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.
Introduction 6
What you need 8
Drawing 10
Colour 18
Techniques 26
Light and shade 34
White flowers 38
Painting flowers in detail 42
Painting leaves in detail 48
Painting stems in detail 56
Composition 58
PROJECTS 66
Slipper Orchid 68
Green Goddess Lily 86
Roses 100
Delphinium 116
Index 128
Billy Showell graduated from St Martins School of Art with a B.A. is fashion design, but was irresistably drawn to painting and illustration. Since 1993 she set course for a career as an artist and now teaches Botanical Painting in Sevenoaks for The Adult Education Centre. Billy is fascinated by flowers and has long used their forms as her inspiration in her paintings. Billy lives and paints in Tunbridge Wells with her husband and two children.