Botanical Illustration step by step Archives

Great Burnet Step by Step

Posted on 25th August 2023 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

Orchid Botanical Illustration Step by step

Posted on 5th May 202315th June 2023 in Botanical Illustration step by step, Current projects and news

Orchids have always been a bit of a mystery to me, so when I was confronted by the Early Marsh Orchid, Dactylorhiza incarnata ssp coccinea my heart did not leap. It’s one of 13 plants I’m illustrating for a wildflower identification guide to the Braunton Burrows sand dunes system which will be published by FSC Publications. […] Read more

Habit sketch of Cow parsley: step by step

Posted on 26th November 202126th November 2021 in Botanical Illustration step by step

Habit sketches are an important aspect of doing botanical illustrations. They need to show an entire plant, and suggest how it grows within its environment. This one of the Cow parsley, Anthriscus sylvatica, was recently done for FOR in Sweden. It accompanied a large sheet of sketches of the same plant. To learn more about […] Read more

Blueberry: step by step Pen and Ink illustration

Posted on 15th October 2021 in Botanical Illustration step by step

I recently completed a blueberry illustration for a packaging job, and thought it’d be the perfect opportunity to give a quick explanation of how I illustrate shiny dark fruit in pen and ink. Drawing blueberries Coming up with the initial drawing was tricky. it had to fit the layout of the product’s box, and the […] Read more

Step by step Downy Birch leaves

Posted on 9th July 20219th July 2021 in Botanical Illustration step by step

This blog shows how to ink up the Downy Birch leaves and catkins, Betula pubescens. It accompanies a Youtube film which you can watch, to fill in the details. Starting out Begin with a decent pencil illustration of your subject. No need for any shading or tonal detail, but an accurate line pencil drawing is required. […] Read more

Botanical Illustration of a Sycamore Leaf

Posted on 11th December 202011th December 2020 in Botanical Illustration step by step, Illustration techniques

This blog follows on from my earlier step by step post on drawing a Sycamore leaf, which also has an accompanying youtube film. Apologies for the grey background on some of the photos. The final piece (at the end of a blog) shows a truer version of the colours. Setting up When you’re about to […] Read more

How to Draw: Sycamore Leaf

Posted on 25th September 20202nd February 2021 in Botanical Illustration step by step, Illustration techniques

Drawing is at the heart of being a botanical illustrator. You need to be able to record what you see accurately. Recently, someone who subscribes to my Youtube Channel asked me to do a film on the subject “How to Draw”. This blog is to go alongside the film. Choose a subject I chose to […] Read more

Garden Lupin Sketchbook study

Posted on 14th August 20204th August 2020 in Botanical Illustration step by step, Botany: Telling species apart, Current projects and news, Illustration techniques

The Garden Lupin, Lupinus polyphyllus, is one of the invasive plants I was recently asked to illustrate for FOR Sweden. This blog talks you through the steps involved in creating a finished botanical illustration of this flower. There seems to be an enormous amount of confusion over the English name of this plant: Blue bonnet […] Read more

Botanical Illustration of a Japanese Rose

Posted on 15th May 202015th May 2020 in Botanical Illustration step by step

In my last blog, Botanical illustration of Rose leaves, I discussed the processes involved in completing a botanical study of the leaves of the Japanese Rose, Rosa rugosa. This blog will focus on the flower. This sketchbook study was completed for FOR Sweden, and is one of a series of 12 invasive species illustrated. As […] Read more

Botanical Illustration of Rose Leaves

Posted on 1st May 202015th May 2020 in Botanical Illustration step by step

A recent job involved illustrating the Japanese Rose, Rosa rugosa. It’s not the first time this plant has been commissioned, and I’ve done blogs in the past on my approach to illustrating other roses and this very flower. It’s one of a series of invasive plants that were completed for FOR Sweden, and this week’s […] Read more

Sycamore Tree step by step

Posted on 6th December 20196th December 2019 in Botanical Illustration step by step

Sycamore trees can have distinctive shapes, and be well loved by those who recognize them. This is why I was commissioned to illustrate a large Sycamore tree growing in the churchyard of All Saint’s Church in Slingsby, North Yorkshire. The tree that dominates the graveyard was to be the centrepiece of a new interpretation board. […] Read more

Desk with finished botanical illustration, sweet peas, and paint box

Step by Step Everlasting Sweet pea botanical illustration

Posted on 26th July 201924th January 2023 in Botanical Illustration step by step

Sweet peas are beautiful flowers, and a joy to paint. This blog is a step by step guide to painting the Two-flowered Everlasting Sweet Pea Lathyrus grandiflorus. About Sweet peas Members of the legume family; Sweet peas are classed alongside peas, gorse, beans and lupins. Lots of food crops are members of this family; alfalfa, […] Read more

comparison of flower and painting of the periwinkle

Step by Step Periwinkle flower botanical illustration

Posted on 17th May 201917th May 2019 in Botanical Illustration step by step

I’ve always loved periwinkle flowers, Vinca major. The blue is such a delicate shade, and I relish the juxtaposition between the dark, glossy leaves and the powdery blue petals. I thought I’d do a quick step by step on how to go about mixing the colours, and illustrating this flower, not least because blue flowers […] Read more

