loose and lively flowers in watercolour, inks & mixed media

Author: Jo Allsopp
Format: Paperback
Publication date: 19 May 2026
144 pages

This stunning book is packed with practical mixed-media techniques to bring your watercolour flower paintings to life!

Learn to paint vibrant, expressive watercolour flowers - discover practical advice for loosening up, inspiring ideas for composition and artist tips for dynamic results.

Jo Allsopp’s watercolour flowers bloom with expressive paint strokes and vibrant, splashy colours. Relaxed and contemporary, this inspiring guide is designed to encourage those new to painting or looking to loosen up their style, and includes Jo’s top 10 tips for painting in a loose and lively way: from simplifying and embracing backruns, involving the background, and getting a bit messy! Inside you’ll also discover:

* Tips on how to paint any flowers you want: from life, arranged as a still life, or from photographs.

* 3 complete step-by-step projects painted in pure watercolour: striking tulips, cheerful daffodils and dreamy bluebells.

* 24 short, practical mixed-media exercises, which show how to move beyond watercolour with mixed media such as acrylic ink; black art pens; metallic powders and some gold leaf. All are explored and explained to show the effects that can be achieved and when and how to best use them for sumptuous results.

* First aid for flowers: not everything goes according to plan, so find out how you can potentially improve a piece by thinking outside the box (after all, even the ‘experts’ can and do get things wrong!).

* A range of stunning floral subjects from around the world, including popular favourites such as roses, poppies and bluebells. Along with the flowers, some of the paintings incorporate associated insect pollinators and wildlife including ladybirds, bumblebees, butterflies and dragonflies.