botanical illustration Archives - Page 7 of 8

Illustrating a Butterfly Bouquet

Posted on 6th March 20157th December 2018 in Zoological step by step

I’m often asked to combine botanical art with scientific illustration. This butterfly with bouquet wings took this to a new level! Begin by drawing your Butterfly The client sent me a rough visual, and asked me to combine features of a butterfly with a Victorian style bouquet. Species and details were up to me. Well, […] Read more

Illustrating higher plants in a graveyard

Posted on 13th February 20157th December 2018 in Current projects and news

I’ve recently been working on natural history illustrations for The Field Studies Councils publications department, in this case for a fold out chart of plants commonly found in British graveyards. Last week I took a look at some of the lower plants we can expect to find in our local graveyard; this week it’s the turn of the […] Read more

Illustrating lower plants in a churchyard

Posted on 6th February 20157th December 2018 in Current projects and news

Natural history subjects to draw and paint abound. Many relish the tranquility of the British churchyard. The Field Studies Council know this, and have recently commissioned my botanical illustrations for a fold out chart. Lower plants love the damp stone of a churchyard. You find many ferns across the UK in churchyards and cemeteries, including this Hart’s […] Read more

Botanical Illustration: Ivy

Posted on 22nd January 20157th December 2018 in Botanical Illustration step by step

I recently got to illustrate common Ivy Hedera helix. I’m often asked to do botanical illustrations of this plant, and always enjoy it enormously. Reference is so very easy to come by! I had look on the wall at the back of the garden, and decide the shape of this Ivy sprig is perfect; fluid but […] Read more

Botanical Illustrations and Christmas decorations

Posted on 19th December 20146th December 2018 in Current projects and news

As a maker of botanical illustrations, and someone who loves colour and decorations; I enjoy Christmas as it allows me to bring botanical subjects into my home. This weekend saw the family heading off to choose a christmas tree. Once set up at home, there were plenty of off-cuts. As in previous years, these get […] Read more

Inspirations – John Ruskin

Posted on 5th December 20146th December 2018 in Scientific Illustrator out and about

A recent talk on the botanical illustrations created by John Ruskin was informative and inspirational. The Ruskin Library Illustrations by John Ruskin are from the fascinating collection at the Ruskin Library, Lancaster University, which is open to the public. In a full hall in Gloucestershire, members of IAPI (Institute for Analytical Plant Illustrators) and the Gloucestershire Society for Botanical […] Read more

Step by Step Fly agaric fungus

Posted on 7th November 20145th December 2018 in Botanical Illustration step by step

Natural history illustrators are quick to paint specimens that turn up on their doorstep. So when Dave Prescott of Herefordshire New Leaf appears with a beautiful fly agaric fungus (Amanita muscaria) I leap at the chance to paint it. Drawing up the Fly agaric First up, draw it. I want to focus on the stem (stipe), so take […] Read more

Botanical Illustration: Rose step by step

Posted on 3rd July 201430th November 2018 in Botanical Illustration step by step

I love the series of 50 natural history illustrations (done in a sketchbook style) needed for the follow up to The Hedgerow Handbook by Adele Nozedar. This rose is one of the plants on the list. The book is “The Cultivated Forager”, and will tell you what and how to eat common garden plants. Preparing to paint This week […] Read more

Botanical Illustration: Why it’s still relevant

Posted on 7th March 20143rd December 2018 in Illustration techniques

Why use botanical illustration? I recently read a good blog by Susannah Spier. She argues that botanical illustration still matters. I agree strongly with it. It’s the basis of this week’s blog. It’s a relevant question. There are so many good ways of recording botanical subjects with digital devices. Why should the traditional skills […] Read more

What to illustrate in Winter

Posted on 22nd February 201427th November 2018 in Current projects and news

Botanical and scientific illustrators are bound by the seasons. It’s our quiet time in winter. Everything flowers in a mad rush in May. I hear natural history illustrators across the land wailing because there’s never enough time to draw the profusion of flowers in season before they go over. It’s a similar scenario in autumn, […] Read more

Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus natural history illustration by Lizzie Harper

Botanical Illustrations, a Sparrowhawk, and some Butterflies

Posted on 22nd November 201326th November 2018 in Current projects and news

Botanical illustrations Commission by Rodale I’ve just finished a whole set of botanical illustrations for “Rodale’s 21st century Herbal” by Michael Balick; a mix of full watercolours like this cross section of an Echinacea; pen and ink with colour wash, like this sheet of seeds and fruit; step-by-step gardening illustrations like this layering of marjoram, and a bundle […] Read more

sweetpea, sweet pea, Step by step, process, tutorial, how to, art teaching, art tutorial, sxs, sketchbook, sketchbook study,

Step by step – Painting a Sweet Pea

Posted on 19th July 201315th November 2018 in Botanical Illustration step by step

I’m currently working on a series of sketchbook style illustrations of common cultivated garden plants (like the sweet pea); there’s a possibility these will illustrate a book on foraging in the garden in the next year or so. One of the plants needing illustrating was the sweet pea. While visiting a friend, I espied her sweet peas, […] Read more

