For an overview of the other species illustrated, please check out my blog on the Wildflowers of Braunton Burrows.

Star moss

Quite a few mosses look starry when viewed from above.  This is because the leaves at the tip of the shoots curve sharply outwards and downwards.  Often they look very different when dry, which is true for the Screwmoss too.

Heath star moss Campylopus introflexus when wet

Heath star moss Campylopus introflexus when dry

Sand hill Screwmoss

Sand hill Screw moss is quite a distinctive species, which isn’t always the case with mosses.  As with other star-like mosses, it has strongly recurved leaves.  This species also has long hyaline hair points.  The leaves curve out, away from the stem when they are wet.  This gives a star-like appearance from above.  As mentioned, other moss species can also look starry from above, but the colours of the Sand hill Screw moss make this species really obvious.

The leaves at the top of the shoot are a bright green.  These gradually become yellower as you travel down the shoot.  The lowest leaves are dark brown.  In effect, this means the moss is a brown carpet, spangled with bright green stars.  The hair points add to the beauty of this colour scheme.

In the wild, much of the moss may be below ground level, hidden in the sand.  For this reason, it’s probably been overlooked in many localities.  The fact that it’s so unobtrusive when dry could add to this.  However, in the recent BSBI atlas, it’s been increasingly recorded inland, especially in East Anglian areas.

For details on how to identify this moss from the BSBI, check out the link to their online handbook.  I use a lot of textbooks too, when it comes to illustrating mosses.  Trying to tally the characteristics I see with those that are species specific is always a test.  I also use FSC foldout guides.

Sand hill Screwmoss: Dry specimens

When dry, the Screwmoss leaves compress against the stalk of the plant.  This turns the green stars into dried out twists.  They look like off cuts of brown wool, and far less engaging than the wet form.

The hair points stay rigid, so the whole moss looks spiky and scruffy.

Luckily for me, the Sand hill screw moss only rarely produces capsules, so that was one less detail to illustrate.

How to illustrate a moss

I’ve been asked to paint mosses before, and have developed a technique that sort of works.  It has to be said, Ive never painted a moss without the specimen in front of me, and I don’t think I’d be able to.

 I’m very short sighted, so take one contact lens out.  This means the world is very blurry, but I can see up close in immaculate detail.  The other eye remains with a lens in, allowing me to see the paper and paint box so I can accurately mix colours.  You can see my nose is almost touching the specimen (Apple fountain moss) in this photo.

I start by drawing the moss up in pencil, from life.  This is exhausting and has to be done all at once, as I’d never find where I paused if I took a break.  You have to draw enough of the moss to give a proper feel for it, but you really don’t want to draw so much that you’re there for ever.

Screwmoss: Wet and Dry

With the Screw moss, there was the added complication of moisture.  I’d been sent a lovely specimen by Simon Norman of FSC Publications, so I arranged this on a dinner plate.  There was sand with the specimen, so I spread this out below.  I kept one half of the plate really wet.  The other I allowed to dry out completely.  As I drew the wet specimen, I had to continually add water.  The moss began to curl up really soon as the water evaporated.

For clarity’s sake, I inserted a sheet of white paper to isolate the discreet tuft of moss I was drawing.  I also got one shoot and one leaf and drew these under my dissecting microscope. Next I did the same with an isolated leaf.  As described in the handbook, there were indeed colour-less patches of hyaline cells at either side of the midrib.

After submitting the rough, I waited for feedback and kept everything crossed that no alterations would be requested.

The photo below, of Woolly Hair fringe moss, shows how small these illustrations are, and why I need to use a tiny brush.  And why making alterations requires a full re-draw.

Woolly Fringe moss Racomitrium lanuginosum

Adding colour to the screwmoss

It was an enormous relief to get the go-ahead on the moss.

The challenge was to create a suitably complex background to offset the green star tips.  This was done by painting the initial lower stem leaves in golden browns.  Then blocking in the background with a darker brown.  Once dry, I added more layers of leaves and stems to these places between the other stems.  I kept working into these spaces, trying to give them more and deeper layers.

Finally, once this background had enough depth, tone, and texture, I mixed a bright green and added the green shoot tops.

The colour is not entirely true to life.  It’s too bright and too pale.  But had I echoed the actual darkness of the hues, the illustration was have been visually illegible.  A diluted top wash of Dr Martins PH Yellow light ink helped bring the browns and greens together, and added a kick of colour.

Illustrating one shoot and one leaf

This was another challenge,  I’m used to drawing whilst looking through a microscope.  But painting?  There was a lot of staring, colour mixing, checking, staring….  Eventually I got the colours I wanted.  these altered almost for each leaf on the shoot.  Less green at the base, full verdant hues at the shoot tip.

I outlined the hyaline leaf points with a grey paint, and on the leaves I added the side points to them.  These were magnified something like 15x or more.

Again, drawing from life makes this job so much easier.  Figuring out one leaf from the next in a photo would be horribly challenging.

