A guide to the best "how to" books for creating botanical art and illustration
for students of botanical art and and those wishing to develop their knowledge and skills

Improve your Botanical Art
​

What's the best way of developing your skills in botanical painting and botanical illustration? 
  • For many aspiring artists and those wanting to develop their skills it's by buying a book or following a course. 
  • The problem then becomes working out which book and which course! 
All the books listed on this website are recommended by me. 

​I've written online about botanical art for the last 12 years and have been buying and reviewing botanical art books for many more. ​
MORE BOOKS ​Students of botanical art will also be interested in:

COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE:
The BEST "how to" Instruction Books about Botanical Art and Illustration
​

This list is not yet complete - and is a work in progress.
​This page (and the linked detailed review pages) cover Books by:
  • The Society of Botanical Art - developed for their Distance Learning Diploma Course (DLDC)
  • Pencil Artists re. Coloured Pencils and Graphite
  • About Scientific Illustration - and using Pen and Ink
  • Leading Botanical Artists / Illustrators and Educators
Authors (on this page) include:
  • Margaret Stevens
  • Ann Swan
  • Wendy Hollander
  • Sue Vize
  • Katie Lee
  • Keith West
  • Christobel King
  • Valerie Oxley
  • Anne-Marie Evans
  • Coral Guest
  • Christina Brodie
  • Simon Williams
Authors on other pages include:
​Plus ​in-depth reviews of 
  • SBA Books by Margaret Stevens; 
and books by:
Picture
Some of my botanical art instruction books

The Best Instruction Books ​- for Botanical Art & Illustration
​

 In developing this site I'm placing recommended books with the most relevant content on various pages around the website. That means you'll see specific books I recommend as you navigate this site as well as in this section.
​
However - please note - not every recommended book has yet been transferred to this site from previous companion sites!

So far as instruction books are concerned there are an awful lot of 'how to' books about drawing and painting flowers. Most are not aimed at the botanical artist and lack the detailed content needed by aspiring botanical artists.

​The main problem for students of botanical art is that there is also a considerable range in the quality of the content in books about botanical art.

What I'm trying to do with this website is guide you towards those books that I consider are written by those who:
  • have experience in both botanical art and teaching and
  • understand how best to communicate what students of botanical art 'need to know'
​
Plus - a few tips if you've ever wondered How do you make sure that you get the right botanical art books for Christmas? OR your birthday!

In-depth reviews

Certain books receive in-depth reviews - and get a page all to themselves. CLICK the buttons below to go to those pages.
SBA Books - in-depth reviews
Books by popular botanical art tutors
Botany books for botanical artists

Average ratings 

I include the average ratings that each books has got to date from buyers on both Amazon UK and Amazon.com.
​They're a reasonable indicator of how many other people have found a book useful or not. 
These need to be read in context. Here are some tips on how to read ratings.
  • consider whether the author is also an active tutor or not - students tend to "like" the books of people they know
  • think about whether the topic has a wide appeal or is a more niche interest
  • look at the date of publication - obviously those that have been published longest have had more time to generate buyers and ratings
  • remember that ratings have really only taken off in recent times hence those books published before 2000 are less likely to have lots of ratings

​Buying books via this website
​

You'll notice two links next to most books after the suggested action of "BUY THIS BOOK".
The links go to Amazon at Amazon.co.uk (£) and Amazon.com (US$). Sometimes the titles or the cover illustrations are slightly different
Why buy via this website?
​You will help help offset the not insignificant cost of running this website. By buying books you help this site to continue..Think of it as a "Thank You" if you've enjoyed / appreciated the content. The links are associate links and each purchase generates a very small sum - at no cost to yourself!
You will be using a very secure link. I will only ever provide a link to a site that I KNOW is totally secure. Google is making security of sites a top priority and recently endorsed Amazon's security status via its Transparency report