Step by step, process, tutorial, how to, art teaching, art tutorial, sxs, sketchbook, sketchbook study,

Step by step sketchbook study of a rose

Posted on 12th July 201315th November 2018 in Botanical Illustration step by step

I recently did a botanical illustration sketchbook study of a rose for a natural history illustration project I’m working on. This proved really tricky; partly because the flower and foliage were very dense and lush, but mostly because by the end the rose had shed all its petals! Step 1: Set up the Rose and […] Read more

Botanical Illustration: Tips on mixing greens

Posted on 9th March 201325th October 2018 in Illustration techniques

This week I’ve been mixing greens and painting ivy leaves, as have many members of the Botanical Art for Beginners group. Comparing the dark greens of an ivy leaf with those of a yellow butterwort leaf got me thinking. A crash course in mixing greens could be handy. Watercolour paints First, I think it needs […] Read more

Deer illustrations, watercolours, ducks, and snow!

Posted on 21st January 201318th October 2018 in Current projects and news

Tweaking the Deer illustrations There were some alterations required on the Whipsnade Zoo finals, oh the joys of process white gouache. Here are the “before and after” shots; see if you can tell what’s been changed… For more on this job, check out my blogs on the deer, the mara, and painting a hog deer. […] Read more

Botanical illustrations, coccolith, and a peacock

Posted on 14th January 201318th October 2018 in Current projects and news

I have finished the last of the illustrations for ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, and am just waiting to hear if any alterations are needed before sending them off. By far the hardest illustration in the set was the pair of peacock, whose complexity dwarfed any of the deer and antelope. Peacock trouble I think the problem with […] Read more

Deer scientific illustrations and a sparrow

Posted on 7th January 201318th October 2018 in Current projects and news, Showcase of themed natural history illustrations

This is a half week of work, but I’m pretty pleased with what I’ve got done. I’ve finished the last of the deer for ZSL Whipsnade; a grand total of eleven animals. If you’d like to see them all in one place, I’ve popped up an album of them on my facebook site: Deer and Antelope […] Read more

Botanical illustration of hawthorn berries y Lizzie with her paintbox

Step by step Botanical illustration of Hawthorn berries

Posted on 1st January 201317th October 2018 in Botanical Illustration step by step

In this blog I’ve broken down the steps involved in painting the berries of the Hawthorn Craetegus monogyna. This approach works just as well for any red shiny berry, although you’ll need to take care with what hue of red you mix. The real secret to getting these berries looking properly shiny is to ensure you […] Read more

Christmas botanical illustrations

Posted on 19th December 201211th January 2019 in Showcase of themed natural history illustrations

I’ve not been working this week, it’s the holidays. There are five illustrations outstanding for the Whipsnade Zoo commission, but the deadline isn’t for a fortnight so I’ll have plenty of time to complete them ahead of schedule. Instead, I’ve assembled a variety of seasonal illustrations, done over the years. Christmas plants There are lots […] Read more

Mara, wallaby, and a christmas illustration

Posted on 19th December 20123rd December 2018 in Zoological step by step

Christmas is coming! This week has been rather more to do with preparing for Christmas than illustrating. However, I have completed the remaining four roughs of deer for Whipsnade Zoo, and painted a mara and a Bennet’s Wallaby. Mara The mara is an animal that I’d not heard about until this commission came through. I took […] Read more

Deer, camel, and a yak

Posted on 17th December 201222nd November 2018 in Current projects and news

Hog Deer I’ve been working on the Whipsnade Zoo commission this week, and enjoying it. I got a fair amount done, too, which is good. Here’s a picture of the hog deer in progress, showing how I paint by layering up the different tones of the fur in tiny brush strokes. And here is the final. […] Read more

Natural history illustrations for ZSL

Posted on 9th December 201218th October 2018 in Current projects and news

I thought this week would be exclusively about marketing and getting more than 400 Christmas promotional cards featuring my illustrations in the post; however, it’s proved a little more interesting than that. ZSL Whipsnade zoo I got a commission from ZSL Whipsnade Zoo to paint illustrations of ten antelope species, and three other creatures. I’d never heard […] Read more

Ash die-back, framed illustrations, and a fish

Posted on 3rd December 201217th October 2018 in Current projects and news

Framed Illustrations I picked up two illustrations from my excellent framing workshop Fitting Frames this week. I also had a jigsaw of the Waterbugs and Dragonflies illustration made up. The painting is destined for a house with small children in, so I’ve included that in the photo too. Paintings that have been sold I sold a […] Read more

RHS day out, a lizard, and a magazine

Posted on 26th November 201218th October 2018 in Current projects and news

RHS Library trip This week was mostly spent away from the studio. On Wednesday I had a day trip to the Lindley Library at the RHS in London. Our group, The Institute of Analytical Plant Illustrators (IAPI) were given a tour of some of the wonderful treasures held there. Seeing the original paintings done by heroes such as Ehret, […] Read more