Conclusion

When I was finished, I was really pleased with the results.  The illustration had the thickness of texture and depth of space I wanted, especially in the wet specimen.  The dry version looked suitably twisted and apressed, and I think the substrate added to the feeling of dessication.  The details and dry specimen are illustrated on the same page, the wet one is on another sheet.

These moss illustrations took as long as four of the other botanical illustrations done for the Braunton Burrows wildflowers guide.  But there’s something infinitely enjoyable about having to work and observe extremely hard. I was left with a feeling of a job well done.  And that’s why every time I paint moss, I find myself ready to take on more species.  It’s a challenge, but one that feels possible to overcome.  If you have a specimen right in front of you, and a small enough paintbrush!

Sphagnum capillifolium

For more on my approach to painting moss, check out my earlier blogs,  One on the basic anatomy of moss, another on the processes involved, another on the step by step processes involved in illustrating Sphagnum tenellum, a showcase of my moss illustrations, and another on sketching the Heath star moss Campylopus introflexus.

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Overview of the Carbon Cycle

Reduced to its simplest form, the Carbon cycle describes the flow of Carbon, and the gas Carbon dioxide, through the organic processes that happen in our world.

The Oxford English dictionary definition of the Carbon cycle is, “The movement of carbon through the surface, interior, and atmosphere of the Earth. Carbon exists in atmospheric gases, in dissolved ions in the hydrosphere, and in solids as a major component of organic matter and sedimentary rocks.” So we’re already looking at Carbon in the air, in earth, in rocks, and in water.  As ions in solid and gas form.  Maybe that illustration won’t be so straight-forward after all.

Early thumbnail sketch trying to incorporate the different elements of the Carbon cycle

When plants and animals die, they rot down, depositing carbon into the soil.  This travels and seeps through the soil, and although some is used by micro-organisms, fungal hyphae, and roots in the soil; some turns into sedimentary rocks.  Over time, some will be compressed and form fossil fuels.

Now we need to introduce Carbon dioxide, a gas, into the cycle.  This is exhaled by animals, both below the soil on a microscopic scale, and on land (and in water and air), on microscopic and macroscopic scale. Carbon dioxide (CO2)  is used in photosynthesis.  This image is getting complicated.

Completed tree with roots, fungal hyphae, and leaf litter.  No gas clouds added…yet

The Carbon cycle and Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration

An extra and vital step in the Carbon cycle is the role of both photosynthesis, and respiration.  Photosynthesis occurs within green leaves and produces sugar and Oxygen in sunlight, created from water and Carbon dioxide.  Respiration is practised by all living organisms (including plants) and is almost a reversal of photosynthesis.  Oxygen and sugar are broken down to release ATP (whose purpose is defined in the Encyclopedia Britannica as, “ATP captures chemical energy obtained from the breakdown of food molecules and releases it to fuel other cellular processes.”)  By-products are CO2, and water.

Diagram showing the process of photosynthesis (purple arrows are glucose, red arrows CO2, pale blue arrows O2 and dark blue arrows show water)

Perhaps an easier way of showing photosynthesis is using an entire plant?  At this stage, I’m wondering how to streamline the cycle and manage to show all the elements involved.  Looking at work I’ve done in the past for other jobs (like this leaf and plant diagram) is really helpful, although provides no instant solution to the challenge.

Annotated Photosynthesis diagram using the Japanese Knotweed

Untangling the steps of the Cycle

Having got my head round what needs including, I have to decide the best way to do this.

I want the entire illustration to be more or less cyclical, although it’s not as clean-cut as perhaps an illustration of the water cycle might be.  So the central image needs to be a tree.  Let’s make it stately, with plenty of room under the soil for roots, and enough of a canopy above to give space to include information on photosynthesis and respiration.  I illustrated a tree which will provide the perfect scaffold for the cycle last year.

White Oak Quercus alba with stylized root system

Other images can be shown as vignettes.  It’s important to make this picture visually pleasing as well as comprehensible, so I’ll balance the vignettes.  One on either side below the soil.  A mirrored pair at soil level.  And two overlaid on the tree canopy.  Sounds like a plan.

Vignettes: Below the soil: Micro-organisms

One shows soil micro-organisms.  These use Carbon from the tree and the soil to build themselves.  They also release Carbon when they die, and as CO2 from respiration.  Organisms living in the soil like this are often tiny, and can be simplified to six main groups.  Bacteria, virus, algae, fungi, protists, and nematodes.  It goes without saying that there is vast variety in each group, and these vary from habitat to habitat.

Micro-organisms in the soil

So I show a simplified representative of each.  The virus look like spiky balls.  Bacteria are spherical or rod-shaped.  The fluffy spores and hyphae on the right represent fungus.  Protists are shown by the flagellates in the centre.  Algae are represented by the diatom at the top left and the volvox-like organism by the hyphae.  Wriggling behind, we have the head end of a nematode worm.