The Society of Botanical Art Books developed for the SBA Diploma Course
​

I start with a set of books by the Society of Botanical Artists which are both high quality and a very reliable set for any serious student of botanical art who wants to learn how to develop their skills. 
One of the unique aspects of the Society of Botanical Artists in the UK is that:
  • It has developed and delivers a very popular Distance Learning Diploma Course in Botanical Painting which attracts students from all over the world.
  • It commissioned a set of books to support the course - which were all authored or co-authored by Margaret Stevens, the Past President of the Society of Botanical Artists who was also the first Director of the Distance learning Diploma Course in Botanical Art. 
  • All the drawings and paintings included in the books are by members of the Society of Botanical Artists
The audience for these books extends far beyond the students on the diploma course. For example the very first books is one which is bought by many prospective students to see if they have the interest and aptitude to commit themselves to the serious study of botanical art

Note the covers and sometimes the titles vary between the UK and the USA. ​
​The Art of Botanical Painting by Margaret Stevens
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: ​Detailed Book Review ​- press button
​​This is a book for the serious botanical art student. It's used as the basic text book by the students of the Society of Botanical Art's Distance Learning Diploma Course.

Note: This book is extremely popular and periodically goes OUT OF PRINT. 
This book provides a complete course of instruction in how to develop botanical art and is used as a core reference manual by the Society's own Distance Learning Diploma Course in Botanical Painting. It also includes techniques for using pencils and coloured pencils.

If you want a very basic step by step "how to" book this is NOT the book for you. It assumes you have skills and can benefit from the Diploma Course (which has a proficiency assessment before you can be accepted as a student).

This is the book for you IF:
  • EITHER you have good basic skills in drawing and painting and want to take your flower painting to the next step - and develop botanical artwork
  • OR you want to understand more about the proficiency skills for acceptance onto the course.

The author Margaret Stevens holds numerous RHS medals including the prestigious Gold Medal. It also includes artwork by SBA members.

​Hardcover: 144 pages
Publisher: Collins in UK / Smithsonian in USA
Publication date: 1 Nov. 2004

Average Customer Rating out of 5 stars:
  • in UK: 4.5 (based on 20 customer reviews) (and much higher if you discount the one individual who obviously wanted a very basic 'step by step' how to book!)
  • in USA: 4.3 based on 28 customer reviews​

BUY THIS BOOK​
BUY in UK The Art of Botanical Painting from Amazon UK
The Botanical Palette: Colour for the Botanical Painter 
by Margaret Stevens
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Read my detailed review The Botanical Palette: Colour for the Botanical Painter (on another site)
The second book produced by the Society of Botanical Artists with Margaret Stevens. It focuses solely on the subject of how to achieve the right colour in botanical art.

One of the major issues for botanical artists is making sure they get colours correct when painting botanical specimens. Understanding colours - and how to create the correct colour shade, tone and mix - and understanding colours - are ESSENTIAL competences for  every botanical artist.

This book provides a very authoritative and helpful guide to this topic - and will doubtless be welcomed by all those seeking to develop and improve the quality of their botanical art - and improve their mastery of the colours found in plants.
It includes an overview of the colour issues which crop up time and time again at the beginning and throughout the book. This was informed by a survey of students on the SBA Diploma course - in which they identified problems they had with colour.
Katherine Tyrrell - see my review above

​Detailed Book Review - press button
This book is out of print - however you can still get hold of copies second-hand - but it's very expensive. Check out the offers under "used" books. I recommend you use a supplier who has a very high satisfaction score. I'm a big buyer of second hand books and have rarely been disappointed when buying from those rated above 95%
Hardcover: 144 pages
Publisher: Collins (2007) / Smithsonian in USA (2008)

Average Customer Rating out of 5 stars:
  • in UK: 4.6 (based on 9 customer reviews)
  • in USA: 4.4 based on 22 customer reviews​

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Botanical Sketchbook by Mary Ann Scott with Margaret Stevens
​One of the things the SBA Diploma students are encouraged to do is keep a sketchbook.  This book provides both an inspiration and a guide. 

You can follow Mary Ann Scott's progress through her different Diploma assignments and also read the detailed comments from the then Course Director Margaret Stevens.

