July 2018 - Lizzie Harper

Illustrating a Cross section of Hay Meadow

Posted on 31st July 201814th January 2019 in Current projects and news

I had a wonderful natural history illustration commission recently, for BBC Countryfile Magazine. Their article in the June 2018 issue, “The Secret Life of the Hay Meadow” by Phil Gates , needed an image of a cross-section through a busy and idealised hay meadow. They also needed a selection of grasses commonly found in hay meadows. I […] Read more

Guest Blog: Seven drawing exercises by Nathan Hughes

Posted on 21st July 201813th May 2022 in Illustration techniques

This week’s blog is all about ways to hone your drawing skills, and is by guest blogger Nathan Hughes. I’ve provided the illustrations, and my annotations on Nathan’s blog are in italics. 7 Simple Drawing Exercises to Help Improve Your Illustrations Are you looking to improve your drawing skills? The typical advice is “just practice.” However, […] Read more

Rushes: An Introduction

Posted on 19th July 201814th January 2019 in Biological terminology: Definitions

Having recently written blogs about the anatomy of grasses and sedges; this week I’ll be examining rushes. As with the Cyperaceae and Graminaceae, these common and beautiful plants are frequently overlooked. Many seem to favour of wild flowers with florid petals and bright colours. However, rushes deserve a closer look. Hairy Wood rush Luzula pilosa Anatomy of Rushes: Overview […] Read more

Sedges: An introduction

Posted on 13th July 201814th January 2019 in Biological terminology: Definitions, botanical terms

I frequently get asked to illustrate plants which many see as a little dull, and one of these families is the sedges (Cyperaceae). Sedges, however, are far from dull but are elegant and beautiful plants. Perhaps all it takes to make people love them is a little information on their anatomy and diversity? Like grasses […] Read more