botanical illustration Archives - Page 6 of 8

Beautiful Bryophytes: Botanical moss illustrations

Posted on 2nd February 201730th December 2018 in Current projects and news

I’ve been working on lots of botanical illustrations for the Field Studies Council recently. A lot of the plants on the list of heathland species are bryophytes, beautiful mosses. I’m lucky enough to have had an enormous amount of help assembling species to work with (see my blog) and have been working on the painted finals over the […] Read more

Botanical Illustration: Step by step Sphagnum moss

Posted on 23rd December 201630th December 2018 in Botanical Illustration step by step

I’ve been working on botanical illustrations recently for the Field Studies Council; specifically on a big batch of Heathland plants. Amongst these are several Sphagnum moss species. (See my blog on moss illustrations for more.) The first step is to get your hands on the moss itself; drawing mosses is so unusual and new for me […] Read more

Botanical Illustration Live: Hawthorn

Posted on 3rd November 201619th December 2018 in Scientific Illustrator out and about

I recently did botanical illustration live for an audience at the Metripole Hotel in Llandrindod. The event was the annual Barnes lecture, It’s organised as a fundraiser for Radnorshire Wildlife Trust (RWT), and is open to members and non-members. The success of “The Hedgerow Handbook” and “The Garden Forager” means Adele Nozedar (the author) and I (the illustrator) have […] Read more

Botanical Illustrations of Mosses

Posted on 21st October 201619th December 2018 in Current projects and news

Sometimes a botanical illustration commission appears that calls for something totally new. In all my days of natural history illustration, I’d never been asked to do a whole lot of mosses before. The closest I’ve been was illustrating two mosses for the FSC Churchyard Plants leaflet Moss: Grimmia pulvinata and Tortula muralis The commission came from the Field Studies Council’s […] Read more

Botanical Illustration worshop: Composite flowers

Posted on 7th October 201619th December 2018 in Painting workshops

When you teach botanical and natural history illustration, you need to focus on anatomy and structure of plants and animals as well as on watercolour painting and drawing techniques. I recently got to teach an experienced botanical illustration group based in Hereford. They decided to learn about Composite flowers. Some of the dahlias available to […] Read more

Botanical Illustration: Exploring Adventitious Roots

Posted on 27th June 201619th December 2018 in Biological terminology: Definitions

In my last blog I mentioned that being a botanical illustrator sometimes involves a fair amount of research, in this case examining different types of root. Natural history illustration and botany go hand in hand. In researching roots I’ve realised that the more you learn, the more you find you need to learn. This blog […] Read more

Botanical Illustration: Exploring Root Variety

Posted on 10th June 201618th March 2021 in Biological terminology: Definitions

As a botanical illustrator, spending time examining plants and their structures, I’m continually amazed by the variety of forms plants produce. Take, if you will, the humble “root”. A “root” is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “The part of a plant which attaches it to the ground or to a support, typically underground, […] Read more

Botanical Illustration Workshop: The Walled Garden

Posted on 31st May 201619th December 2018 in Painting workshops

Every now and then I run botanical illustration workshops, teaching the accuracy, drawing, and observation skills required in natural history illustration. Recently I led a one-day course at The Walled Garden in Treberfydd. All the admin was done by the wonderful Alison (who also provided delicious cakes decorated with sweet cicely as the students arrived, and […] Read more

Illustrate and forage: Eat what you paint!

Posted on 20th May 201619th December 2018 in Scientific Illustrator out and about

Recently I took an edible plants identification chart I’d done the natural history illustrations for on a walk, to test it out with friends. I’ve written blogs on foraging before as it’s something I do a fair amount of, but this “road test” of one of my i.d. charts was a first. FSC Guide to Edible Plants On a forage for […] Read more

Illustrating Long-tail tits and Cyclamen

Posted on 6th May 201618th December 2018 in Botanical Illustration step by step

A recent natural history and botanical illustration commission has been one of my favourite jobs of the year. Coming up with ideas The painting is for a 90th birthday, and needed to include an array of meaningful plants and animals. The client and I shared a cup of tea, and came up with some ideas which […] Read more

Illustrations for Foraging for Edible Plants Chart

Posted on 8th April 201618th December 2018 in Current projects and news

I’ve recently been working on natural history illustrations for The Field Studies Councils publications department. They appear on a fold out chart of edible British plants which has only just come out. I’m delighted with the result. They’ve used my illustrations beautifully, and the way the information is included is innovative and clear. Finding reference Despite it being November […] Read more

Step by step illustration of a Wild Strawberry

Posted on 18th December 201518th December 2018 in Botanical Illustration step by step

One of the botanical illustrations I’ve been asked to paint as a natural history illustrator, is the Wild Strawberry . This will be one of the plants featured on a fold-out identification chart of Edible British Plants produced by the Field Studies Council. There’s also a 2 minute Youtube film of this illustration being completed online, in time […] Read more