If you'd like to know more about the book and how it came about
This book provides a masterclass for all aspiring botanical artists and is highly recommended. It will become an essential buy for all students of the Society of Botanical Artist's Diploma in Botanical illustration. It's also a recommended buy for all other aspiring botanical art students and artists and many of their tutors. 
Katherine Tyrrell - see my review above

​This continues to be an enormously popular book as it is virtually unique in focusing on keeping a botanical sketchbook.

Consequently it is also now available on Kindle.

Detailed Book Review - press button
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Batsford Ltd (5 Mar. 2015)

Average Customer Rating out of 5 stars:
  • in UK: 4.7 (based on 39 customer reviews)
  • in USA: 4.3 based on 34 customer reviews​

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Botanical Sketchbook from Amazon.com
Handbook of Plant Forms for Botanical Artists
By Margaret Stevens (Author), Ernest E. Clark (Author)

​SUITABLE FOR INTERMEDIATE & EXPERIENCED FLOWER PAINTERS AND BOTANICAL ARTISTS - and particularly those aspiring botanical artists who are following the Society of Botanical Artist's Diploma Course!

​DID YOU KNOW? When the first book was written there was a government examination paper in Plant Form.
Margaret Stevens's 4th Botanical Art Book - written while Course Director for the Diploma Course offered by the Society of Botanical Artists - is very different from her previous books.

This time the book is a completely revised and expanded version of an old book. This book might appear to disappoint on first look as it's so very different from the previous three books. However, keep reading - this one is much more focused on developing the botanical knowledge of plant forms that all excellent botanical artists need to have.

The original book was written by Ernest Ellis Clark (1869-1932). He started as an an artist for Royal Crown Derby - painting flowers on china - and became Arts Master at Derby College of Art, winning many prizes for art and becoming a National Silver Medallist in Ornament and Design in the National Art Competition

Margaret Stevens has extensively revised and updated the book. It now highlights more than 60 favourite flowers and plants plus a special section on leaf forms for all those who find leaves a bit of a challenge! Each flower has detailed botanical drawings and a painting, along with background on technique and composition. 

Updated images have been supplied by contemporary botanical artists and students from the SBA's Distance Learning Diploma - and are of course in colour as opposed to the black and white plates of the original.

Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Batsford Ltd;
Reprint edition (22 April 2013)

Average Customer Rating out of 5 stars:
  • in UK: 4.4 (based on 7 customer reviews)
  • in USA: 4.1 based on 5 customer reviews

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Books about Botanical Art & Illustration - using Graphite and Coloured Pencils
​

Coloured Pencils are a medium much used by a number of botanical artists because they allow for the precision required in meticulous realism.  

​There are a number of leading coloured pencils artists who provide instruction via teaching courses and workshops. However a much smaller number have written books which are listed below.
Graphite is also a popular medium for some botanical artists - particularly those leaning towards botanical illustration.  It's also a very useful medium for developing artwork prior to considering the application of colour.
Botanical Painting with Coloured Pencils by Ann Swan
This is a book on rendering botanical art in coloured pencil by RHS Gold Medal winning artist and SBA Member Ann Swan - one of the leading coloured pencil artists in the world.

Anne is a very popular coloured pencil tutor and her workshops get booked up very fast.

​Hence this book is a very welcome addition to the libraries of coloured pencil artists who want to develop their botanical art skills.

Read my in-depth Book review: Botanical Painting with Coloured Pencils on a separate page.
This is the first ever book written by an RHS gold medal winning artist to deal in depth with the execution of botanical art in coloured pencils to exhibition standard. It's an invaluable guide to those wanting to develop their skills in using coloured pencils for botanical art. 
Katherine Tyrrell

​Detailed Book Review - press button
Hardcover: 128 pages
Publisher: Collins in UK / Barron's Educational Series in USA
Publication date: 1 April 2009 (2010 in USA)
​
Average Customer Rating out of 5 stars:
  • in UK: 4.8 (based on 101 customer reviews)
  • in USA: 4.7 based on 109 customer reviews​

