Creating Radiant Flowers in Colored Pencil

by Gary Greene

Book Overview

Master the Secret of Creating Spectacular Flowers in Colored PencilWhen it comes to choosing a subject, flowers are a perennial favorite for artists because of their exciting variety and complexity of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0891347259
• ISBN13: 9780891347255
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Writer's Digest Books
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 1.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 8.9" x 11.3"

Customer Reviews

Uneven In Its Presentation.

Pros: (1) There are reference photographs present for most of the book. (2) There is a listing of all the colors used. (3) The artist goes to great effort to name all the botanical parts of the various flowers for the student to learn. (4) Once the student has a working outline of the flower, the author gives step-by-step Instructions on how to proceed layering and with what colors. (5) A very large drawing of the flower is given on one full page that allows the student to have a very magnified picture to study and copy. Cons: (1) Some of the flowers listed have reference photos, but most do not. (2) For those that have reference photos, these photographs were not professionally done and therefore high contrast and definition are lacking. (They seem to have been taken with a cell phone. A digital camera with a 50mm macro lense would do a better job.) (3) Pencil art may be very vibrant in person, but this does not translate well when photographed. (It's like watercolors that don't reproduce well, so gouache is used instead for book reproduction.) This being said, the dust jacket is alive with vibrant color which did not carry through to all of the pictorial offerings throughout the book. Why that is, I can't say. Maybe this was the publisher's decision. (4) I find this book to be uneven. His Anthurium is vibrant and clear, as are his pansies, but his Amaryllis, a very color-saturated plant, is washed out in the drawing to the point of having to squint at the page, trying to make sense of the visual information. This, for me, is also true of the Snapdragon, the Trillium, and the initial steps of the Hydrangea. (4) Finally, I love purples and blues, but I find most artists usually prefer operating in reds, oranges, and yellows. Why this is, I don't know. I think in this book the pansies were the only purple flowers. Morning Glory, which in my life, I know to be a very vibrant blue are red here. The Hydrangea, which come in white, pink, and brilliant blue (my grandfather had copper-fed blue ones all around his snow white house for contrast), the author chose instead a dusty pink over brilliant blue which could have offered high definition and contrast. Hibiscus, which comes in white, pink, deep red, red orange, purple and yellow is yellow here. Same with Hollyhocks and Gladiolus (my father's favorite). I feel the author missed a chance to explore more than red and yellow. While only rarely does a book satisfy enough of the points to be considered a five star effort, I feel this book is uneven in its presentstion and rather monochromatic overall end to end.

Lots of information

Fast delivery, item just as described. Lots of useful information for any level of colorist. Pictures of flowers are large enough to see details and colors.

a gift

This book was purchased as a gift for someone who was very pleased with it, so it was worth it.

cp flowers

Excellent book for CP artists interested in floral painting. Good hints and tips and explinations, highly recommended

Great Flower Lessons

I felt the book provided good lessons and beautiful graphic design . The artist does certainly draw radiant flowers. My main objection is the variety of colored pencils and watercolor pencils needed to have on hand from various different companies.

The Right Book at The Right Time !

As a beginner with the colored pencil medium I have been working with flowers as my main subjects. With my love of the flowers,plants,and trees,I was naturally pulled towards wanting to put my hand to the drawing of flowers. A friend of mine who knew of my interest,gave me Gary Greene's wonderful book. Not only was I thrilled by seeing the works of truly accomplished colored pencil artists, but I was inspired by the instruction and care that went into the writing and illustration of this book.It has not only become a teaching guide for me but,it has also become an inspiration to make me work harder to learn more about this wonderful, dynamic art medium. (And, I use the word work lightly, what a joy!)