical and some by the author.
This is a book best suited to an artist with some experience. The wealth of technical information will provide the artist with a greater understanding of and proficiency in botanical work.
Average customer rating:
- A Shaker Sisterês vision on plants
|
A Shaker Sister's Drawings: Wild Plants Illustrated by Cora Helena Sarle
Cora Helena Sarle
Manufacturer: Monacelli
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1885254520 |
Customer Reviews:
A Shaker Sisterês vision on plants.......2000-12-28
Maybe the Shakerês visions of the "spiritual world" shaped Sister Sarleês perception of the "natural world" and therefore influenced her nice, simple, stylized drawings. On stressing the straight stalks and the symmetry of every plant she captures the essence of each species. I like the a little bit naive-looking illustrations very much because of their honesty and purity. The plants are well-arranged on every page, with a certain economy of layout, which fits into the Shaker-philosophy. I think in some way Sister Helenaês spirit lives on in these prettily-drawn illustrations that can please both- flower lovers and botanists.
Book Description
This beautiful book surveys the evolution of botanical illustration from the crude scratchings of paleolithic man down to the highly scientific work of the 20th-century. 186 magnificent examples, over 30 in full color.
Books:
- Botanical Illustration Course: With the Eden Project
- Botanical Illustration Course: With the Eden Project
- Character Costume Figure Drawing: Step-by-Step Drawing Methods for Theatre Costume Designers
- Cinderella: A Pop-Up Fairy Tale
- Clay and Glazes for the Potter
- Color Choices: Making Color Sense Out of Color Theory
- Color Drawing: Design Drawing Skills and Techniques for Architects, Landscape Architects, and Interior Designers, 2nd Edition
- Color Drawing: Design Drawing Skills and Techniques for Architects, Landscape Architects, and Interior Designers, 2nd Edition
- Color Drawing: Design Drawing Skills and Techniques for Architects, Landscape Architects, and Interior Designers, 2nd Edition
- Come Look with Me: Enjoying Art with Children (Come Look with Me) (Come Look with Me)
Books Index
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