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Botanical Drawing in Color:
​A Basic Guide to Mastering Realistic Form and Naturalistic Color
by Wendy Hollender
Wendy Hollender's approach in this book is to tackle form first and colour second. It focuses on:
  • single light source toning techniques
  • principles of perspective for drawing flowers
  • the fundamentals of plant anatomy
  • coloured pencil techniques and colour theory of the natural world
The book also has lots of exercises and discussion of art supplies.​

Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Watson-Guptill
Publication date: 1 Oct. 2010

Average Customer Rating out of 5 stars:
  • in UK: 4.8 (based on 21 customer reviews)
  • in USA: 4.8 based on 81 customer reviews​

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Botanical Drawing using Graphite and Coloured Pencils
by Sue Vize

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
What's different about this book is it focuses on working through techniques for botanical drawing while focused on different parts of the plant e.g. roots and storage organs, stems, leaves, flowers. fruit and seeds. Plus also considers the particular demands of spirals and fungi. It has a constant emphasis on the botanical as well as the artistic.
What this book provides is DETAIL in relation to instruction - and LOTS of it. This in turn makes it especially appreciated by lots of buyers.

The tips highlighted in boxes are especially helpful and very accessible.

It covers:
  • techniques for using both graphite and coloured pencils - including tips about colour mixing
  • practical matters eg keeping plants fresh and the best way of working
  • how to portray challenging aspects of plants using pencils e.g. bloom, texture and small hairs

​Sue Vize is a member of SBA and ASBA and is an experienced botanical artist/tutor with work in the RHS Lindley Library and the Hunt.

Paperback: 176 pages
over 300 illustrations
​Publisher: The Crowood Press Ltd
Publication date: 15 June 2016

Average Customer Rating out of 5 stars:
  • in UK: 4.9 (based on 26 customer reviews)
  • in USA: 4.7 based on 12 customer reviews​

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Botanical Drawing
by Penny Brown
RECOMMENDED: This book is a detailed manual for those wanting to learn to produce botanical drawings using graphite. 

​Penny Brown is the author and illustrator of ten books - and this is her latest.

​Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Search Press Ltd (11 Jan. 2018)
Language: English
Fundamental Graphite Techniques
by Katie Lee
I became aware of this book for the first time on a visit to the Chelsea School of Botanical Art where the book is imported and sold to students as a basic text book.

Katie Lee is a graduate of the New York Botanical Garden Botanical Illustration program. She has been an instructor at NYBG for 28 years, at Coastal Maine Botanic Gardens for 12 years and has taught at various venues internationally.

​The author creates natural history art as well botanical art - hence the bird on the cover. It's particularly relevant to those who are also like doing both natural history and botanical art.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: The book is all about graphite and nothing but how to draw using graphite!

I'm impressed with the quality of instruction which is much better quality than many other books which reference graphite as a drawing medium.

It comprises 33 worksheets designed to teach graphite techniques, and build confidence and control. It covers:
  • Fundamentals - the basics of how to draw eg lines, contours, value scales, how to hatch and the different grades of graphite
  • Working in Layers - focused on how to develop a range of tonal values and how this varies on convex, concave and spherical surfaces
  • The process - of developing a drawing of a subject in graphite
The worksheets are very precise and provide step-by-step instructions.

Note that the book is spiral bound - which is a joy when you want a book to lie open and flat so you can follow a worksheet!

Hardcover (11.25 x 8.75 in.) with Spiral Binding​
176 pages
Publisher: Lydia Inglett Publishing
Publication date: 2010

RECOMMENDED BY:
  • Chelsea School of Botanical Art
  • Denver Botanic Gardens School of Botanical Art & Illustration
  • Botanic Artists for Education and the Environment

My recommendation (if your tutor cannot supply it) would be buy a new book direct from Katie unless the cost plus shipping is more expensive (e.g. international shipping for this big heavy book is over $30)

This book has never been listed on Amazon by the artist. However new and used books are listed by third parties for ludicrous sums from time to time - check them out below!

BUY IN THE UK
​
​BUY IN THE USA
Picture
some of my instruction books

Books about Scientific Botanical Illustration - and using pen and ink
​

Botanical illustration serves science - and there are professional standards around how SCIENTIFIC botanical illustrations should be developed and constructed and drawn.