Vignettes: Below the soil: Roots

The sister vignette on the opposite side shows a close-up of a root-tip.  It grows (using Carbon), practises respiration (producing CO2) and dies (releasing Carbon).   I can’t really show it dying in such a small space.  I’m hoping accompanying text will cover this.  The root tip cells which slough off should suggest this senescence, if the viewer knows about root anatomy.  Each root cell has a cellulose cell wall, a central space or vacuole, and cytoplasm around the edge.  In truth this is a gross simplification.  Cells in the root tip can become Parenchyma cells, which absorb and carry nutrients.  Or they can be Sclerencyma cells, which form the cell wall.   In the cytoplasmic matrix are all the cell’s organelles, along with a nucleus.

Cellular image of a root tip

The lateral projections are tiny root hairs.  These increase the surface area of the root, and allow for absorption of water and nutrients from the surrounding soil.

At the tip of the root you find the root cap.  This area is vital to plants.  Information as to gravitational and growth response occurs here, along with responses to different external environmental stimuli.  The root cap also protects the growing meristem cells.  Root cap cells are short-lived, being sloughed off  and destroyed as they nose their way through tough soil particles.  In the root cap you also have acidic hydrogen ions.  These break down the soil chemically, which allows minerals and nutrients to be absorbed by the root hairs.  For more on the structure of root tips, please visit the ehow site, or this overview from the Journal of Experimental Biology (June 2015, Kumf and Nowak).

Vignettes at Soil level: Detritovores

Mirrored vignettes at soil level show detritovores which break down Carbon from fallen leaves and twigs.  These are just flipped around the central axis of the tree trunk.  The creatures in this assemblage also breathe, exhaling CO2.  When they die, they release Carbon back into the soil.  And, of course, they use Carbon in the soil to build and grow themselves.

This is my favourite part of the illustration.  I get to cram lots of delicious invertebrates into this vignette.  Despite my best efforts, this illustration only touches the surface of the animals that make their home in the leaf litter and surface layers of soil.  As before, it’s grossly simplified.  Every habitat, in fact every plant, may have a different assemblage of detritovores associated with it.  This activity from Scientific American tells you how to see what decomposers are in your local patch of leaf litter.

Detritovores in the leaf litter

Representatives I include here are based on invertebrates I find most often when scrabbling about in leaf litter.  And ones I love illustrating.  So there are snails and slugs.  Spiders and mites.  We have a woodlouse (I love woodlice as they carry their developing young around with them, slung in a brood pouch).  And an earthworm.  I could have included another Nematode, but the scale made it tricky.  We have ground beetles, some of whom are ferocious predators, capable of slicing a slug in half with one snip of their mandibles.

Earwigs scuttle about, as do the remarkable Psedoscorpions.  There are millipedes and centipedes.

Detritovores that don’t get included

As with all of these vignettes, it has to be simplified.  Remember in fact that even within this assemblage you have herbivores (like the millipede) and carnivores (like the centipede).  Hunters (like the ground beetle and spider) and prey (the slug).  You even have parasitic relationships going on, with mites exploiting ground beetles.

Centipede

Some sources, such as Frontiers, prefer to show the leaf litter as a cycle in its own right.  This makes sense, especially when we remember that there are the same micro-organisms at play in the leaf litter, along with fungal and tree activity.

Lots of fabulous invertebrates, like springtails, thrips and ants, failed to make the cut.  For an overview on detritovores by the Biology dictionary, click here.

Soil level: The importance of fungus

At soil level, other things need to be included if we’re going to see the Carbon cycle as a whole.  Fungus is front and centre.  It’s only comparatively recently that the intense and vital relationship between roots of plants and of fungus is coming into view.  Brilliant books like “Entangled Life” by Merlin Sheldrake have popularised it, and we’re now realising that fungus plays a massive role in allowing communities of trees and other plants to communicate at a sub-soil level.

Irrelevant of communication, fungus are also indispensable to the carbon cycle.  Their hyphae spread out under the soil, going massively further than the surface-level fruiting bodies might suggest.

Fungus with hyphae diagram

These mycelium break down wood and other organic matter.  They can also store and disperse these nutrients.  At this point in my research I also clocked that, if I was going to do this right, I ought to tie in the Nitrogen and Phosphorous cycles.  But you have to draw a line somewhere!  Mycelium move Carbon and other nutrients cover vast networks, using them for their own growth and delivering them to plant roots.  It’s well understood that plant and fungal roots are symbionts.  For more on how these sharing networks can be studies, check out “The role of wood decay fungi in the carbon and nitrogen dynamics of the forest floor” by Watkinson, Bebber et al (2009)

Fungus in my Carbon cycle illustration

I choose a few representative fungal species I see often in leaf litter.  These include notorious wood rotting species like the Honey fungus Armillaria mellea, which attacks living as well as dead wood.  There’s a representative Russula species, and a Shaggy Ink cap Coprinus comatus.

