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The Botanical Palette: Color for the Botanical Painter Hardcover – 1 Sept. 2008

4.7 out of 5 stars 52 ratings

Demonstrates how to apply essential color principles to botanical paintings, in an authoritative reference that provides twenty step-by-step demonstrations by top artists on how to achieve specific colors by utilizing overlaying washes and other techniques. 10,000 first printing.
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Smithsonian Books
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 1 Sept. 2008
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 144 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0061626678
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0061626678
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 975 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 22.23 x 1.91 x 29.21 cm
  • Best Sellers Rank: 350 in Plant & Animal Art History & Criticism
  • Customer reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 52 ratings

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Margaret Stevens
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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
52 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be a valuable resource for botanical painting, praising its accuracy in color and technique. They appreciate the pacing, with one customer noting it includes step-by-step demonstrations.

8 customers mention ‘Book value’8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a valuable resource, with one noting it is particularly useful for botanical artists.

"Another superb book fo rbotanicla artists...." Read more

"This book is absolutely fabulous and an excellent guide to colours for painting flowers...." Read more

"...just started a Botanical drawing & painting course and this book is very useful, I am sure I will get a lot of use out of it. Arrived promptly" Read more

"All I can say is Fantastic Book! The colours and methods described to obtain them will be invaluable to me . Thank you" Read more

8 customers mention ‘Colour accuracy’8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's color accuracy and technique, with one customer highlighting the chapter devoted to individual colors and another noting the detailed advice on paint selection.

"...by different artists who share lots of tips and lots of advice about choice of paints...." Read more

"This book is absolutely fabulous and an excellent guide to colours for painting flowers...." Read more

"...Having said that, there is a great deal of information on painting but paints that are listed for the exercises are going to have to be translated..." Read more

"A super resource for colour and technique - borrowed it from the library and had to have it! Well explained." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Pacing’3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the book, with one mentioning it includes lots of step-by-step demonstrations and is well-explained.

"Another superb book fo rbotanicla artists. Lots of step by step demonstrations by different artists who share lots of tips and lots of..." Read more

"...author Margaret Stevens (and other botanical artists) has worked hard to create a book that will show those that don't have access to a botanical..." Read more

"...Well explained." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 March 2013
    Another superb book fo rbotanicla artists.

    Lots of step by step demonstrations by different artists who share lots of tips and lots of advice about choice of paints.

    The title misled me a bit I think I was expecting a more analytical study of mixing watercolours, but fortunately it is MUCH MORE than this. Yes the mixing is there, but there is also much more.

    A great source for all botanical arists of all abilities - a very valuable book indeed.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 April 2012
    This book is absolutely fabulous and an excellent guide to colours for painting flowers. Each chapter was devoted to a particular colour - the only one missing was pink! Couldn't understand why that was as so many flowers are pink!
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 November 2013
    I have just started a Botanical drawing & painting course and this book is very useful, I am sure I will get a lot of use out of it. Arrived promptly
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 February 2015
    My impression of the book is that the author Margaret Stevens (and other botanical artists) has worked hard to create a book that will show those that don't have access to a botanical art course or teacher, how to paint flowers and plants. For example, on Page 12 Stevens writes, "Instead of just looking and thinking, "if only," try it. Very encouraging words! On Page 14, Stevens writes, "Artists arrive at their favourite mixes by trial and error..." which helps the reader understand that there is no magic formula except patience and persistence. As an aspiring botanical artist living in Canada, I find the selection of paint and paint names confusing and frustrating and expensive. On Page 16 in the exercise on the Lily, the author mentions Glowing Violet paint manufactured by Schmincke but that's the only mention of this colour in the book. I couldn't find it in the test pages at the back of the book - omissions like this add to the confusion. Some of the brands of paint the author tests are not available in Canada. Having said that, there is a great deal of information on painting but paints that are listed for the exercises are going to have to be translated by the reader into what's available in their area, and what is affordable.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 June 2020
    I was pleased to be able to order all the books relating to botanical art from one place.
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 July 2014
    A super resource for colour and technique - borrowed it from the library and had to have it! Well explained.
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 January 2014
    I cannot speak of the content because this was a Xmas present for somebody else but that individual has not come back to me and seemed very pleased on opening the gift.
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 October 2007
    I had been looking forward to this book but found it very disappointing. I had expected a comprehensive explanation of the use of colour in botanical painting in general but found it concentrated on only a few specimens which seemed to be arbitrarily chosen. Moreover, one of the flowers illustrated was a mecanopsis and the colour was so different from that of the actual flower that I felt thoroughly cheated. An explanation of the wider use of colour in flower painting would have been much more useful. I'm sorry but this is definitely a case of "could have done so much better". What a pity!
    46 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Flower
    5.0 out of 5 stars fleurs aquarelle
    Reviewed in France on 21 May 2009
    Cet ouvrage propose de peindre les fleurs à l'aquarelle avec précision. IL correspond plus à ce que l'on nomme des études.
    C'est un très bel ouvrage.
    Report
  • camteber
    4.0 out of 5 stars Utilissimo
    Reviewed in Italy on 28 October 2013
    Bellissimo da vedere e utilissimo da studiare. Peccato che non sia tradotto in italiano...ma con un po' d'impegno si rivela una miniera di consigli e suggerimenti.
  • Margarete Jäger
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wunderschön
    Reviewed in Germany on 2 October 2013
    Hier weiß man gar nicht mit welchem man beginnen soll. Sie sind alle so toll. Ein sehr sehr schönes Buch
  • Cordelia M. Hanemann
    5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous Book
    Reviewed in the United States on 9 July 2013
    This book is an excellent book for someone looking for a real how-to-do-it book. Unlike many touted as such, it does not merely present a gallery of beautiful flora for the reader's appreciation. Rather, the text presents what is alleges to be about: a wide variety of botanical pallets with which to fashion beautiful and accurate and artistic botanical renditions. The society editors/ authors take the reader through a variety of pallet templates--from white to more complex reds, etc. Beginning with basic contour drawings, the stages of color application and layering are presented in a comprehensive and comprehensible manner. I'm enjoying this book.
  • lavande69
    4.0 out of 5 stars pinceaux et palette
    Reviewed in France on 27 February 2012
    de quoi passer de bonnes heures pour améliorer la connaissance de la subtilité des tons de l'aquarelle ! Une approche technique intéressante.