Overview
Capture the enchanting beauty of the natural world with this accessible guide to delightful botanical drawing, inspired by the revered art style of Pierre-Joseph Redouté. Pierre-Joseph Redouté was one of the world's most influential botanical artists, known as 'the Rafael of flowers'. During his lifetime he worked as the official court artist to Queen Marie-Antoinette and then to Empress Joséphine, the wife of Napoléon Bonaparte. Today he remains a giant in the world of botanical illustration, his style influencing artists to this day. Artist and educator François Balsan guides you through the processes that Redouté perfected, using step-by-step instructions to explain how you, too, can create beautifully realistic images of plants and flowers. Artists of all abilities will be able to follow the clear guidance and projects inside, with handy tips and tricks to help you on your way. Published in association with The Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, this practical guide uses Kew's extensive botanical archives to feature Redouté's inspiring artwork. Includes: • Advice on equipment and preparing watercolor paints • Focused projects to build up your expertise • Tips on achieving different painting effects • Guidance on perspective and presenting the results of your work Learn from the master of botanical art to produce delicate botanical artwork, based on the beautiful flora that grows around us. ABOUT THE SERIES: Arcturus Publishing and The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew have collaborated to create a wonderful selection of botanical-themed art, crafts and activity books, including origami, dot-to-dots and colour-by-numbers.
Full Product Details
Author: The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew ,
Francoise Balsan
Publisher: Arcturus Publishing Ltd
Imprint: Arcturus
Dimensions:
Width: 22.50cm
, Height: 1.80cm
, Length: 28.00cm
Weight: 0.609kg
ISBN: 9781789502299
ISBN 10: 1789502292
Pages: 192
Publication Date: 01 September 2023
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.
Author Information
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew houses the largest and most diverse botanical collections in the world. The illustration archives contain more than 170,000 prints and drawings of plants. It is one of London's top tourist attractions and is a World Heritage Site. Françoise Balsan graduated with a degree in Art History from the École du Louvre and the Sorbonne (Paris IV), and specialised in botanical watercolour. After first copying oil paintings, she switched to watercolour. Balsan considers Nicolas Robert, Claude Aubriet, Maria Sibylla Merian and Pierre-Joseph Redouté to be masters of the genre. With her academic background, Balsan researched the writings of Redouté's students while studying his techniques. Thanks to her teaching experience, the techniques of early 19th-century watercolour painting have become accessible in this book. Balsan teaches in Paris and Saint Germain-en-Laye, and holds seminars in botanical watercolour painting in the Perche region of France.
