About

Lizzie harper botanical illustrator natural history sciart

ornithological illustration of Bullfinch completed, alongside bullfinch specimens and paintbox

“ I love my job. I love being surrounded by gorgeous countryside and wild flowers. Each day brings a new species to draw and learn about ”

Lizzie Harper

Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus and meadow brown aniola jurtina butterfly in amongst grasses in a meadow, some in flight, with with upper wings on show and some showing under wings

Lizzie Harper is a free-lance natural history and botanical illustrator with a keen love of nature. Her favourite subjects are grasses, beetles, and wild flowers.

Her scientific training as a zoologist helps complement her illustrations.

She works in watercolour, pencil, and pen. With over 25 years experience as a free-lance illustrator, she has a broad range of clients.

Publishers, environmental charities, postage stamp designers, packaging firms, design companies, and private individuals have all commissioned her illustrations.

For an in depth podcast about her career as an illustrator, most challenging jobs, inspiration, techniques, and love of botany and the natural world, please listen to the Natural Reality: Let’s Go podcast.

Tall fescue Festuca arundinaceae with ligule spikelet and lemma details

Tall fescue Festuca arundinaceae natural history illustration by Lizzie Harper

“ Lizzie was great to work with! She was enthusiastic and efficient with excellent attention to detail. ”

Fabulous Magazine

Foraging with kids pen and ink illustrations by Lizzie Harper

She’s illustrated The Hedgerow Handbook, The Garden Forager, and Foraging with Kids by Adele Nozedar.

Her work is in HarperCollins Flower Guide by Streeter, and The Bumper Book of Nature by Stephen Moss.

Her illustrations appear in National geographic and BBC Countryfile Magazine.

Lizzie’s work pops up on information boards and nature reserves around the country.

For more information on her work, visit her Job Showcase.

Covers of Hedgerow Handbook and Garden Forager

“ I've used Lizzie's wildlife illustrations in my work for many years. The quality of her illustrations is always superb. ”

Anglezarke Dixon Associates

Exhibitions

Hedge bindweed Calystegia sepium with binding stems and showing species specific calyx and several large flowers along with the leaves

Hedge bindweed Calystegia sepium natural history illustration by Lizzie Harper

Lizzie has exhibited both in the UK and internationally. Read more…

Oriental small clawed otter Aonyx cinerea standing erect and clasping onto a half eaten fish

Oriental small clawed otter Aonyx cinerea natural history illustration by Lizzie Harper

View of a head water stream with dipper, wagtail, waterfall and damselflies then view of a river with a heron fishing from a shingle bank, sand marten flying low, and dragonfly and beetles at home amongst driftwood; the river meanders on to a wetland meadow delta with grazing herds and established aquatic plant communities flanking the river waters, animals include red underwing moth, warbler, common frog, wild flowers, and dragonfly species,

River landscape natural history illustration by Lizzie Harper

Teaching Workshops

Violet Viola riviniana plant

Dog Violet Viola riviniana natural history illustration by Lizzie Harper

Lizzie teaches aspects of natural history and botanical illustration from time to time. For details of her upcoming courses read more...

Forester moth Adscita statices with folded wings on a scabious flower, showin1g black colour and glittery irridescence of the wings

Forester moth Adscita statices natural history illustration by Lizzie Harper

“ Lizzie was a wonderful tutor. Dynamic, encouraging, and friendly. ”

Student from Cambridge University Botanical Gardens course on illustrating Pollinators

Greetings cards

Comma butterfly Polygonia c-album from above and from side cut to white

Comma butterfly Polygonia c-album natural history illustration by Lizzie Harper

Lizzie has 29 designs of greetings cards available. Read more and see the selection…

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about inspiration, how Lizzie started out, and illustrations vs photographs often come up.

Click here for some of these queries, and Lizzie’s answers.

Lizzie demonstrating botanical illustration at her exhibition

Lizzie loves nothing more than spending a day immersed in the beautiful landscape round her home in Wales; where she investigates slugs and mosses, and does sketchbook studies of the wild flowers she finds.

She works from her garden studio in Hay on Wye where she lives very happily with a long-suffering husband and two lively children.

Botanical illustration of hawthorn berries y Lizzie with her paintbox