​Drawing for scientific publications (eg Curtis's Botanical Magazine) is something that professional botanical illustrators do all the time.

The majority of their work will
  • either be in black and white using either pen and ink
  • or (increasingly) digital software which allows precise rendering.

Those working as professional botanical illustrators - such as Christobel King, Bobbi Angell and Keith West - are best placed to advise on the requirements for illustrating for scientific botanical publications.

​The book dedicated to using digital sources for botanical illustration has yet to be written!
Below you will find:
  • the book considered to be the scientific illustration bible
  • the first book about botanical illustration ever published by Kew - by Christobel King - which sets out how to draw for Curtis's
  • ​an old but comprehensive and authoritative handbook 
Plus two books by Bobbi Angell, who produces scientific botanical illustrations for the New York Botanical Garden - on another page
and an In-Depth Review on another page
​See also two sub-sections in Botany
The Guild Handbook of Scientific Illustration (2nd Edition) 
​edited by Elaine R. S. Hodges
This handbook is commonly regarded as "the bible" within the scientific illustration community. It covers all techniques for rendering in conventional and digital media although the subject matter is not all botanical. 

It is:
  • Sponsored by the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators
  • the people who contribute to it are the top illustrators, scientists, and industry experts
  • edited by one of the founders of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators who has been working in scientific illustration since 1965​
The book is professional and comprehensive - as one might expect from a 'proper' professional handbook which covers 652 pages! 

It covers:
  • studio basics and archival considerations
  • lighting of subject matter
  • rendering techniques (152 pages) in a variety of media including: line and ink, pencil, carbon dust, watercolour and wash, gouache and acrylics, airbrush
  • producing murals, models and dioramas and moving from 2d to 3D
  • using computer graphics for scientific illustration
  • only one of the 13 sections relates to how to illustrate plants - but it is 22 pages long
  • technical matters relating to using a microscope, charts and diagrams, photography and the printing process 
  • the business of scientific illustration - including copyright, contracts and how to operate a freelance business

​This book is expensive - however the price needs to be considered within the context of the fact it is a professional manual for people who spend their lives on scientific illustration.
I suggest you consider
  • either reviewing a copy before making a purchase.
  • or buying a second hand copy.​​ ​
Hardcover: 656 pages
Publisher: Wiley
Edition: Second
Publication date: May 29, 2003

Average Customer Rating out of 5 stars:
  • in UK: 4.8 based on 5 customer reviews
  • in USA: 5 based on 8 customer reviews​

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How to Draw Plants: The Techniques of Botanical Illustration by Keith West
​

​HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
This is now a very old book.
​However it is packed with information and also remains a comprehensive and authoritative handbook for how to draw plants and flowers. 
In its time, this book was one of the best introductory guides books available for aspiring botanical illustrators who wanted to learn about botanical illustration. 

​It's fashionable in publishing now to emphasise images over text. This book is from an era when proper instruction about techniques involved words and lots of them! It's simply packed full of content.
"To the best of my knowledge there has never until now been a thorough book supplying the answers to all those technical questions that I am still constantly being asked by people wishing to take up botanical illustration."
-Wilfrid Blunt (in the preface dated 1983)
This book has the distinct advantage of having been written by a practising botanical illustrator.  
​Keith West was the Botanical Artist for the Botany Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in New Zealand and an Art Lecturer. He was also commissioned to do work for both the Missouri Botanical Garden and the British Museum. ​
There are two versions. It was
  • originally published in hardback in 1983 
  • republished as a paperback in 1996.
I suspect it would have even better ratings if more people were to get hold of a copy!

Paperback: 152 pages
Publisher: Timber Press, Incorporated 
​Original Publication 1983
Publication date (UK): 1996

Average Customer Rating out of 5 stars:
  • 4.7 based on 16 customer reviews

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MORE BOOKS BY KEITH WEST 
The Kew Book of Botanical Illustration by Christabel King
​This is the very first book of instruction about botanical illustration by the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew.
This book has been extremely well received and is proving very popular.
​There is now a Kindle edition.

