Roses and castles, the art form of narrow boat families, is brought to life in this lively, practical guide to its methods and techniques. In a conprehensive introduction, the author provides fascinating information on the history of the art - how it evolved and the extent of its application. The author gives instruction on how to paint traditional narrow boat designs onto familiar objects, including scales, jugs, rusty irons, pictures and mirror frames, and a host of others. The book covers everything from creating a good base to adding the finishing touches. There are demonstrations on how to paint roses, daisies, leaves and filler strokes, and how to combine them to create personalized, original and beautiful objects.