illustration Archives - Page 2 of 3

Trees: English Oak

Posted on 8th January 2021 in Trees

I’ve been working on illustrations for “The Tree Forager” by Adele Nozedar, due to be published in August 2021. It’s inspired me to have a look at a few of my favourite trees. The English oak is the first in the series. The English oak Quercus robur truly is an iconic tree. English Oak is […] 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

Comparing Periwinkle Species

Posted on 27th November 202027th November 2020 in Botany: Telling species apart

Periwinkle species feature on the list of a recent job of invasive plants I’ve completed for FOR Sweden. I’m very fond of these plants; that warm, mauve blue coupled with the glossy green leaves makes for a pretty garden plant. It was a pleasure to spend time comparing the Lesser periwinkle, Vinca minor (a problematic […] Read more

Comparing Common and Japanese Hops

Posted on 16th October 202016th October 2020 in Botany: Telling species apart

A recent job involved highlighting differences between the Japanese hop Humulus japonicus, and the Common hop Humulus lupulus. Sketchbook study of the Common hop Overview of Hop plants Hops are members of the Cannabaceae family, and are native to the Northern hemisphere. There are three species of hop, and any number of varieties of the Common […] 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

Comparing Goldenrod Species

Posted on 28th August 202028th August 2020 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

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

Unexpected Thrills: Adventures of an Illustrator

Posted on 31st July 2020 in Uncategorised

Unexpected Thrills: Adventures of an Illustrator is a blog about some of the more unexpected events that have happened to me in the line of duty. Let’s take just three; The Lilac Debacle, Fear of the Buffalo, and Finding a Scab. The Lilac Debacle This exploit has a moral which, put simply, is Do Not […] Read more

Illustrating a Wild Welsh Meadow of Butterflies

Posted on 16th July 202016th July 2020 in Current projects and news

Illustrating a wild Welsh meadow complete with clouds of butterflies was a wonderful commission. Not only do I know the location well, but the landscape was a leaving present for the director of Radnorshire Wildlife Trust, who is a good friend. He’s obsessed by butterflies, so including a whole ton of these seemed sensible. Working […] Read more

Sketchbook illustrations of Invasive Plants

Posted on 3rd July 2020 in Current projects and news

I’ve recently completed work on a series of sketchbook illustrations of invasive plants. The client is FOR Sweden, and the botanical illustrations will be used on a big poster at a horticulture conference. Project overview There are eleven plants in total, and each species needed certain aspects illustrating. In all cases I need to supply […] Read more

Save the Bees: How to Make Your Garden a Bee Haven

Posted on 24th January 202019th June 2020 in Uncategorised

Save the bees and make your garden a Bee haven! This week’s Guest article provided by Oscar Owens. There are very few small creatures that make the headlines, but bees are one of them. Unfortunately, it’s almost always negative news. That’s why people keep asking: ‘how can we make our garden a safe haven for […] Read more

Illustrating Butterflies Workshop

Posted on 10th January 2020 in Painting workshops

Illustrating butterflies is wonderful, but has its challenges. I recently taught a two day workshop to Northamptonshire Botanical Artists’ Society which focused exclusively on painting these gorgeous insects. Introduction to Butterflies We began with handouts and an introduction to the variety of insect life. Touching on complete and incomplete life cycles, we also learnt their […] Read more

Pen and Ink Illustrations of Trees

Posted on 11th October 201924th February 2022 in Illustration techniques, Showcase of themed natural history illustrations

The Living Wisdom of Trees: Commission In the summer, I completed more than a hundred pen and ink illustrations of trees for “The Living Wisdom of Trees” by Fred Hageneder. The commission involved illustrating 54 species of fully grown tree, along with details such as blossom, leaves, or fruit. Illustrating the botanical details was […] Read more

Pen and Ink Illustrations of Tree Details

Posted on 11th October 201911th October 2019 in Illustration techniques, Showcase of themed natural history illustrations

The Living Wisdom of Trees: Commission In the summer, I completed lots of pen and ink illustrations of trees and their details for “The Living Wisdom of Trees” by Fred Hageneder. The commission involved illustrating fully grown trees, along with details specific to each species such as blossom, leaves, or fruit. I’ve written a […] Read more

Foraging with Kids at Hay Festival

Posted on 28th August 2019 in Painting workshops

Foraging with Kids Workshop at Hay Festival: Setting up Back in May, Adele Nozedar and I ran a workshop at Hay Festival. We aimed the workshop at children and their parents, and included foraging and drawing activities. We were also there to promote out book, Foraging with kids, and had a lovely banner that […] Read more

Drawing for beginners: Learning plants

Posted on 5th October 201814th January 2019 in Illustration techniques

I was recently asked to write a few words about how drawing plants helps you to learn about them for a lovely new book I’ve illustrated, and how even if you’re not confident, or have never tried drawing from life before, turning your hand to a bit of basic botanical illustration can be very worthwhile. […] Read more

Gardening: An Eco-Friendly Lawn by Gus Stewart

Posted on 21st September 20187th May 2019 in Scientific Illustrator out and about

This blog is guest-written by Gus Stewart, who generously wrote another blog on the importance of bees recently. In light of the hot, dry weather we had here in the UK at the start of the summer, here are his tips for the garden for the next time the weather burns hot. All illustrations by me, Lizzie. Maintaining […] Read more

Guest Blog: Seven drawing exercises by Nathan Hughes

Posted on 21st July 201813th May 2022 in Illustration techniques

This week’s blog is all about ways to hone your drawing skills, and is by guest blogger Nathan Hughes. I’ve provided the illustrations, and my annotations on Nathan’s blog are in italics. 7 Simple Drawing Exercises to Help Improve Your Illustrations Are you looking to improve your drawing skills? The typical advice is “just practice.” However, […] Read more

Starting out as an illustrator: Advice and resources

Posted on 10th January 20172nd July 2020 in Scientific Illustrator out and about

As a practicing natural history and botanical illustrator, I sometimes get asked to give advice to those starting out as illustrators, or considering this as a career path. This happened recently, when I went and spoke to a group of illustration students at Hereford College of Art and Design. Here, in a nutshell, is what I […] Read more

Garden Illustrations for National Geographic books

Posted on 22nd January 20163rd March 2020 in Current projects and news

I was recently excited to get a commission in from National Geographic Books in the US. They needed a series of full-colour garden plans; showing plants, and possible planting schemes for wildlife gardens. They will be used in a book promoting wildlife gardening, “Birds, Bees, & Butterflies”. One plan would show a garden designed to encourage birds, […] Read more

Natural History Illustration at Art in Action

Posted on 24th July 201513th December 2018 in Scientific Illustrator out and about

I was honored and delighted to be asked to join the Calligraphers and Illustrators this year at Art in Action. It’s an annual event at Waterperry Gardens near Oxford. Being a demonstrator gives me the chance to sell my original illustrations and cards to the thousands of visitors who attend this amazing event. I also got to demonstrate how […] 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

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