Step by step Elder

Posted on 4th December 201518th December 2018 in Botanical Illustration step by step

There’s a really wonderful job I’m working on right now; about 20 botanical illustrations of different edible plants for a fold out chart, to be produced by the Field Studies Council. Other blogs on this job include the step by step of painting a dog rose, and the step by step painting of a wild strawberry […] Read more

Botanical illustration: The Exploding Cucumber

Posted on 27th November 201514th December 2018 in Current projects and news

As a freelance natural history illustrator, I love the random nature of my commissions, and a recent request for some botanical sketchbook-style illustrations of the exploding cucumber Cyclanthera explodens was no exception. The request comes from a client working in the world of botanical cocktail research, so I was intrigued before I’d lifted a pencil. The exploding cucumber: An extraordinary […] Read more

Dog rose: Step by step illustration

Posted on 17th November 20153rd March 2020 in Botanical Illustration step by step

I’m currently working on a series of botanical illustrations and natural history drawings for Field Studies Council, who will use them on identification charts. One of the charts details edible British plants, and includes the Dog rose, Rosa canina. The first step is to draw up a pencil rough. I use a mechanical pencil, such as the Pentel […] Read more

Botanical Illustration: Step by step Hazel

Posted on 16th October 201514th December 2018 in Botanical Illustration step by step

I’ve recently started painting up some botanical illustrations for FSC Publications, including the Hazel Corylus avellena. I worked for FSC before, on the Caring For Gods Acre illustrations). One that I knew would take some time, but was seasonally appropriate, was the Hazel Corylus avellana. I drew the leaves and nuts from reference gleaned from a local hedge, and […] Read more

Botanical Illustration: Sketchbook studies

Posted on 31st July 201513th December 2018 in Illustration techniques

A sketchbook is a vital part of both the drawing and the learning process for me. Being asked to consider my relationship with them recently by Illustrator Magazine has made me pause. It’s not something I’ve thought about before, but it has made me realize just how vital these tools are to me. This blog […] Read more

Botanical Illustration: Working from Photo reference

Posted on 10th July 201513th December 2018 in Illustration techniques

As a natural history illustrator, you often get asked to complete botanical illustrations of plants which aren’t in season, or bloom. This is where sketchbooks, filled with notes prove invaluable. But what if you’re asked to illustrate a botanical subject you’ve not got notes on, and which you can’t get hold of? Use a photo. […] Read more

Biolblitz at Llanbwchllyn Lake

Posted on 3rd July 201513th December 2018 in Scientific Illustrator out and about

As a natural history illustrator, it’s inevitable that I’m passionate about wildlife. Wildlife close to home is especially appealing, so when my local Wildlife Trust, RWT offered a “Focus on Nature Bioblitz at Llanbwychllyn Lake” I had to go along. I love the wildlife trusts, and this is a perfect example of why. What is a bioblitz? “Bioblitz” […] Read more

Illustrating at the National Botanic Garden of Wales

Posted on 26th June 201513th December 2018 in Scientific Illustrator out and about

My botanical illustrations have just appeared in The Garden Forager by Adele Nozedar, so we were honoured to be invited to the National Botanic Gardens of Wales to celebrate its launch. We also took part in a foraging weekend. Setting up in the Botanic Garden’s Glasshouse The event was based in the glorious glasshouse, and I have rarely been prouder […] Read more

Crickhowell Art Trail

Posted on 12th June 201513th December 2018 in Scientific Illustrator out and about

Taking part in Crickhowell Art Trail It’s been a busy few weeks for this natural history illustrator. Hay Festival, demonstrating at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales (more of which next week), and illustrating and meeting the public during Crickhowell Art Trail. Bookish is a wonderful independent book shop in Crickhowell. They asked me to be […] Read more

Illustrating Invasive Plant Species

Posted on 4th June 201513th December 2018 in Showcase of themed natural history illustrations

Natural history illustrators have to do natural science and botanical illustrations of both beneficial and of problematic invasive species. Many times, the reason a plant or animal is causing problems within an ecosystem is because it doesn’t belong in that system. It hasn’t evolved in equilibrium with the other species there, and thus out-competes them. […] Read more

Botanical illustration: Mosses

Posted on 8th April 201512th December 2018 in Biological terminology: Definitions

Natural history illustration involves drawing subjects (like mosses!) that you’re not entirely confident about. Recently I completed illustrations of two moss species for The Field Studies Council. I was lucky enough to find both species growing on my local churchyard wall, but before drawing them I needed to revise my moss anatomy. Many years ago I […] Read more

Using Negative Space

Posted on 27th March 201510th December 2018 in Illustration techniques

Natural history illustration requires the illustrator to draw accurately and with confidence, and using negative space can help with this. It’s a tool I use every day. The easiest way to think of negative space is as the space between and around objects; the triangles between spokes of a bike wheel, the ovals in the […] Read more