The author, Christabel King, is a recognised expert on botanical illustration and has recently retired after working for Kew Gardens for c.40+ years producing scientific botanical illustrations for professional science publications.

The book covers a wide range of topics relevant to the subject including:
  • the differences between botanical art and scientific botanical illustration
  • using magnification and dividers
  • how to paint for Curtis's Botanical Magazine
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Search Press  Ltd (UK)
Publication date (UK): 26 July 2015 (USA) September 2015

Average Customer Rating out of 5 stars:
  • in UK: 4.5 based on 28 customer reviews
  • in USA: 4.7 based on 23 customer reviews​

BUY THIS BOOK​
BUY IN THE USA 
Botanical Illustration - by Valerie Oxley
​
​An excellent manual for anybody who wants to learn more about botanical illustration with a strong botanical perspective.
A manual for those who like their botanical illustration with a strong botanical and practical slant. It includes
  • an introduction to basic botany;
  • preparation of plant material for drawing;
  • use of different media for botanical illustration (pencil, watercolour, coloured pencil and pen and ink).
Also included are
  • suggested topics for further study;
  • how to correct mistakes and
  • finishing touches.

This book is also well illustrated in terms of both the range and the quality of reproduction​. It includes over two hundred colour illustrations by over fifty artists on 192 pages
Detailed Book Review
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: The Crowood Press Ltd
First Edition edition: 18 Sept. 2008

Average Customer Rating out of 5 stars:
  • in UK: 4.8 based on 20 customer reviews
  • in USA: 5.0 based on 5 customer reviews​

BUY THIS BOOK​
Botanical Illustration from Amazon UK
Botanical Illustration from Amazon.com

Books by Leading British Botanical Artists & Illustrators and Educators
​

The books in this section are associated with those recognised as leading educators of botanical artists in the UK

Book by Anne Marie Evans

An Approach to Botanical Painting by Anne-Marie and Donn Evans
This book is associated with the Diploma from the English Gardening School

It's been much in demand ever since it was published in 1993. So much so that this book is now out of print. However, I'm assured by Anne-Marie that she is working on a revised edition of the book.
Anne-Marie Evans wrote this book about her famous five step method for botanical painting for the 'Diploma Course in Botanical Painting' that she introduced at the English Gardening School, based at the Chelsea Physic Garden in London in 1993. 
​
Although Anne-Marie still teaches around the world you'll very lucky if you ever get to do a class with her. However this book is the next best thing.

While we wait for a revised edition, the best you can hope for are deep pockets for what it's going to cost you to find a second hand edition in the marketplace.

You can look all you like but I very rarely see this book at anything less than three digits.

​So the choice is essentially wait and hope or buy now while there are still copies available!
BUY IN THE UK
Publisher: Rutland: Hannaford and Evans
Pages: 183pp.
​Illustrations: Colour plates
Dimensions: 300 x 220 mm (12 x 9 inches)
First Edition: 1993

Average Customer Rating out of 5 stars:
  • in UK: 5.0 based on 2 customer reviews
  • in USA: 5.0 based on 3 customer reviews​

BUY THIS BOOK​​

Book by Coral Guest

Painting Flowers in Watercolour: A Naturalistic Approach
​by Coral Guest

​Coral Guest is one of the "core artists" in The Shirley Sherwood Collection - with 19 paintings in the collection. 
​In 1997 she taught some of the first botanical painting classes in the Orient-Express Hotels around the world at the request of Shirley Sherwood.

Coral is much more a fine artist than a botanical illustrator. In fact she describes herself as a painter of flowers. If having seen her work in exhibitions you're tempted to find out more about her naturalistic approach to painting then this is the book for you.

Part 1 covers the various technical aspects and challenges for painting flowers in a naturalistic style.
Part 2 tackles various flowers across the colour spectrum
"...her 'Painting Flowers in Watercolour' is an excellent teaching book"
Shirley Sherwood - in "A New Flowering" biography of Coral Guest

​The book is now out of print. However you can still buy copies online.

