Here are the blogs I’ve written over the years.  Subjects range from step by step painting tutorials, to botanical anatomy, to current projects.

They appear in the order they’ve been written.  However, if you scroll down the page you’ll find they have also been organised into categories to make browsing a little more focused.

There are even some guest blogs in amongst.  I hope you enjoy them, and do please feel free to leave a comment.

A Visit to Cranfield Paint Factory

Posted on in Illustration Equipment
Visting the Cranfield paint factory was an absolute treat – the perfect combination of being wowed by the manufacturing processes, and being taught an enormous amount about a subject that I was already fascinated by. My friend Lucy, founding member of AGNES, arranged the visit.  AGNES encourages ecologically sustainable practise within the arts community.  Lucy […] Read more

Trees: Horse chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum

Posted on in Trees
Trees: Horse chestnut is one of a series of blogs I’m writing on common British trees.  You can also see blogs on the Elder, the Yew, the Ash, the Oak, the Holly, the Sycamore, the Rowan, the Hawthorn, the Lime, Scots pine, and the Beech. The Horse chestnut is easily recognized, with distinctive palmate leaves […] Read more
F japnica botanical illustration

Unearthing the Enigma: Japanese Knotweed’s Unstoppable March

Posted on in Showcase of themed natural history illustrations, Uncategorised
Unearthing the Enigma: Japanese Knotweed’s unstoppable march is a guest blog written by Matt from Japanese Knotweed Removal Specialists, JKWS  For more on Japanese knotweed, including blogs discussing my illustrations of the plant, a step by step sketchbook study, and comparing it to other knotweeds, please check out my earlier blogs.  You could also buy an […] Read more

Red Deer stag step by step

Posted on in Zoological step by step
It’s been a while since I did an animal step by step blog, so I thought I’d share a quick one on illustrating this Red deer stag Cervus elaphus. Reference I took a decent photo of a young Red deer stag a long time ago, and based the illustration on this.  The advantage of using […] Read more
Lizzie harper botanical illustration of sunflower

Flower shapes: Symbolism & Cultural significance

Posted on in Uncategorised
Flower Shapes: Symbolism and Cultural Significance guest blog by Nina James Summer Flower shapes matter, culturally as well as botanically.  According to the 2016 Generations of Flowers Study 60% of Americans believe a gift of flowers has a special meaning.  This is unlike any other gift.  Many associate different colours with different meanings.   Red roses […] Read more

Spotted fish

Posted on in Patterns in nature
Spotted fish is another of my blogs on patterns in nature.  You can find them all here or click for an overview of pattern in nature, more on stripes, leaf variegation, spots on plants and fugus, and a step by step of a variegated geranium leaf. How spots are formed According to Study.coms post on […] Read more

Spotted Plants and Fungi

Posted on in Patterns in nature
Spotted plants and fungi is one of a series of blogs on patterns, follow the links for an overview of pattern, more on stripes, leaf variegation, and a step by step of a variegated geranium leaf. How are spots formed? Spots in plants are caused by areas of darker pigmentation, usually red anthocyanins.  Plants sometimes […] Read more

Potatoes

Posted on in Current projects and news
Potatoes are ubiquitous vegetables, a staple in the west since their introduction from South America in 1590.  They’re bought in shops, planted in gardens, made into crisps and fries; but as well as being a vital food crop, they’re also rather beautiful plants. Varieties of Potato There are hundreds of different potato cultivars.  Some bear […] Read more

Great Burnet Step by Step

Posted on in Botanical Illustration step by step
Recently, I’ve illustrated the Great Burnet, Sanguisorba officinalis for an interpretation board, to be cited on Jubilee Pasture, in Bugthorpe, Yorkshire.  This blog is a step by step explanation of the process.  For step by steps of other botanical subjects, please click here, and visit my Youtube channel for real-time films of me illustrating plants […] Read more

Comparing Synthetic Watercolour Brushes – Part 5 (the final episode!)

Posted on in Illustration Equipment, Testing Synthetic Watercolour brushes
This is the fifth and final of my blogs and linked films, looking for a synthetic watercolour brush to replace the sable ones made by Winsor & Newton.  My Winsor & Newton series 7 number 1 size is the brush I always use. Today I’m reviewing the Escoda Prado Tame synthetic,Escoda Perla White Toray synthetic, […] Read more
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