Books published by publisher BATSFORD

Follow artist Ann Blockley step by step as she demonstrates the techniques behind her most dramatic watercolor paintings! Take a workshop with watercolorist Ann Blockley, as she describes her key techniques and offers ideas and inspiration for painters to develop their own interpretations. Blockley’s beautiful paintings show how a subject can veer in unexpected or unusual directions, and how to make the most of these creative opportunities. She moves, with progressively challenging projects, from loose wildflower meadows, textured woodland, and rustic rambling walls to atmospheric or semi-abstract landscape corners, all rendered in her adventurous signature style. Unusual techniques include combining water-based paint and ink with granulation medium for dramatic texture; drawing with twigs; using gesso and collage to create unique effects; and manipulating paint with materials such as plastic wrap (clingfilm). The book’s personal commentary gives special insight into the mind of the artist and helps you explore, experiment, and unlock your own potential.

Lovers of botanical art will feast their eyes on the stunning collection of 80 works by the painter often compared to Georgia O'Keeffe. Rosie Sanders's botanical paintings lie at the extreme end of botanical art—they exude dynamism and sensuality in every brushstroke, while their richness of color sets her apart from her contemporaries. This large-format book showcases her finest paintings in exquisite detail, accompanied by excellent and accessible scientific commentary. Rosie’s glorious selection of flowers ranges from tulips to orchids, roses to irises, anemones to amaryllis, and she illuminates them by fascinating and skillful uses of perspective and light.Includes an introduction by renowned Swiss botanist Dr. Andreas Honegger.

An inspirational and practical art manual, packed with step-by-step projects.Artist Ann Blockley is renowned for her innovative approach to watercolour painting. Her highly anticipated new book provides a series of workshops demonstrating how to push the boundaries of watercolour, using key techniques to develop your own work and take your paintings to the next level. Ann's easy-to-follow, step-by-step projects demonstrate how some of her most dramatic paintings are created. She describes in detail some of the key techniques used and how you can experiment with alternative methods to create your own interpretations. Finally, her beautiful and inspirational artworks demonstrate how different interpretations of a subject might take an unexpected or unusual direction, and how to make the most of these opportunities. The book moves, with progressively challenging projects, from loose wildflower meadows, textured woodland and rustic rambling walls to atmospheric or semi-abstract landscape corners, all rendered in Ann’s adventurous signature style. Loose, expressive mark-making and unusual techniques include combining water-based paint and ink with granulation medium for dramatic texture, drawing with twigs, using gesso and collage to create unique effects; manipulating paint with materials such as plastic wrap (clingfilm); developing printed marks made using found materials. Following the huge demand for more practical guidance in experimental painting, the book provides plenty of techniques and instruction. Ann’s personal commentary also gives a unique insight into the mind of the artist – ways of looking at your subject, how to explore and experiment – to unlock the potential of your watercolour painting.

Build up your child’s knowledge of, and interest in, chess through an imaginative, fun series of games and activities. This follow-up to The Batsford Book of Chess for Children features the same two cheeky chess-playing kids, Jess and Jamie, discussing the games in child-friendly language. The exercises include puzzles, crosswords, easy chess "variants," and a guess-the-next-move section.

Chess is great for developing a child's analytical skills, fostering the competitive instinct—and having fun. Nothing beats this cute, character-based guide for teaching youngsters how to play. Jess and Jamie—two rough-and-tumble, chess-obsessed kids—explain it all: what the pieces are and how they move; the opening, middlegame, and endgame; checkmate; and sneaky tricks that win. The book's friendly, entertaining, and essential to any child's bookshelf.

Do things in style, with this essential advice from a real British butler to the rich and famous! Which fork should you use? How do you open a bottle of champagne? Let an English butler with more than ten years' experience get your table etiquette up to snuff! Nicholas Clayton covers everything from napkin folding, cutlery, and glasses to eating soup, spaghetti, escargots, and artichokes. With diagrams to illustrate all those tricky little rules, and a range of tips and hints, this book will teach you manners fit for a king.

Learn Chinese the easy way . . . without even trying! Thanks to games, simple tracing, diagrams, and other fun activities, you can effortlessly master the intricacies of the Chinese language. This guide for the absolute beginner equips you with the fundamentals of Mandarin and helps you become proficient at pinyin, so you can pronounce any Chinese word, understanding perfect pitch and tone, basic grammar, and vocabulary. Discover and practice writing Chinese characters and explore the stories behind the ancient graphics. Written by native speaker and enthusiastic teacher Freya Yang, this modern language book is perfect for beginners.

Who better to ensure the nation's table manners come up to scratch than an English butler with over 10 years' experience? With the revival in good manners, etiquette, spelling and grammar, this is a timely book on table manners and dining etiquette to ensure grace at the table at all times.Covers all aspects of eating etiquette from napkin folding, cutlery, glasses, bread rolls (never use a knife!) and silver service to how to eat soup, spaghetti, escargots and artichokes and open a bottle of champagne. With diagrams for those tricky table placements and eating actions and a range of tips and hints, the book is the last word on how to eat. It will ensure that you and your family never let the side down whatever the company you keep while dining.

A follow up to Chess for Children, this is a very imaginative way of building up your children's knowledge and interest in chess through a series of fun chess games and activities. The same two cheeky children, Jess and Jamie, talk though the games in language that kids would relate to - and this time they are joined by their friends Harry and Marnie so that group chess games can be explored. The book includes puzzles and games, some easy 'variants' of chess, and a guess-the-next move section, along with 'revision' pages to help remind children of the chess basics. All are accompanied by easy-to-read chess boards and fun illustrations. Chess in schools and clubs is growing all the time and our author is a leading light in kids chess, teaching at many London schools, including Dulwich College. The book works well as a companion to the earlier book, Chess for Children, but also as a standalone activity book. Whether your child is just beginning to learn chess or already immersed in the subject, this book will help encourage their interest and love of the subject. A great book for both parents and teachers. Suitable for children aged 7 and up.

There has never been a war like the one in the Pacific between the American Allies and the Empire of Japan. Unrivalled in its scope, it was a clash of cultures that turned tropical islands into killing grounds and laid waste cities with weapons of mass destruction. It turned World War II into a global war and ended with Japan's surrender. Here, an expert panel of ex-servicemen and military historians describe with clarity and dramatic detail each step of the conflict, providing a unique account of the myriad operations and underlying strategy of the bitter struggle to defeat Japan.

Chess is experiencing a new wave of popularity in schools, and it's educational too. Organisations like Chess in Schools are promoting it as the perfect way to develop analytical thinking skills, foster the competitive instinct and provide a lot of fun along the way. This cute, character-based book, aimed at children aged 7 and up, is a complete guide to chess for those starting out in the game. In straightforward, animated language, Jess and Jamie two rough-and-tumble kids who are obsessed with chess explain everything you need to know, from first sitting down at the board to sneaky tricks to help you beat your opponents. The book explains who the pieces are and how they move (and that we're talking about pawns, not prawns), how to reach checkmate (or, in Jess's words, 'how to kill the king'), and the concept of the opening, middlegame and endgame. It also introduces the idea of chess etiquette - and explains why: sometimes no one wins and a game ends in stalemate. Friendlier and more fun than the average children's chess book, The Batsford Book of Chess for Children should become an essential addition to any child's bookshelf.