This is a revised and expanded reissue of a book that appeared in the Tips & Techniques series as far back as 2003. Taking it out of the series straitjacket has been worthwhile and it looks completely fresh, even if some of the reproduction is perhaps showing its age by being just a little bit coarse by modern standards. That’s one of those minor quibbles that I tend to come up with and it certainly shouldn’t put you off.
Janet’s flowers are generally images in their own right rather than illustrations of particular subjects. She makes use of both positive and negative shapes, colour contrasts, shadows and recession to create amazing effects. It’s also nice to see cobwebs, butterflies and raindrops used to enhance some of the paintings.
This is a book about creativity as much as (perhaps even more than) straightforward flower painting. It’s not really something for the beginner, even though there’s plenty of instruction, projects and demonstrations. If you enjoy painting flowers, but want to get beyond simple representation, it’s ideal.
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