Fungus in the Carbon cycle

I also include the Fly agaric (on the opposite side of the illustration), because it’s so instantly recognizable as “fungi”.  This is disingenuous.  Agarics have lost the enzymes needed to decompose leaf litter, and are wholly reliant on their tree hosts for nutrients.  With the network or entangled roots described above, they’re the epitome of a symbiotic relationship between tree and fungus.  The fungus carry nutrients to the tree, the tree feeds the Fly agaric. (Read more on this on Woodlands.uk blog).

Fly agaric Amanita muscaria

I pop in some representative lichen.  Lichen is a symbiotic organism, composed of algae and fungus (or cyanobacteria).  Their role in the Carbon cycle is less as a decomposer, but more as a Nitrogen and Carbon fixer. They’re vital to both cycles, so need including, but on a diagram of this scale there’s no space to explain that rather than rotting down wood and leaves, they’re more important for their role as photosynthesizers.  The same is true of the tufts of moss I include.

Soil level: Larger animals and death

Obviously, it’s not just the micro-organisms and invertebrates in the leaf litter that contribute to the Carbon cycle.  Larger animals exhale CO2, and when they rot, they’re turned back into Carbon and basic nutrients by animals living in the leaf litter.  Some specialised creatures, like the rather glorious Sexton beetles, have eveolved to fit this ecological niche. I choose a rabbit as my larger animal representative, and just the other side of a log, I add some bones to show how death and decay feed into the cycle.

Bones

Soil level: Leaves

It’s self-evident, but probably worth mentioning that the main component of leaf litter is…leaves.  There are twigs, branches, dead detritovores and a host of other goodies in leaf litter.  But your main component are leaves.  These need to be shown as they rot down, but also falling from the tree, bringing their own personal packet of Carbon to the ground.

Falling leaves adding to the leaf litter layer

I include leaves from other species too, easily representing this in a simplified form by varying the leaf margins.  I make some fresh and green, and others browned or yellowing, referring to the glut of carbon-rich leaves which fall every autumn.

Now, finally, we can cast our eyes upward.

Vignettes at Sky level: Photosynthesis and Respiration

I want to include visual information on Photosynthesis, but representing it in diagrammatic form proves tricky, and too complicated.  This is also true of Respiration.

Initial Thumbnail rough Carbon cycle

I’m relieved when the client asks if we can replace the leaf cross sections you can see in the rough above with the equation for each process.  However, I don’t want the space around each equation to feel dead, so I provide simplified motifs for Carbon dioxide, Oxygen, Sugars (C6 H12 O6), Water (H2O), and ATP.

Simplifying photosynthesis

For the record, the equation for Photosynthesis, which occurs thanks to chlorophyll, in the presence of sunlight, is CO2 + H2O = O2 + C6 H12 O6 (glucose).  Respiration, occurring in plants as well as animals, is O2 + C6H12O6 = H2O + CO2 +release of ATP.  And no, I’m not tempted to get into the details of how turning ATP into ADP gives living organisms the energy they need to exist!  If you want more on that chemical process, also known as Hydrolysis, find it here.

Simplifying respiration

The last thing that needs adding to the carbon cycle illustration is, oddly, a suggestion of day and night.  This is because photosynthesis can only occur in the presence of sunlight.  And, in most plants, respiration occurs mainly at night.  I add a little sun above the Photosynthesis equation, and although I want to add a little moon above the respiration one, this is vetoed by the client.

Done.

Annotated Carbon cycle illustration

Conclusion

So several rabbit holes and a whole lot of research later, I finish my Carbon cycle illustration.  It’s too simple and doesn’t reflect the complexity of nature.  It fails to reference the interactions between the Nitrogen, Phosphate and Carbon cycle.  It doesn’t show the ongoing inter actions on a smaller scale, or how each living animal is exhaling CO2, and rotting down to Carbon after death.  I’ve more or less left out the Carbon getting trapped in soil, and rocks.  I’ve only given a superficial nod to the accumulation of carbon in the soil in rocks which get compressed to form fossil fuels  And when I introduce arrows, I feel the whole image becomes more, rather than less complicated.  But nature doesn’t keep to clean, proscriptive shapes; there are endless exchanges on a smaller level, and fascinating details like fungus, lichen, and insect parasitism to consider.

Finished and annotated carbon cycle

However, as an exploration and an illustration to accompany those four little words,. “illustrate the Carbon Cycle”?  I think it’ll do.

And here it is, on the pages of the Tradgardens Klimatnytta brochure, produced by Riksforbundet Svensk Tradgard.  The brochure will be published soon.

Carbon cycle page from the TRÄDGÅRDENS KLIMATNYTTA brochure, produced by Riksforbundet Svensk Tradgard

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British earthstar Geastrum britannicum

The British earthstar is one of a family of fungus, the Geastraceae.  Related to puffballs, they all have the same distinctive shape, with rays supporting a central spore sac.  There are 15 UK species, and  can be found in the colder months, making them a good target for winter wildlife forays.  Many appear in churchyards, as with our British Earthstar.

They differ in the size and shape and colour of the spore sac, the way the rays (basal supports) present, and in habitat.  For more on UK earthstars, check out the Discover Wildlife magazine article by wildlife author and naturalist Phil Gates.

