Julie Collins long ago became the default go-to author for books on colour mixing, but it’s been a while since we had an addition to her oeuvre. Given how much has gone before, I thought it wise to check that this isn’t a re-hash and I’m pleased to be able to say that it isn’t.Why so happy? Because it’s so good. Where previous guides of this type (all of them) have gone for quantity, this very much goes for quality and relevance. It is a lot more that just a guide to all the colours you might possibly want for painting flowers, but rather a series of palettes for depicting specific examples – chosen for colour variations so that you get the full range of what you might want. You’ll also find leaves and seedheads as well as blooms themselves, both individually and in arrangements. Julie introduces themes, settings and techniques as well as considering lighting conditions, making this a rather nice primer and leg-stretcher in flower painting, as well as that all-important analysis of colour. I’d class this as pretty much a must-have for any flower painter.This has, if Julie is willing, all the hallmarks of a rather promising series, with titles devoted to a range of subjects. I do hope so.