Flowers: Wonders of Nature in Watercolor

Elegant, colourful, and ubiquitous, flowers are a perennial favourite of painters. They're also inexpensive, easy to obtain and "hold a pose" over many painting sessions. And no style of painting better captures the nuances of flowers than watercolour, one of the most popular yet frustrating mediums for beginning artists. Internationally recognized floral still-life specialist Erika Just reveals her tried and true secrets for successfully rendering these elegant forms using this subtle, yet elusive medium in this comprehensive guide. Beginning with a thorough discussion on the essential materials the artist will require (including the basics such as paints, brushes and paper), the book outlines a variety of effective approaches beginning artists can use to best capture the natural beauty of their chosen subject, from experimenting with values and establishing mood to directing the point of interest and even deciding when a painting is finished. Finally, artists will learn, step-by-step, such valuable techniques as wet-in-wet, glazing and masking - all complemented by 150 full-colour illustrations demonstrating these techniques in action.