British Earthstar: Species identification

Our British earthstar has a distinctive brown spore sac, carried high on a stalk above the rays.  There are 4 or 5 rays; these are pale, and recurved, resembling legs. They grow out of matted hyphae and organic matter at the base of the fungus.  The most important distinguishing features of this species are the ring and inner halo around the base of the beak (the pointed bit at the middle of the spore sac).  The beak itself is grooved and erect when fresh, and is “fimbriate”, meaning it emerges from a fringe at the top of the spore sac.

British earthstar Geastrum britannicum

The spore sac sometimes has a mica-like patina on its’ surface, and sometimes a hanging loose collar appears.  Spores are all  smaller than other Earthstars, being 3 – 3.5 micrometers.

It’s easy to muddle up Earthstars, and it’s only when all these indicators are combined that you can assume you’ve got a G. britannicum.  This is especially likely if the fungus you’re examining is growing in a graveyard, and near Yew.

This fungus was only “discovered” in 2015; before then it was probably lumped in with other Earthstar species.  But for now, although mycologists believe it may well be quite common, it has only been recorded on a few UK sites.  Including Cusop churchyard.  It made newspaper headlines when it was first discovered!

For more on this Earthstar check out Jeremy Bartlett’s blog and photos; and for more on the discovery of this species, check out page 9 of the Herefordshire Fungal Survey Group’s spring 2015 newsletter.

Plums and Custard Fungus Tricholomopsis rutilans

This is not a rare or newly discovered fungus, but is beautiful nonetheless.   It’s a member of the Tricholomas family whose members include the Grey Knight Tricholoma pardinum and Coalman mushroom Tricholoma portentosum, among many others.  They grow in woodland, and all have white spores, pale flesh, and mostly carry gills which grow into the stipe.

This species is found across Europe and in North America, and also Australia (where it’s thought to be a non-native introduction).  Like many fungi, Plums and custard are saprophytes, feeding off dead wood.

Illustrating Plums and Custard

Plums and Custard: Species identification

Sometimes known as “Strawberry mushroom”, it has a very distinctive pink-red colouring.  It grows amongst moss, often under confer trees (and Yew).  Large groups are often clustered together, growing in thick green moss and looking very photogenic.

Gills are bright yellow, crowded closely together, and wide; however, the spores are white.  Unlike many other Tricholomas, the gills barely run into the stipe .  The cap colour is  yellow thoroughly speckled with tiny red scales which are often seen emanating radially from the centre of the cap.  The cap itself is convex and domed in young specimens, and flattens with age, occasionally becoming almost completely flattened.

In dry weather, the scales can crack into tiny mosaics of red, exposing the yellow flesh beneath.

Plums and Custard Fungus Tricholomopsis rutilans

Stems are white, or pale, with more red-purple scales, especially towards the base of the stipe.  The fungus smells of rotting wood, and is not considered edible.

For more on this species, please check out the i.d page on First Nature’s site.

Holly parachute fungus Marasmius hudsoni

The first thing to notice about this fungus is how exceedingly tiny it is.  Although considered rare, this is quite possibly because it’s so frequently overlooked.

A member of the Marasmiaceae, it grows on moist old holly leaves, often in the shelter of hedges.

The stems are slender and either clear or flushed red toward the base, and may have long hairs (setae).  The cap is white and convex, although it may flatten with age, and has long setae scattered across it which catch water droplets.  Caps are up to 5mm across, often much smaller.  At the base of the stipe is an area of blackish rhizomes.  Spores are white and tiny.

Unlike many other fungus, it doesn’t necessarily grow in groups, but often has quite a solitary habit.

For more on this beautiful little fungus, please check out First Nature’s page, where you’ll find the fabulous comment:  “Culinary Notes: The Holly Parachute mushroom is so diminutive and insubstantial that any attempt to make even a mushroom morsel never mind a meal would be quite ludicrous.”

Holly parachute fungus Marasmius hudsoni

Conclusion

Doubtless there are many, many other fungi growing in Cusop churchyard.  But these three were flagged up as the most fascinating, and unusual.  What with the rarity of Holly Parachute and Earthstar records, and the beautiful colours on the Plums and Custard, it’s another reminder that we should keep our eyes open when we visit churchyards.  Caring for God’s Acre is a charity dedicated to supporting nature in UK churchyards.  They are well worth investigating and supporting.  I also like their work because I was lucky enough to illustrate the lower plants and common graveyard wild flowers on an identification guide for them!

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I draw and paint a wide range of different species for publishers, charities, packaging, ad companies, and design agencies. I am expected to know something (often a lot!) about the plants and animals I’m commissioned to illustrate.  As well as art school, I was lucky enough to do a Zoology degree, but this was many years ago now and a good deal of what I learned is now out of date.

Why Learn more?

Topping up my botanical and natural history knowledge is vital, and one of the best (and most fun) ways I’ve found to do this is by taking FSC Courses.  The more I know about a plant or an animal, the better able I am to understand it, and fit its form to its function.  More understanding means better natural history illustration.

