The Art of Botanical & Bird Illustration: An artist's guide to drawing and illustrating realistic flora, fauna, and botanical scenes from nature Paperback – November 1, 2017

I took a day-long course from this lady 10 years ago in North Carolina, I lost her book during a move and was delighted to find it on Amazon. A must-read for people who like to draw, paint, or just look.

Mindy Lighthipe's excellent book works for both the beginner and intermediate artist and perhaps the more advanced artist seeking instruction to botanical and bird art. She has excellent introductions to graphite and color with graphite hardness range charts with exercises to build one's own personal charts as well as color chart and color mixing charts to test one's range of pigments with advice on a limited palate to begin with and advice on supplies beyond pencil and pigments, such as paper, erasers, palettes, etc. The books is generously illustrated with charts and color photographs, including ones from her online courses, and this book would be a wonderful supplement to her online courses, while one need not take the online courses to benefit from the book. (However there is much in the online courses that is not covered in the book, so don't feel that that the online courses would be redundant. Mindy Lighthipe is a very lively teacher on her online course and a wonderful demonstrator and there is much to learn from viewing her technique. Unfortunately, she has yet to make a video course of her bird drawing or color pencil technique yet, but that is no criticism of the bo ok, but rather a plus that at least we have her bird techniques here. If only she had covered her butterfly techniques here also! I am sure t that she will someday soon.) Mindy's discussion on perspective is very helpful, at least to me, and by discussion I mean the heavily illustrated pages demonstrating the terms and definitions commonly used. It helped clear up some questions I had held for many years and could not get quite cleared up. She also covers cast shadows. Her armature drawings are extremely helpful for preparing for finally beginning painting and really clinch turning the 2D drawing into a convincing 3D representation on paper. This is a very useful bookend you should definitely get it if you would like to begin drawing and painting, even if you are not concerned about what subject matter. Botanical and bird art are very good subject matter to begin with and this is a very good approach. See also on Youtube her free demonstrations and give some thought to saving up and signing up for one of her online classes.

Highly recommend

This book is nice but too complicated for a person, like me, who can barely draw. This book has very very few how to draw leaves and flowers. It is dedicated more towards the plant and bird structure, coloring, blending and detailing. May be good for a more experience artist.

Quick delivery and exactly as described!

I had never taken an art class before taking one with Mindy, and now realize that she was the best teacher I ever had in my art career. I'm so happy that when I opened her book, I was immediately taken back to her class and the excellent fundamentals she taught me. Anyone can pick up this book and, regardless of skill-level, create something beautiful. Even now, as a more practiced artist, I find that the exercises help me to improve my own art style and push me even further to do my best. I can't recommend highly enough.

I actually bought the book hoping to have plenty of beautiful bird illustrations. But there are quite a lot of botanical information and detailed illustrations with plenty of sound advice and superb drawings and paintings of mostly botanical illustrations and she has an amazing eye for plenty of detail! Wouldn't recommend to the absolute beginner I think they as I did become overwhelmed in the painting and drawing process. Might leave beginner's frustrated due to lack of skill!?It's completely worth the price!

As a beginner in botanical art and watercolor I've taken all of Mindy Lighthipe's online classes and highly recommend. Her exceptional teaching style and experience has helped me to achieve my goals. Lighthipe is an exceptional teacher...clear, concise, and practical in her approach. She offers easy to follow lessons that build one upon another and this book is no exception. I have other books on drawing, watercolor and botanical art and Mindy's is my favorite thus far. A definite go to resource that I will use time and time again.