Watercolour Nature Unleashed

Jane Betteridge is an artist and qualified adult education tutor whose interest in painting stems from childhood, and whose inspiration is drawn from the landscape; from countryside to seaside. Known for her experimental, innovative approach to watercolours, Jane’s venturesome, investigative ways aim to nudge the use of the medium a little further, and allows her readers and students to take advantage of the medium to produce free, lively works of art.Jane has demonstrated at the prestigious Mall Galleries in London and the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford; and was Artist in Residence at the BBC's Gardener's World Live event. She has written for several art magazines and streams live workshops for the SAA. Jane also holds regular workshops in her studios in St Ives in Cornwall and Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire, where she lives.

• IntroductionPure watercolourPREPARING THE SURFACE 22Surfaces 24, Textured grounds 32, Crackle paste 36, Modelling pastes 42, Tissue paper 48, Metallic leaf 54Step-by-step: Poppyfield 55Gilding flakes 62, Gesso 66, Stamping 68Step-by-step: Beach Scene 70ADDING TO YOUR PAINTING 76Inks 78, Granulation 86Step-by-step: Magical Woodland 92Food wrap 98, Salt 102, Gouache 106, Contour relief 110, Pearlescence 114, Impasto 116, Bronzing powder 118, Stencils 122, Gauze & thread 124Step-by-step: Wild Flowers in the Wood 128IDEAS & INSPIRATIONExploring themes 136, Focus 138, Pattern & colour 140, Your starting point 142, Index 144

Jane Betteridge's Watercolour Nature Unleashed, is a revised and revitalised edition of her best-selling book, Dynamic Watercolours, in which she pushed watercolour to new levels. Drawing on inspiration from the natural world, Jane uses a range of techniques, including crackle and modelling pastes, metallic leaf, gilding flakes, and printing, to add texture and vibrancy to her watercolours. If you are looking to take your watercolours to another level, this is the book for you.