Illustration of a Tulip with specimen, paint box, and brushes

Over the past ten years I’ve taken a wide range of FSC courses.  In all cases the tutors are enthusiastic and accessible, and the courses have taught me loads.  Everyone on the sessions is fired up with the same passion for nature as me.  It’s a comfortable and fun way to learn.

FSC Courses this year: Ants

This year I’ve fallen head first into loving ants, after a job illustrating the Wood Ants of the Cairngorm National Parks, which made me realise how little I knew about these amazing insects.  One FSC course led to another.  And another.  I’ve now invested in a lovely new microscope and have a three day residential course on identifying UK ants lined up, with Richard Becker.

Shining Guest ant Formicoxenus nitidulus

Other ant experts that’ve got me hooked this year are Gino Brignoli and Mike Fox.  See, that’s another amazing thing about these courses.  You often get taught by experts in the field, scientists and ecologists who are currently working, and provide these sessions on the side.  This means what we get taught is current, and relevant.

I love having the space and time to draw as I look at specimens through the microscope, and having such knowledgeable tutors on hand to help with learning and identification.

Annotated sketchbook page: Formicinae ants have hairs and an acidipore hair collar

The ant courses are part of an incredible array of online and in-person sessions offered by FSC called Biolinks, running from 2018 – 2022.  Funding allowed the organisers to keep costs absurdly cheap, and meant the courses were accessible to everyone.

Other FSC Courses this year

I’ve also taken plenty of other courses not under the biolinks umbrella.

This summer I did a fabulous course on identifying grasses with Fiona Gomersall.  This helped me sort my sedges from my grasses, and rushes.  I also learned how to immediately spot lots of common UK grass species, both in flowering and vegetative states.  This proved massively useful when I taught a two-day botanical illustration workshop on Painting Grasses at Cambridge University Botanic Gardens.

Grasses False Oat Crested Dogs-tail Cocks-foot and Yorkshire Fog

I’ve also taken courses on Social wasps with Ian Cheeseborough, and worms with Keiran Brown; accessing online ones too, on subjects as diverse as the Biodiversity of Knepp, Soil health and dung beetles, and the importance of the Yellow Meadow-ant to ecosystem health.

Earthworm Lumbricus terrestris 

Past FSC Courses

Another great thing about the FSC courses is how widely spread they are, geographically.  They have 24 centres across the UK, and a wide array of courses available at all of them.  I’ve only been to a few sites; but want to take in Slapton Ley in Devon, Rhyd-y-creuau in North Wales, and Millport in Scotland.

In past years, I’ve loved learning about Pollinators down in Bushy Park in London, having a day in Epping Forest learning about bats, learning about Spiders at Bishop’s wood, and doing a residential course on Rocky shore ecosystems at Dale Fort.

Nursery web spider Pisaura mirabilis

The focus on invertebrates reflects my favourite subject area rather than what’s on offer.  And it has to be said that despite them being mammals, I was really pleased to learn lots about bats.  I went with my sister; I bought her the course as a Christmas present and we both had an excellent day learning about how to help bats, UK species, and getting to use bat detectors to tell what species were swooping over a nearby lake at dusk.

Daubenton’s bat Myotis daubentonii

A particular favourite was the Slugs course at Bishop’s Wood with Chris de Feu. Evolution of slugs, slug variety, media misrepresentation of slugs (no, really.  And it was interesting too!), the fact that slugs evolved from snails not the other way around….it totally changed the way I see these maligned invertebrates.

Green cellar slug Limacus maculatus live specimen examining my illustration

The Rocky shore ecosystem course was wonderful.  I learned a ridiculous amount, got to paddle about and find Pipe fish and Blue ray limpets, and chatted with a lot of lovely like-minded people as well as the expert tutor, John Archer-Thompson.

The best bit was that right after the course, I was commissioned to illustrate a Rocky Shore ecosystem for The Hidden Universe by Alex Antonelli, so I had all the information needed at my fingertips.

Rocky shore line ecosystem zonation of species detail

Natural History and Life-long Learning at FSC: I love it!

For me, learning about the natural world is thrilling, and fills me with wonder.  It re-charges my batteries, and helps remind me why nature is so important to me on a personal and professional level.  It’s also very helpful with my job.  I take copious notes when I’m doing courses, and often use these to write up blogs afterwards.  These provide me with invaluable reference when out of the blue I’m asked to illustrate a harvestman, or some sphagnum moss.

Moss: Sphagnum capillifolium

Every year I sit down with the FSC catalogue (or online) and flip through.  It’s like being a child in a sweetie shop.  I set a budget and mercilessly keep to it, despite temptation to throw financial cares out of the window.  Often I feel like doing nothing but courses all year long. (Saying that, the courses offer great value for money, I think, even when not subsidised).  Different subjects appeal at different times.  I’ve barely scratched the surface of the FSC birds, mammals, and fungi courses.

