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Exotic Botanical Illustration
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Exotic Botanical Illustration: With The Eden Project

Author Meriel Thurstan and Rosie Martin

  • An exciting approach to botanical illustration featuring exotic and extraordinary plant specimens.
  • Striking plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables provide new challenges in colour, texture and form.
  • Stunning finished paintings accompany simple instructions and step-by-step projects for a beautiful book that both guides and inspires.


Strange and unusual specimens have never been more accessible – as more and more exotic fruit and vegetables appear regularly in our shopping baskets and our florists fill with flowers from every corner of the globe, this practical and beautiful guide to capturing strange and striking plants on paper has never been more timely. There is something for beginners and more experienced botanical illustrators alike, whether you wish to paint more familiar bananas, pineapples and other exotic fruits that are now widely available, or more complex orchids and even carnivorous plants. <p class="MsoNormal">Acclaimed artists Rosie Martin and Meriel Thurstan (authors of the bestselling Contemporary Botanical Illustration and Botanical Illustration Course) run the popular botanical painting course at the Eden Project and are thus uniquely placed for this exciting take on the genre. <p class="MsoNormal">The unusual colours and complex textures of exotic plants present a new challenge to the botanical artist, but this book guides you through each stage of the painting process with plenty of exercises and step-by-step projects. Fantastically illustrated with worksheets, colour swatches, sketches and stunning finished paintings this practical and inspirational guide is a must-have for botanical artists of all levels.

About The Author

Meriel Thurstan discovered botanical illustration while working at the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall. She later became a pivotal member of the Friends team at the Eden Project, organising and running talks, visits and courses. She holds a Silver Lindley medal from the RHS for her watercolours of fungi and a Bronze medal for an exhibit of different coloured potatoes. Meriel founded the South West Society of Botanical Artists in 2006, which aims to promote and encourage botanical art to the highest standard. Her own botanical paintings hang in England, France and Australia. She lives in Somerset. ||

Rosie Martin holds a Gold Medal from the RHS for her botanical watercolour painting. She is an elected member of the Society of Botanical Artists and teaches a variety of art-based subjects, including botanical illustration in both. She has worked in fashion, ballet and theatre; her clients have included David Bowie, Anthony Caro, Karl Lagerfeld and Jean Muir, for whom she produced textiles and interior design prints.

  • Publish Date: July 05, 2012
  • Format: Hardcover
  • Category: Art - Techniques - General
  • Publisher: Batsford
  • Trim Size: 8-1/2 x 10-6/7
  • Pages: 144
  • US Price: $29.95
  • CDN Price: $35.95
  • ISBN: 978-1-84994-031-3
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Author Bookshelf: Meriel Thurstan, Rosie Martin

Painting Nature's Details
Masterclass in Colour
Botanical Illustration for Beginners
Botanical Illustration Course with the Eden Project