After a wickedly cold winter and a dreary, wet spring, summer has finally arrived.
It’s time to dig out all your bold, vibrant paints and get ready to tackle Mother Nature’s finest creations.
A great thing about floral painting is the latitude an artist has in portraying this subject. You probably can’t paint an iris and claim it’s a rose, but the variations of shapes within a species makes it almost impossible to ruin a floral painting. Florals are great for beginning students for this reason, and advanced painters are drawn to the subject for their infinite variety.
Whether you paint in water media, oils, use pastel or colored pencil, there’s a book to help you learn the craft or add to your painting repertoire. So, dig out your brightest hues, grab a bunch of posies and start painting summer’s gift of flowers.
Wild Flowers In Watercolour
Wild Flowers In Watercolour by Wendy Tait ISBN-10: 1844489825
Ms. Tait has created a colorful and informative primer for painting watercolor florals. She gives brief explanations of materials and tools, but devotes the majority of the book in demonstrating how to paint a variety of flowers, leaves and backgrounds.
She addresses mixing colors, creating backgrounds, composition, using photographs and negative painting with clear photographs and adds insightful commentary that is useful to both beginners and advanced watercolorists.
Painting Vibrant Flowers In Watercolor
Painting Vibrant Flowers In Watercolor by Soon Y. Warren ASIN: B00IV4HA64
You’ll find no wimpy washed-out florals in this book. These flowers are almost bursting with intense color that is made even more predominant by the use of rich, textured backgrounds, dark, expressive shadowing and glowing containers and settings.
Ms. Warren also presents an informative tutorial on paints, common characteristics and how to use different pigments. You not only learn how to paint vibrant, lush flowers, but you get a basic class in using watercolors that’s clear and easy to understand.
Radiant Oils
Radiant Oils: Glazing Techniques For Painting by Arleta Pech ASIN: B00563M2VQ
Not only does Ms Pech teach how to glaze with oil paint, she examines the materials and equipment she uses in some detail. If you’re new to the oil painting game, this is certainly a good way to get started.
Whether you’re a beginning art student or are transitioning from watercolor to oil painting, this book gives you a good foundation that can be used for still life, portraiture or landscaping. In this book, the author is focusing on florals and fruits, and it includes four demonstrations that take you from a sketch to a completed painting. She also includes information on painting folds in fabric, surfaces such as pottery and glass and techniques on creating dramatic backgrounds.
The Acrylic Flower Painter’s A-Z
The Acrylic Flower Painter’s A-Z: An Illustrated Directory Of Techniques For Painting 40 Popular Flowers by Lexi Sundell ISBN-10: 1844482944
This jam-packed book has all the information you need to create convincing florals from the initial sketch to the final brush stroke. Ms. Sundell discusses using acrylic paint, mixing colors, applying gels and choosing brushes.
She also describes color theory and colors for a particular floral palette. Ms. Sundell also gives instruction on compositional techniques such as leading the viewer’s eye and the importance of warm and cool color palettes.
Flowers In Pastel
Flowers In Pastel: Step By Step by Margaret Evans ISBN-10: 0855328517
Ms. Evans takes a painterly approach to florals in this how-to guide to using pastels. Her expressionist style evokes the impression of a flower rather than botanical minutia. If you’re a tight, detail-oriented artist, this book will quickly loosen up your style.
Flowers In Pastel covers color selection, composition, perspective, working from life and using photos or sketchbooks. It also includes lessons on painting potted plants, bouquets and garden scenes. Ms. Evans uses clear, step-by-step photographs that take you from sketch to completed painting.
Drawing And Painting Flowers
Drawing And Painting Flowers With Coloured Pencil by Trudy Friend ISBN-10: 1844489426
Colored pencil is a detail artist’s dream when it comes to painting convincing and luminous florals. Ms. Friend has produced a book that is great for both beginning artist and advanced painter with colorful images, readable text and extensive tips for creating realistic or impressionistic floral arrangements and landscapes.
She explains the differences between various types of colored pencils, how their use differs and devotes a chapter to various techniques used to paint with colored pencil. She also addresses specific flower varieties in addition to general floral painting hints and tips.