Edible fungi an array of seven edible species including the parasol

I guess that’s what I love about these courses.  There’s always so much more to learn and be inspired by.  It’s so easy to simply sign up and go along.  And change the way you feel about a whole new corner of the natural world.

The post Natural History Illustration and Life Long Learning: The Field Studies Council appeared first on Lizzie Harper.

Sketchbook pages

FOR have commissioned several sets of invasive species over the years, and favour the sketchbook approach.

For me, this is a treat.  Sketchbook studies incorporate all the important aspects of a plant that help you to identify it.  However, you can pick and choose which elements to work up to a finished level.  This gives me an enormous amount of freedom to play about with composition, and to focus on aspects of the plant that really interest me.  There’s a gallery of these on my website, and many originals (including the Heath star moss) are available to buy.

Himalayan Blackberry Rubus armeniacus for FOR

Illustrating Moss

I’ve illustrated moss before, and always enjoy it.  These plants are so totally different from the normal vascular species I illustrate, and that’s one of the things I love about them.  Their details are tiny, which also appeals to me.  Luckily, I’ve got lots of books on moss (such as Mosses and Liverworts of Britain and Ireland by Atherton, Bosanquet, and Lawley) which are invaluable.

Red bog moss Sphagnum capillifolium

Anatomical details that need including are the shoots which emerge from the main body of the moss, sometimes known as the protonema.  Spores and the shoots bearing them (sporophytes) need to be recorded, along with the spore capsules and their hoods (calyptra).  Individual gametophyte shoots also need illustrating. Stems (also referred to as the caulid or axis) and individual leaves (phyllids) need detailing, along with information on the cellular structure of the leaves.

There seem to be quite a lot of different terms for the same structures, depending on which bryologist you ask.  For this reason, do excuse any botanical mistakes I might make in this blog!

Sphagnum capillifolium details

Illustrating these elements requires pretty full on dives into my moss books, and often the community of bryologists on Twitter or the British bryological society help out.  One day, I need to get one of these lovely and eminent botanists to write a guest blog on the theme “Introduction to Mosses”.  It’d be invaluable for me, as well as other moss-dabblers!

Heath star moss: Specimen

The first thing to do is to get my hands on some actual Heath star moss.  I’m extremely fortunate to know one Ray Woods, a top moss expert, who lives nearby.  Despite the world being in Covid-19 lockdown, he found some Campylopus introflexus on his greenhouse roof and sent it to me.

Next, I drew it up in pencil and, once I got the ok from the client, could apply some colour.

Heath star moss: Is it wet…or is it dry?

One of the quirks of this particular species is that it looks totally different when it’s wet and when it’s dry.  When wet, it has a bright green, star-like appearance.

Wet Heath star moss Campylopus introflexus

When it’s dry it looks almost black, and very scaly,  Each phyllid (leaflet) has a long, glassy tip.  These bend at sharp angles when they’re dry.  Tons of these tiny “leaves” with their white, spindly points makes a patch of Heath star moss look almost hoary.  This was an absolute pain to draw, but become easier to understand, visually, once I got some colour on the illustration.

Heath star moss Campylopus introflexus

The two illustrations above are of the exact same specimen.  I didn’t have a lot of the moss, so only broke off a fragment and allowed it to dry in the airing cupboard.  The rest I kept moist as I needed to illustrate details of the spore capsule and phyllids, which are easier to manage when wet.

Heath star moss: Individual shoots

As well as a clump of moss, I needed to include details of the individual shoots when wet and dry.  The main focus here has to be the points.  I’m tempted to call them awns, as one would do if talking about grasses, but am pretty sure they have their own specific name somewhere….  These tips are always bent, but become very recurved when the moss is dry.  It’s a diagnostic of the species; if these spines recurve more than 90 degrees then it’s probably the Heath star moss.

Heath star moss Campylopus introflexus shoots

I also include top views of the shoot (also referred to as a fascicle.  See, I told you there were lots of different words for the same things!), although this didn’t help much with the dry specimen.

To ensure botanical honesty, these illustrations are both pf the exact same fascilce.

Heath star moss: Cellular details

The next challenge was to look at an individual phyllid.  I had access to good microscopic images from the British bryological society, and thanks to Ray I could also get my compound and dissecting microscope out on real specimens.  Knowing I was working with the correct species is more reassuring than I can possibly tell you.  I am forever indebted to ray who has often given me labelled specimens of moss.

Heath star moss Campylopus introflexus microscopic details

So here is an image of an individual phyllid, and its margin under a higher magnification.  I was keen to have the spine clearly included.  Below are some of the British bryological society reference photos I was able to use.

The shape of the cells at the edge of the phyllid is often species specific (as in this case), hence including the detail.

Heath star moss: Sporophyte

Illustrating the sporophyte was much easier.  My specimen had a few spore cases, so I had a look at them under the microscope.  I couldn’t identify or get images of any spores, but decided that didn’t matter too much.  The shape and colour of the spore capsule was the main thing.

