Extra Bits


New discoveries and handling tips in conjunction with the book:

 

Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) (see p28 and p33)

To make the positioning of the flowers in a composition easier, they can be reconstructed beforehand rather than in the picture itself.

The disc florets (a), ray florets (b) and the bud (c) are prepared as described on p28.

Cyclamen leaves in various greens

For a profile view, the ray florets are glued to the back of the bracts (d), and turned over gives the front view (e).

Cyclamen leaves in various greens

For a full-face reconstruction, a small circle of paper (f) is used and the ray florets are glued to it (g). Viewed from the back (h). From the front, at the centre of (g) where the paper still shows through, the gaps are covered with disc florets (i). The flower is ready to be placed into your composition together with stems, leaves and small buds.

 

Improved colour retention by wilting before pressing (see p59)

As mentioned in the book, the handling of plant material is an ongoing learning process. For example, under Cyclamen on p59 it is implied that you have to be selective when choosing leaves for the press. As not all retain their colour evenly, I have looked for a solution for this issue and found one. With cyclamen leaves (except for the silver-grey variegated) best results are achieved if you let them wilt for up to twelve hours on a sheet of paper and only then start the pressing process.

Cyclamen leaves in various greens
Cyclamen leaves in various greens

Home      Privacy      Cookies      T&Cs