The Botanical Artist - (Royal Botanic Kew Gardens Arts & Activities) by Francoise Balsan (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

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 color-by-numbers.

About the Author

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 specialized in botanical watercolor. After first copying oil paintings, she switched to watercolor. 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 watercolor painting have become accessible in this book. Balsan teaches in Paris and Saint Germain-en-Laye, and holds seminars in botanical watercolor painting in the Perche region of France.