​UK Hardback: 128 pages
Publisher: A & C Black Publishers Ltd 
​Original Publication: 31 May 2001

​Average Customer Rating out of 5 stars:
  • in UK: 5.0 based on 8 customer reviews
  • in USA: 4.6 based on 7 customer reviews​

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Books by Billy Showell
​

  • ​Watercolour Flower Portraits
  • Watercolour Fruit & Vegetable Portraits
  • A-Z of Flower Portraits - An Illustrated Guide to Painting 40 Beautiful Flowers in Watercolour
  • Billy Showell's Botanical Painting in Watercolour 
See separate page

Books By Rosie Martin and Meriel Thurstan (the Eden Project)
​

The Eden Project Books - by Rosie Martin and Meriel Thurstan
  • Botanical Illustration Course: With the Eden Project
  • Contemporary Botanical Illustration: Challenging Colour and Texture
  • Exotic Botanical Illustration: With the Eden Project
Plus
  • Botanical Illustration for Beginners
See separate page

Book by Christina Brodie

 Drawing and Painting Plants by Christina Brodie

​Author Christina Brodie has won two RHS Gold Medals and has taught botanical painting for the RHS at Rosemoor. 

​This book is strong on botanical aspects which need to be considered when tackling specific subjects. It also includes some aspects missed out of other botanical art books - particularly in relation to flowerless plants
This book is a manual that covers:
  • techniques for both drawing and watercolour
  • looking at the flowers, fruits and stems of flowering plants
  • leaves, stems and roots of flowering plants
  • different sorts of media for painting and drawing
  • how to measure and magnify plant parts
  • how to tackle trees and fungi - including lichens
  • Flowerless plants - ferns, seaweeds, mosses, liverworts and lichens
  • presentation of your work
  • topics for further study - including helpful organisations re. projects
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: 
  • UK: A & C Black Publishers Ltd
  • USA: Timber Press
Date: 
  • 15 Oct. 2006
  • 1 January 2007

Average Customer Rating out of 5 stars:
  • ​in UK: 4.9 based on 11 customer reviews
  • in US: 4 based on 5 customer reviews

​BUY THIS BOOK
Drawing and Painting Plants​ from Amazon UK

Book about Botanical Painting in Gouache 

There have been a lot of botanical painters in the past who have used gouache (an opaque watercolour paint) for their paintings. Rather fewer artists today use it - quite possible because of the lack of instruction on how best to use it.
Botanical Painting in Gouache by Simon Williams (Author)

​Author Simon Williams became the Director of the SBA Distance Learning Diploma Course after Margaret Evans retired. He won an RHS Gold Medal in 2018.
If you prefer an opaque medium to the transparency of watercolour then it's worth trying gouache which works particularly well on a coloured support. 

Most of Simon's book is concerned with step by step guides for those who like a bit more guidance on how to approach a new medium.

On Amazon it's received mixed reviews from
  • "Too advanced for a beginning painter" to
  • "an excellent guide for me, a beginner with both gouache and botanical illustration, but of intermediate experience with traditional watercolor (painting)."​

Hardcover: 128 pages
Publisher: Batsford Ltd
Publication date: UK - 10 March 2016 

Average Customer Rating out of 5 stars:
  • in UK: 4.0 based on 12 customer reviews
  • in USA: 2.4 based on 4 customer reviews​

BUY THIS BOOK​​
OTHER BOOKS INCLUDE
  • The Modern Flower Painter: A Guide to Creating Vibrant Botanical Portraits in Watercolour 
    by Anna Mason
  • ​Botanical Sketchbooks by Helen Bynum and William Bynum

Books by Leading American Artists
​

  • Botanical Art Techniques - by Bente Starke King
  • Botanical Illustration in Watercolor - by Eleanor B. Wunderlich

Books by Australian Artists and Educators
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  • The Botanical Art Files Composition: The Design Guide for Botanical Artists (Volume 1) - by Rita Parkinson
  • The Botanical Art Files: Narratives (Volume 2) - by Rita Parkinson