The Modern Flower Painter

Introduction 6
About the author 8
Material 10
Getting started 16
Reference material 18
Setting up your workspace 21
Drawing 22
Painting colour 26
Learning to see 28
Working with watercolour 32
Painting tone 34
Painting hue 38
Mixing hue 42
Brush techniques 48
Holding your brush 50
Applying the paint 50
Painting flowers 56
The six stages of painting 58
Flower portraits 70
Step-by-step project: Clematis 72
Step-by-step project: Viola 78
Step-by-step project: Cosmos 86
Step-by-step project: Tulips 94
Step-by-step project: Oriental Poppy 102
Step-by-step project: Dahlia 114
Outlines 124
Index 128

About Anna Mason

Anna Mason grew up surrounded by the lush English countryside and has always been inspired by the intricate detail and colourful beauty in the natural world. Completely self-taught, Anna has developed a true-to-life painting style that she wants to share with as many people as possible. It is her mission to get as many people enjoying the therapeutic benefits of watercolour painting as well as getting the kind of results they want. Anna won the Royal Horticultural Society's Gold Medal and Best in Show award 2007; has paintings in the RHS Lindley Library Collection and also the Shirley Sherwood Collection; and was the Grand Prize Winner in International Artist Magazine for ‘Strawberries Everest’ 2011. She was elected to the Society of Botanical Artists 2013, and was a juror for the Denver Botanic Gardens and the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators (GNSI) exhibition ‘Plants, Birds & Pollinators Art Serving Science’ 2013. She lives in Surrey and teaches at RHS Wisley & West Dean College. Join her inspiring online painting school at: AnnaMasonArt.com

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This is an utterly gorgeous book! Based on her tried and tested six-step approach Anna has designed her book to be a manual on technique, a source of inspiration and also as she describes; the voice of kindness encouraging you to keep practising so that you too can enjoy painting to the full The beautiful full colour illustrations are incredibly detailed and with step-by-step instructions to help you create your own versions. We absolutely loved it! Highly Recommended!

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Artist, The

November 2014

This comprehensive book provides a little more detail in the method of painting than some previous guides to botanical illustration. Anna's six-stage process starts with the highlights, which are usually at the centre of the main flower and works outwards from there, adding tones and contrasts before putting in the final details. In the demonstrations, each stage may have more than one step, so there are no large jumps that leave you wondering what happened in between.

 

There is a good balance between the basics of flower painting and the specifics of individual examples. The book is nicely places between the introductory guides and the more advanced titles that assume a considerable degree of prior experience and sometimes sacrifice detail for quantity of subjects and species - Henry Malt.

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My Weekly

October 2014

This book covers every aspect of modern stye botanical flowers painted in watercolours, from tips on gathering materials to how to handle the paint. There are six projects in the book, each shown step-by-step with outline drawings, tonal notes and useful colour swatches. From delicate bluebells, exotic orchids, feathery tulips, papery poppies, and romantic roses, all build into a fantastic guide that will inspire and challenge the experienced watercolour artist, while also drawing in and reassuring the complete beginner.

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Artist, The

November 2014

This comprehensive book provides a little more detail in the method of painting than some previous guides to botanical illustration. Anna's six-stage process starts with the highlights, which are usually at the centre of the main flower and works outwards from there, adding tones and contrasts before putting in the final details. In the demonstrations, each stage may have more than one step, so there are no large jumps that leave you wondering what happened in between.

There is a good balance between the basics of flower painting and the specifics of individual examples. The book is nicely placed between the introductory guides and the more advanced titles that assume a considerable degree of prior experience and sometime sacrifice detail for quantity of subjects an species.

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Cake Craft & Decoration

October 2014

Anna Mason is an award winning artist and is a board member of the Society of Botanical Artists. Here she shares her methods for painting modern, botanical-style flower portraits and the book gives detail of Anna's six stage watercolour process. The included six step-by-step projects had an outline drawing, tonal notes and colour swatches. The book is a good guide that is an asset to a complete beginner but also challenges the experiences watercolour artist.

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Leisure Painter, The

July 14

The Modern Flower Painter by Anna Mason reveals every aspect of the delicate world of flower portraits in watercolour. From gathering your reference material and holding the brush, to mixing colours and setting up your studio, nothing is left uncovered. Six step-by-step projects are each accompanied by outline drawings, tonal notes and colour swatches to help you mix the correct colour and tone. Anna is an award-winning botanical artist and experienced art tutor, so the instruction is clear, inspiring and challenging.

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Karen Platt Yarnsandfabrics.co.uk/crafts

May 14

The first thing you notice about this impressive book on watercolour flowers is the warm-hearted nature of Anna Mason. Anna has developed a six-stage process that really works. Plus this book is full of professional tips. Theres information for beginners but also a challenge for those with some experience. There are step by step projects and gorgeous finished work. This is a beautiful book and Annas warm personality and immense talent shines on every page. Highly recommended for any watercolour flower painter and botanical artists.

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Artists & Illustrators, The

May 14

The first book from regular Artists & Illustrators contributor Anna Mason highlights her refreshingly contemporary approach to botanical painting, which sees many of the subjects appear to bloom before your very eyes. Anna begins by laying out her thoughts on paint consistency, brush techniques and mixing hues, giving newcomers the building blocks required to tackle a full painting with confidence. By the completion of the six step-by-step projects, you will be surprised at how far you have progressed.

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Myshelf.com

May 14

As this is one of Search Press occasional hardcover books, expect a visual treat and something rather special. Flowers lend themselves to lushly illustrated large format books like this one and this book lives up to its subtitle of creating vibrant botanical portraits in watercolour. The book is in two halves, firstly getting to grips with the materials and secondly several staged paintings to work through. You can find some outlines at the back to trace so here is a nod to the popular Ready To Paint series that ought to work well with beginners, and those new to watercolor. The pictures here are well described as portraits, and combine the botanical appearance of old prints with a modern, vibrantly colorful approach. There are all the usual features in here from what you need to buy to color wheels, perspective, mixing colors etc, as well as intriguing sections on learning to see, getting the paint consistency right, laying out a palette and creating tone and hue. I dont think I have seen such an in-depth look at the medium before and it certainly bears reading and having a go even if you think you are past that stage. The author then shows us her six stage method of painting and works though a picture of a rose, before going onto the six staged projects which are handily arranged in order of difficulty. If you cant get onto a real course here is the next best thing.

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Artbookreview.net

Apr 14

This really rather attractive book is pitched somewhere between the basic guides to flower painting and the more technical botanical illustration works. Anna Masons technique involves a six-stage process that starts with the highlights, which are normally in the centre of the flower, and works outwards, adding details, tints and contrasts so that shapes and depth are built up progressively while preserving the main form. There is also plenty of information on painting methods and the use of colour, but these assume a reasonable amount of basic knowledge, so that you dont spend half the book wading through stuff you should know already. The overall approach is busy and varied and the concentration is on the painting rather than the flowers thats to say, its about creating a work of art rather than recording a specific species. There is, however, plenty of variety (more than varieties) and examples of different flower types, shapes and colours. If youre looking for a book that takes you on from the basics but isnt obsessed with botanical details, this would be perfect. The demonstrations, while working within the aforementioned six-stage process, have a reasonable number of steps so that while youre not shown every brushstroke, neither are you pitched from one completed section to another and wondering how you got there.