February 2013 - Lizzie Harper

Botanical illustration tips on painting leaves

Posted on 22nd February 201324th October 2018 in Biological terminology: Definitions

I’ve been doing botanical illustrations this week, and think perhaps some ideas on how to undertake a scientific illustration of leaves might be useful. Most of these examples are from my botanical sketchbooks (always keep sketchbooks!); although the final pieces are completed works for clients. Getting Reference before you start It goes without saying that […] Read more

Botanical illustration tips on painting white flowers

Posted on 15th February 201311th January 2019 in Illustration techniques

Painting White flowers: A problem needing a solution I was painting a snowdrop the other day, and wrestling, as always, with the best way to paint the petals of white flowers. There are as many different approaches to this troublesome aspect of botanical illustration as there are scientific illustrators; so I thought it’d be worth […] Read more

Illustrating a Beetle in Watercolour

Posted on 11th February 20133rd December 2018 in Zoological step by step

As a natural history illustrator, I get asked to undertake lots of different scientific illustrations. Completing a botanical illustration requires a different approach from animal illustrations; and the shiny, metallic iridescence of a beetle is pretty much confined to these incredible insects alone. Drawing up the beetle When I draw a beetle, firstly I get […] Read more

Ducklings and ducks

Posted on 1st February 201324th October 2018 in Current projects and news

The start of the week was a whirl, desperately trying to get the duckling illustrations done. Once done, I could concentrate exclusively on this new confidential contract; I’m now up against one other illustrator and we’re both doing paid test pieces which are due in March. The final decision will be made at the end […] Read more