The Flower Painter's Pocket Palette, Book 2

This is the companion to Book 1 by Elisabeth Harden and picks up where that book left off. It is a nice reference to carry in the field. The illustrations are simple 1, 2, 3 step that remove the mystery from complex flowers. I would prefer a bit more detail but all in all this is a nice book and useful. Due note the recently issued Watercolor Flower Artists Bible actually combines both books and is a retitled retread edited by Claire Brown.

I was delighted with this small, but beautifully illustrated and detailed book. As a watercolorist who particularly delights in painting flowers, I expect to have many hours of skilled help from this little treasure of a book.

There are two of these little guides to painting flowers. The books both have a layout of a palette for floral painters, then a series of lessons, flower by flower, indicating the geometric shape (spike, trumpet, bowl, cup) and how to best paint the blossom. This book has more details and additional flowers, plus berries like Pyracantha and Cotoneaster. There is an expanded section on painting foliage such as ferns, tulip leaves, and coleus. While both books are helpful, this one is superior in the depth of the covered subjects. But probably if you paint flowers in watercolor, you'll want both of them. This one is excellent.

In a nutshell, here's why any aspiring floral painter needs this book:1. The detailed color charts which not only show the various shades of each color (light to dark) but also notes their degree of permanence, durablility and opaqueness.2. Each flower type is painted in detail and the drawings show how to build light and shadow to give the illusion of a 3-dimensional flower3. The flowers themselves are stunning, true to life and among the best you'll find in any book.4. The step by step instructions gave me confidence in my ability to improve my painting techniques and master the color mixes required to do so (and I'll bet you get the same results). 4. The book is a bargain, full of more information for the price than I've found elsewhere.