The Botanical Palette

This superbly illustrated book, published in association with The Society of Botanical Artists, looks at one of the most important aspects of botanical painting: how to achieve the right colours. It provides an authoritative practical guide to this essential subject and features 17 step-by-step demonstrations by members of the Society. Each chapter in the book focuses on a specific colour, providing practical advice on how to achieve the right colour by overlaying washes rather than by simply mixing colours on the palette or paper. This results in subtle, translucent colours that accurately reflect the delicacy of the flowers' appearance. Detailed step-by-step demonstrations by members of the Society reveal exactly how each flower painting is built up, from the first stage to the finished illustration. A special feature of this book is the projects that are included in several of the demonstrations. Each project includes a simplified drawing of the finished work that students can trace and use as the basis for their own painting. The main artists featured are Valerie Baines, Susan Christopher-Coulson, Brigitte 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.