Botanical Drawing using Graphite and Coloured Pencils

This book is brilliant! It contains a wealth of useful information expressed in a clear and friendly way. There don’t seem to be many books covering drawing with graphite in depth and this is by far the best I have. Truly excellent!

This book is absolutely excellent - it's the best instructional book on botanical art in coloured pencil that I have found. (I also have books by Ann Swan and Wendy Hollender, as well as several other botanical painting books which include sections on coloured pencil work). It covers graphite-only, graphite+coloured pencil, and coloured pencil-only work. I'm mostly interested in the coloured pencil techniques myself, and there's enough on that subject to make this a great book for me.The book is generously packed with information, and the author is nice and specific when describing techniques. It starts with sections about everything relevant to the subject, from types of paper and pencil manufacturing techniques to setting up your workspace, to understanding light sources/shading, all the different types of pencil strokes, layering, colour theory....it really is packed with information. There are then exercises for you to attempt, and excellent step-by-step demonstrations of leaves, flowers, roots etc, with decent sized pictures of each step, so you can see the layers as they are built up. The accompanying description of each step is detailed enough to understand what to do when you try it yourself (which is by far the most important thing in an instructional book).I would say this book is suitable for most ability levels. Total beginners may feel daunted because the techniques and quality of work shown are advanced, but the techniques are broken down and explained clearly enough for beginners to have a go once they've read the book. (If you are a total beginner, I'd also recommend considering Wendy Hollender's book, which is the one I started with, and is perfect for learning the basics.)Back to this book though, and one thing to be prepared for: the author does use a large number of different pencils (mostly Faber Castell Polychromos and Derwent Artists, plus some others), so if you want to use the exact same colours for the exercises then you will need to make a list and find a good open-stock supplier who supplies all brands. Also on the negative side, some of the colours she uses are not the most lightfast. However, this are very minor downsides - basically this book is great!

I am a complete beginner to colouring pencil flower 'paintings'. Although I do watercolour, I soon realised the techniques used in colouring pencil work are very different, especially how to develop tone and depth. I bought the Ann Swan book first which is inspirational in that the photos of Ann's work and some other artists' work are very impressive. However, I felt the book was not suitable for a beginner and gave very little information on the basics.This book by Sue Vize is stuffed with information, hints, step-by-step projects and some problem solving advice. It focuses on graphite drawing and colouring pencil work. I read a review that complained about the number of colours that Sue uses in her projects, but that does not bother me at all. I do not have a huge number of colouring pencils and so I will adapt her advice and instruction to suit the materials I have.I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning floral art using colouring pencils. It might not be much use for people wanting to 'paint' landscapes or portraits but the title should help people know what they are getting. Information on botanical drawing. Hope this review helps other people. I find reviews very useful myself!

A very useful addition to my bookshelf with its emphasis on accurate drawing of the subject matter

Have Companion Books, added this to my Collection. Immensley Practical to be Used as Practicing Skills concentrating on One Aspect of a Flower Leaf or Plant Part before tackling the Whole Subject. Graphite, Watercolor, Acrylic as Watercolour and Coloured Pencil can produce simple renditions in minutes following the Guide. Love it! Working loosley almost any aspiring Artist with patience or Expert can bring Colour and form together with stunning results. Highly Recommend this Book from this Seller. Arrived Due Date. Securely packaged and a Gem of Information and Skill.

I think it is a great book but if you are looking for step by step type of tutorial this is not it. I think a section on "how to use this book" could have done a great deal of good for this book. If you are a beginner it is very confusing to know if the material will help to develop your skills, I love that the materials she uses are easy to find in any good art shop, and the information (even if scattered here and there) is great too. I recommend this book and would buy it again but had to get used to it.

This is a truly beautiful book. The author teaches you how to work with pencils and the graded exercises are perfect. She shows you the essential techniques and inspires you to improve. Unlike some art instruction books that just showcase the author's work and make you feel inadequte, this book teaches you by example. I cannot praise it highly enough and would give it ten stars.

I have several Botanical art books using coloured pencils, but if I had to give them all away and keep one I would choose this one. Sue Vize is so generous with her vast knowledge. Perfect for both beginner but also invaluable for the experienced. I cannot recommend this book enough.It is just CRAMMED with advice, technique, tips, step by step exercises, everything you need to get started, and of course examples of her own beautiful work. The list goes on and on, I am thrilled with this addition to my bookshelf.

I was very pleased to find a use copy at Book Depository through Amazon. Prompt shipping. Delivering sooner than expected. In new condition. The book is exactly what I wanted. I am more familiar with graphite (pen and ink, etc. ), but recently got my colored pencils out. I have been neglecting them. There are step by step instructions, exercises and tips, throughout the book. I love the illustrations! Would recommend.

Livro caro para nós, brasileiros, mas cheio de conteúdo! Recomendo! Um bom livro para iniciantes!

Love this book, it’s exactly what I was looking for

très bon livre

I recommend this book, lots of information and in detail example