Kew: The Watercolour A to Z of Trees and Foliage Paperback – October 27, 2020

This book was surprising in several ways. I got the Kindle edition. BEWARE! Upon opening the book I was surprised to see that each “ page” was a screenshot of two text pages … had to zoom in on everything to read it. But the content seem really good. So much so, I also bought the paperback edition, so I could lay it open to see a whole page and be able to read everything on it. Surprise! Some of the text on the printed page is in about a 6 point font, so it is difficult to read, and I have to resort to my kindle edition to be able to enlarge it.That said, I’m still very happy with my purchase(s). I am returning to watercolor after a 50 year hiatus ( water color art course in college to fill an elective requirement followed by real life employment followed by retirement) and wanted something that could teach me about depicting real trees. There are endless tutorials online that show a “tree” but you can rarely identify what kind it is. That’s probably OK for an impressionist who needs vegetation in the background, but I’d like something more definitive. The book does not fail to provide this.There are 24 types of real trees with detailed step by step instruction on recreating each. Here is an example of text for step one of painting an apple tree:1 When drawing observe the perspective – some of the branches recede, some come towards you and are foreshortened, and some are seen sideways on. Lay a wash of Raw Umber and Green Gold over the whole area, and lift out colour (see lifting out) on the light side of the trunk and some of the branches, with a tissue.That’s what I call detailed instruction!But, again BEWARE! The book is a British publication, so some of us Yanks may not recognize some of the trees depicted ( What the heck is a Caucasian Zelkova? Not in my Audubon Field Guide to North American Trees, that’s for sure!). I wish the authors would have included the majestic White Pine. Nonetheless, there are sufficient examples of familiar North American trees, and the instruction provided is good enough to guide one in adapting the examples given to almost anything.Buy it.Better yet, buy both the paperback and Kindle editions.

Nice that a book focuses on leaves and trees. Both subjects are often overlooked in art books. Even books on landscape often just show how to paint trees in the background. The pictures are colorful and varied. Great book if you esp love trees.

This is an excellent book for watercolorists interested in learning the difficult art of painting one of the most difficult and yet common subjects.Starting with colors and methods Adelene Fletcher goes on to describe in some detail how to paint a variety of common and not so common trees. The joy too is in the little paintings on some of the pages which illustrate the leaves, fruit or whatever, just thrown in for fun!If you are interested in painting in watercolors - you should buy this book - you will learn a great deal whatever your level of skill is.

The watercolor technique is very tightly rendered. I can see the painted variety of trees but I teach watercolor and like the more impressionist approach. I would resell this book to anyone interested in a tightly rendered look.

If you are interested in trees and other foliage, this book should be a great help and a valuable addition to your library. It's clean, clear and elegantly readable. Highly recommended.

I have the A to Z flower book and expected the same with her tree book. The quality is the same, but there are less trees then flowers.

great instruction!

I purchased this book so I could recognize how to paint different trees. This one is perfect for what I wanted. Nicely illustrated and gives information about painting them.

Contenu très explicite

As ilustrações são lindas e o livro consegue passar o que necessário para se aprender a pintar.

This is an extremely well produced book with instructions and illustrations.Most inspiring

Nonostante il libro si fregi del prestigioso marchio dei Kew Gardens né la qualità dei dipinti, né la qualità delle fotografie è degna di tale nome e purtroppo la povertà delle immagini rende l'opera molto al di sotto delle aspettative suscitate dal titolo. Attenzione pure alle recensioni ottimistiche lasciate da alcuni recensori inesperti. Da parte mia, con rammarico, ho provveduto a restituirlo.

El libro tiene algunas cosas interesantes, pero está todo muy poco explicado. Para cada árbol hay una explicación general con el dibujo final en pequeño (muy pequeño) que luego se repite en grande a doble página, y no se ve bien con la costura del libro. Un poco desastre si lo quieres copiar para practicar, porque no se ve bien ni en grande ni en pequeño. Algunos dibujos son bastante bonitos, pero otros (la mayoría) son como de un niño de 7 años. En general, utiliza los colores muy empastados y con poca agua (usa acuarela de tubo), y si tú usas pastilla es imposible alcanzar esos tonos.En resumen: practicar es la única manera de aprender, pero yo al tercer árbol me he hartado de intentar malcopiar dibujos kitsch.