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    beech twig

    Botany: Telling species apart

    Many plant species look similar, and it can be tricky to tell them apart. The blogs here try to make these differences simple to spot. They relate to species which have been recently illustrated; to do a decent botanical illustration you need to know which traits are specific to which species!

    Grasses of Montserrat and the Eastern Caribbean

    Posted on in Botany: Telling species apart, Showcase of themed natural history illustrations
    I was recently commissioned to illustrate some common grasses of Montserrat and the Eastern Caribbean by UKOTCF.  As regular readers will know, this is something of a dream job for me. I first illustrated grasses way back in 2014, for the HarperCollins Flower Guide by David Streeter.  Not knowing that I was planting the seeds […] Read more
    for sale

    Wildflower families: Lamiaceae

    Posted on in Wildflower families
    Wildflower families: Lamiaceae, the Dead-nettle family is the latest in my series of blogs on wildflower families.  My online Field Studies Council course on ten common wildflower families, delivered by Iain Powell, provided information and inspiration.  I draw and paint wildflowers all the time, so learning more about what separates the families and what are […] Read more

    Wildflower families: Apiaceae

    Posted on in Wildflower families
    Wildflower families: Apiaceae, the Carrot family is my latest blog in this series on common flower families.  I was inspired to write this series by my online Field Studies Council course.  I spend a lot of time drawing wildflowers, so it’s important for me to learn more about their family similarities and differences. As a […] Read more
    Great plantain

    Wildflower families: Plantaginaceae

    Posted on in Wildflower families
    Wildflower families: Plantaginaceae, the Plantain family is my latest blog in this series on common flower families.  I was inspired by my online Field Studies Council course taught by Iain Powell.  I do a lot of observing and illustrating wildflowers, so it’s important to know more about their families and similarities and differences. For definitions […] Read more
    brassica

    Wildflower families: Brassicaceae, the Cabbage family

    Posted on in Wildflower families
    Wildflower families: Brassicaceae, the Cabbage family is another blog I’m writing in a series on wildflower families, inspired by my online Field Studies Council course.  Adding botanical knowledge of flower families to my observations of plants helps to increase the accuracy of my illustration work. White mustard Sinapis alba These blogs discuss some common wildflower […] Read more
    Botanical illustration from the Breckncockshire Flora

    Monocot and Eudicot variety: Illustrations

    Posted on in Botany: Telling species apart
    Monocots and Eudicots are enormous groups, making up over 80% of plants on earth.  During a recent job, illustrating the Brecknockshire flora, I was commissioned to create two illustrations highlighting the most interesting, beautiful, and most locally important members of these groups. Moncots vs Eudicots There are several main differences between these two enormous groups.  […] Read more
    unframed original for sale

    Geraniums, Crane’s-bills and Stork’s-bills

    Posted on in Botany: Telling species apart
    Geraniums, Crane’s-bills and Stork’s-bills is a guest blog from the wonderful Stewart Roberts, a local naturalist who shares his knowledge of nature and Welsh folklore on his wonderful Facebook page, where his illustrates his posts with his excellent wildlife photos. Potted Geranium from the garden centre The Geranium family Hardy Geraniums and the half-hardy pot plants Pelargoniums […] Read more

    Cow Parsley: All about an Umbellifer

    Posted on in Botany: Telling species apart, Current projects and news
    Cow parsley Anthriscus sylvestris was on the list of plants I recently illustrated for FOR Sweden.  These plants are invasive in Scandinavia, and particularly troublesome in Iceland. Sketchbook studies All the botanical illustrations I do for FOR are in a sketchbook format.  I love working this way; it gives me the opportunity to include tons […] Read more

    Comparing Goldenrod Species

    Posted on in Botany: Telling species apart
    Comparing Goldenrod species was one of my tasks in a recent commission  for a Horticultural company in Sweden.  All the illustrations were sketchbook studies.  Every plant was an invasive. Overview of Canadian Goldenrod Solidago canadensis and Early Goldenrod Solidago gigantea The focus of the illustration is the Canadian goldenrod. Most Goldenrods are native to the […] Read more
    Lupin

    Garden Lupin Sketchbook study

    Posted on 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

    Invasive & Japanese Knotweeds: Telling species apart

    Posted on in Botany: Telling species apart
    Invasive and Japanese knotweeds are incredibly successful plants.  Originally from Japan, China and Taiwan, they escaped from ornamental gardens, and have become established across the UK.  They’re especially common in urban and brown-field habitats, and love railway embankments and the damp soils of water ways.  One of the most difficult aspects of controlling them is […] Read more
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    Lizzie Harper