Watercolour Mixing Techniques for Botanical Artists

Jackie Isard Books on flower painting abound, but this is the first one I’ve seen that concentrates quite so specifically on the use of colour. The title suggests that it might be another encyclopaedia of tonal swatches, but this is far from the truth. In a relatively short space, Jackie Isard (a fellow of the Society of Botanical Artists), covers mixing but also use, application and aesthetics in a way that’s both readable and comprehensible. She even manages to condense colour theory into something that doesn’t sound like a physics textbook.

This isn’t just a book about using colour, but also understanding it, and Jackie’s explanations are admirably thorough, yet also clear and concise at the same time. She explains mixing, of course, but also layering, blending and detail work in a book that’s practical to its core. However many botanical books you have, this is one to add to your library.

Crowood £12.99, 112 pages (P/B) ISBN 9781785008283