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If you're planning to paint flowers it's pretty much a racing certainty that roses will be high on the list. One of the most popular species, they offer an enormous variety of shapes and colours and there's a wealth of historical precedent to draw on.

This is not, it should be said, a book of botanical illustration, nor will you find tracts of information about varieties and their names, except in so far as they relate to colour and shape. This is a book about painting and about interpretation and, if that's what primarily interests you, feel free to offer a prayer of thanks!

Trevor is well known as a flower painter and his originals, cards and prints are in as much demand as his courses and workshops. His style is loose and painterly and is as much about interpretation as representation.

None of this means that the projects and exercises here aren't recognisable as roses, just that they convey the spirit of the flower as much as the precise look. Trevor's blooms shimmer and dance in the breeze as surely as if they were alive in front of you.

While the results may be short on fine detail, the structure of the book and the instruction most certainly aren't. As well as colour and shape, Trevor demonstrates how to handle stems, leaves and petals, He'll explain how to use colour to define depth and give body and perspective to your work. In the full demonstrations, he'll show you how to build up a complex subject in carefully-chosen stages.

This is a beautiful guide from an artist of consummate skill.

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Henry Malt, Paint

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The definitive guide to painting roses!

Trevor is well known for his flower paintings and his interpretations capture not just the look of a bloom, but its character and essence. In this comprehensive volume, he demonstrated individual specimens and arrangements, where colour, light and shade play as much a part as shape and structure.

There are exercises throughout that, as well as varying the pace of the work, also develop your skills with form, light and colourways. Each section concludes with a step-by-step project that brings everything together in a complete painting.

This is an informative, but above all enjoyable, look at the bright, fascinating and beautiful world of roses.

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The SAA, The SAA Catalogue 19/20

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Learn how to create stunning paintings of roses in watercolour that capture the essential beauty of this much-loved flower.

Roses have a special place in both art and culture across the world. Published in Association with Kew Gardens, this stunning book teaches you how to capture their character, colour and form in watercolour, and showcases both historical images from the Kew archives and the author’s own extensive collection of inspiring paintings.

Guided by watercolour artist and rose enthusiast Trevor Waugh, this book begins with clear explanations of essential watercolour techniques followed by a short project that allows the reader to explore the nature of watercolour in a practical way. Particular emphasis is placed on mixing colours cleanly in order to reproduce the purity and variety of this much-loved family of flowers. This is followed by sections on how to gather reference material; how to compose your own paintings; and how to inject your paintings with colour and light. All are accompanied by three further step-by-step projects, each culminating in a stunning painting of your own.

It will come as no surprise to anyone that we love roses! This is a beautiful book full of the most gorgeous examples of how to paint roses using watercolour.

We love the botanical paintings of Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1759-1840) who is referenced in this book and an original copy of his wonderful book Les Roses which is held in the Kew Library. Trevor Waugh showcases images from Kew Gardens and its archives alongside his own collection of luminous, inspirational artworks.

What we love about this book is that as well as detailed help to create the projects included, it also encourages you to develop your own painting style, to create your own beautiful paintings of roses.

At a time when many of us are struggling to understand how much our world around us is changing, this beautiful book allows us an opportunity to escape to a more beautiful and tranquil place.

Highly Recommended!

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mycreativenotebook.co.uk

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I have just started painting roses and I found this beautiful book easy to follow. It is ideal for new and experienced watercolour painters. It has beautiful illustrations. I adore roses and am looking forward to painting my first one.

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Julie Jenkins-Jessup, Amazon