An experienced natural history and botanical illustrator, Lizzie’s work appears in books and magazines around the world, on postage stamps and mugs.
She lives very happily in Hay on Wye, and works her garden studio surrounded by plants and birds.
Finding out what I’m working on,
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This is a detail of the leaf of a London plane tree, Platanus × acerifolia.
It`s one of a series of leaves and fruits recently completed for an upcoming fold-out I.d. guide to be published by @field_studies_council.
It`s funny to think that about 30 years ago I never looked too closely at leaves, assuming plants were less interesting than the invertebrates I was studying for my Zoology degree.
Now I`m as obsessed by leaf venation and shades of green as I am by the shine on a beetle`s elytra.
I`m so lucky to have a job where I get to learn all the time, and to be shown so many wonderful things to be delighted about. Including leaves of the London plane tree.
The fruits are not bad either, although a challenge to draw, geometrically.
#botanialillustration
#botanicalart #plantart #londonplane #trees #sciart #platanus #lovemyjob
Here`s another review of a set of watercolours sent to me for free for testing:
https://youtu.be/Zb1UWtjUEks
Despite being given the paints I always strive to provide an honest review.
This time I painted a Guelder rose, Viburnum opulus, with its` lovely scarlet berries. This was one of the Autumn fruits series completed for the Field Studies Council`s fold-out guide.
The paint set is called Lightwish Madisi 24 Colors Nano Watercolor and you can look it up on Amazon.
The paints were good, and since making this film I`ve used them alongside my normal Winsor and Newton ones, mostly as individual (enormous!) pans removed from the main box.
They`re not a bad option if you`re looking for a far cheaper alternative to the more well-known brands, although I don`t know how fade resistant they will turn out to be.....
#botanialillustration #lightwish #guelderrose #botanicalart
This illustration of a field full of Meadow buttercups, Ranunculus acris, was recently completed for Roselyn seeds as a package design for wildflower seeds.
I start by plotting in the design elements - logos, text, margins; then work around these constraints.
This one was a real joy as I literally just went and sat in a field of Buttercups for 4 hours drawing the flowers all around me. it isn`t always quite such a rustic idyll!
The bees, common pollinators of buttercups, were added later as each of the seed packet designs features a pollinator that you`ll be encouraging by planting these wildflower seeds.
#buttercup #ranunculs #ranunculusacris #meadowbuttercup #sleepycarpenterbee #bees #pollintors #redmasonbee #Chelostomaflorisomne #Osmiabicornis #byhand #handpainted #botanicalillustration #naturepainting #naturalhistoryillustration #sciart
New blog out - all about Japanese knotweed, why it`s a aproblem, and what to do about it. It`s a guest blog, but with my illustrations:
https://lizzieharper.co.uk/2024/07/unearthing-the-enigma-japanese-knotweeds-unstoppable-march/
Have a lovely weekend
#knotweed #japaneseknotweed #fallopia #Reynoutriajaponica #Reynoutria #fallopiajaponica `botanical art #botanicalillustration #natureillustration #naturalhistoryillustration #sciart
This extraordinary plant is called Shepherd`s needle, Scandix pecten-veneris
It`s in the Apiaceae family, the umbellifers, and grows on roadside verges and farmland in the UK. Saying that, Im yet to see it in real life...
The long beaks on top of the fruit are what give the flower it`s English name, and seem pretty unique.
With its divided leaves, white flowers in umbels, and ridged stems it looks much like lots of other Apiaceae species...but with the beaks!
#botanicalillustration #botanical art #apiaceae #umbellifers #umbelliferaceae #shepherdsneedle #scandix
Lizzie Harper Newsletter June 2024 -
https://mailchi.mp/8d64bfddcfc2/lizzie-harper-newsletter-june-2024
Read about my latest projects and jobs, with insights on their challenges and joys; check out recent films and blogs, and browse some of the many original natural history and botanical illustrations I have for sale.
#newsletter #botanicalillustration #naturalhsitoryillustration #sciart #Illustration
New blog out, it`s a step by step showing me illustrating a red deer:
https://lizzieharper.co.uk/2024/06/red-deer-stag-step-by-step/
It mostly shows how to build depth and colour into the texture of the fur, by building onto base washes of colour.
#stepbystep #deer #cervuselaphus #reddeer #naturalhistoryillustration #sciart
I`ve just published a real-time film of me illustrating a pansy (or viola) flower.
https://youtu.be/oPaiPhc768Q
The benefit of this subject is that its` a readily available garden flower which (I think) is sold pretty widely for most of the year.
Another good thing about illustrating a pansy is that the face of the flower is flat, and although the internal anatomy is pretty complex and interesting, you don`t need to do a dissection to create a pleasing illustration.
This pansy plant was bought to make the film, and is now thriving in my flower beds.
Pansies (in the UK at least) are hardy and available through the winter, making them a valuable addition to the list of "what can I paint out of the flowering season?".
Hope you enjoy it.
#pansy #viola #botanicalillustration #botanicalart #gardenflowers #illustration #flowerpainting #paintinggardenflowers #watercolorpainting #watercolour #stepbystep #realtime #nofilters #paintedbyhand #drawnbyhand #victorianflowers #traditional #traditionalflowerpainting #naturalhistoryillustration #naturalscienceillustration #sciart