Step by Step: False Virginia Creeper

Posted on 22nd February 20195th April 2019 in Botanical Illustration step by step

Whenever I paint a plant, I tend to use the same approach. This blog is a step by step look at how I paint the False Virginia Creeper, Parthenoccissus inserta. Pencil Rough Once you’ve assembled your reference (preferably from life as it’s much easier than working from photos), draw up a pencil rough. This needs […] Read more

Step by Step Rowan berry

Posted on 10th February 201912th February 2019 in Botanical Illustration step by step

If you’re doing a botanical illustration of a cluster of fruit, the first thing to do is figure out how to tackle one lone berry. In this case, it’s the beautiful bright orange Rowan berry that’s under the spotlight. I have a Rowan, or Mountain ash tree in my garden. Not only do the clusters […] Read more

Step by Step winter jasmine sketchbook study

Posted on 15th January 201922nd February 2019 in Botanical Illustration step by step

Winter jasmine, Jasminum nudiflorum, is one of the only flowers in bloom in Hay on Wye in January. I decided to do a sketchbook study of it, along with some notes on composition. Thinking about composition When you have a plant with a distinctive straggly shape, like the Winter jasmine, you want to consider how […] Read more

Botanical Illustration of an Autumn leaf

Posted on 15th November 201814th January 2019 in Botanical Illustration step by step

Autumn leaves are incredibly beautiful. The form of the leaf coupled with their wonderful variety of colours make them a treat for anyone to illustrate. This blog is a step by step guide to painting a brightly coloured autumn leaf, in this case a Boston Ivy Parthenocissus tricuspidata leaf. (I’ll mention here that until I wrote […] Read more

Pansy step by step sketchbook study

Posted on 10th May 201811th January 2019 in Botanical Illustration step by step

Pansies and violas are one of the loveliest garden plants to study through botanical illustration; they’re also common, affordable, and quite easy to paint. This blog will talk you through the basic steps in completing a sketchbook study of a viola or pansy. For lots more of my botanical illustration step by steps, click here. […] Read more

Step by Step pencil illustration of a bean leaf

Posted on 29th March 201811th January 2019 in Botanical Illustration step by step

Using Pencil to understand tonality In order to complete a decent botanical illustration, you need to understand about lights and darks. You must be able to see where your shadows fall. One of the excersizes I recently got my flower painting workshop to try was to complete a detailed pencil study of a relatively simple […] Read more

Step by step Botanical illustration of an orange

Posted on 2nd March 201811th January 2019 in Botanical Illustration step by step

Choosing a subject to paint in winter: Why an orange? In the middle of winter it can be hard for a botanical illustrator to find good subjects to paint; so for my Monday Botanical illustration drop-in class in Hay on Wye I chose to work on a sliced orange as a subject. The process of […] Read more

Step by Step illustration of Tupelo & Sweet orange

Posted on 19th January 201810th January 2019 in Botanical Illustration step by step

A recent natural history illustration commission was to complete two botanical illustrations for labels on jars of honey. The plants in question were Sweet orange Citrus sinensis and Tupelo Nyssa ogeche. Neither plant grows wild here in the UK, and there was quite a tight deadline so I needed to work from other illustrations and photos. For more […] Read more

Step by step botanical illustration of a Holly leaf

Posted on 15th December 201710th January 2019 in Botanical Illustration step by step

As it’s Christmas time, I thought it might be a nice idea to do a seasonal step by step blog. Holly leaves are one of the few winter subjects that look just as good in the middle of winter as in summertime, and since they’re pretty easy to come by and defiantly seasonal, I chose […] Read more

Step by step Painting Bloom on a Fruit

Posted on 30th November 20179th January 2019 in Botanical Illustration step by step

In this blog, I’ll go through the steps involved in creating a life like botanical illustration of a fruit with a “bloom” or cloudiness on its skin, such as these Sloes (Prunus spinosa). These feature on a series of stamps completed for Jersey Post in their Fruit and Berries issue, out now. (Click here for a […] Read more

Step by step: Blackberry

Posted on 4th October 20179th January 2019 in Botanical Illustration step by step

I love doing botanical illustrations of blackberries. So I was thrilled when Jersey Post commissioned an illustration of the Jersey Bramble Rubus caesarius as one of the postage stamps on their “Fruits and Berries” issue. I thought I’d break down the steps involved in painting a ripe juicy blackberry in watercolour, and write a step by step blog. All illustrations […] Read more