Heath star moss Campylopus introflexus sporophyte

I think the stems (caulid or axis) might be more wiggly and curled up when the specimen is dry, but as I didn’t see mention of this in the literature I decided not to make that a focus.

Heath star moss; Habit sketch

The easiest part of this sheet was completing the habit sketch.  I had photos of clumps of this moss, and I had my specimen.  I’ve also got a decent idea of what the limestone substrate it’s growing on looks like.  It was a simple matter of collating these resources.

I added a yellow leaf for scale, and decided pretty fast that the habit sketch would be of the moss when it was wet.  Drawing it dry had already made me come close to despair.  In any case, it looks lovely when it’s wet and far less appealing when dried out.

Heath star moss Campylopus introflexus on stone

Conclusion

When the sheet was done, I was really pleased.  It included all the required details, and hung together (more or less) as a composition.

When I illustrate moss, I take one contact lens out so I can see the detail.  I leave the other one in.  A week of doing this left me with my head spinning (but no headaches, luckily).  I was relieved the commission was complete.

Without Ray and the British bryological society there’s no way I’d be able to illustrate mosses.  And I absolutely am on the look out for someone with the skills and willingness to write a guest blog here on the basic anatomy of moss.

But for now, I just look forward to the next time an email pops into my inbox, asking for an illustration of another species of moss.

If you’d like to see how FOR have used my sketchbook studies, please take a look at the PDFs available on their website.  There’s a list at the bottom right.  Telling which species is which is tricky though, my Swedish isn’t any good at all!

The post Heath Star Moss Sketchbook study appeared first on Lizzie Harper.

Paintbrushes

As with all of these posts, it’s vital to stress that what equipment one uses is a very personal choice, and we often finesse our techniques according to the equipment and brands we use and like most.  I’d love people to add their own favourites in the “Comments” section at the end of this blog, then the post would serve as a much more balanced resource for artists starting out, or for established practitioners looking for new ideas.

There’s also a section where I test several synthetic sable brushes, looking for an alternative to real sable ones.  There’s a film of these trials on Youtube.

Since writing this I’ve done a second comparison blog which you can find here, and associated film here.

Illustrating Rowan Sorbus aucuparia

Paintbrushes

I absolutely love, and have always used, Winsor and Newton series 7 sable paintbrushes.  They’re expensive, yes, but I’m yet to find another brush that comes close to their quality.  They hold plenty of paint.  Their points stay true and tiny.  They rarely shed, and when they do it’s a discrete one hair at a time.  The paint on the handle doesn’t peel or crack off and fall onto whatever you’re doing.  The metal part (the ferrule) never rusts.

Series 7 brushes with another vital tool of the trade, a hand lens

You can get them in “Miniature Painting” and “Round”; I’ve tried both and tend to go for the round ones, simply because that’s what I’m used to.

Size of paintbrush

Size-wise, I do almost all my illustrating with a number 1.  I have a stash of about 10 ready to go at any given time, and work through something like one every 6 weeks.  As I say, they don’t shed much, but inevitably they do suffer from the wear and tear of daily hard use.  There’s no need to dispose of these worn brushes, just use them for more detailed work.  After all, in effect they’ve turned into a smaller size 0!

Comparison of two Number 1 paintbrushes; above is a new one, below is one I’ve been using for 4 weeks

I use the larger number 2 size for looser washes, and have a number 4 and a number 6 for when I do big washy backgrounds (in my landscapes).  These bigger brushes still have good points, and can hold loads of paint, so doing a big area of sky, forest, grass, or fields is possible.

Using a number 4 brush for background washes

As well as my worn and thinned number 1 brushes, I also use the tiny 000 and 00 sizes for painting in almost invisible hairs, and details within flowers.  The tips of these are the ones that make people think you’re almost mad to use them, but they’re vital when getting the minutae down.  I used 00 brushes a lot when illustrating a series of mosses.

A 00 size brush alongside a pencil for scale, and illustration of Woolly fringe moss Racomitrium lanuginosum

Other brands

I know there are other brush brands out there, some of which I’ve tried and some which I haven’t.  A lot of other botanical illustrators really like Rosemary brushes – they didn’t work brilliantly for me, but they’re probably worth trying.  They certainly are good quality, and are significantly cheaper than  Series 7.

I once had a comment questioning the ethics of using sable brushes, and it is true that these brushes are made of sable hair, a species similar to a pine marten.  As a vegetarian committed to all sorts of ecological and environmental causes, I would certainly appreciate having a top-quality, animal-free alternative brush, so if anyone knows of one, please leave a comment.

Completed sketchbook study of hawthorn berries Craetegus monogyna, completed with a well-worn Series 7 no. 1 brush

Synthetic alternatives to Sable

Having written this blog, and following very useful feedback from other illustrators, I decided to try out a handful of high quality synthetic sable brushes.  Not only are these more ethical for a vegetarian such as myself, but they’re also a darned site cheaper!  I filmed these trials, here’s a link.

All the brushes were round number 1 size.

Comparing the points of the three new synthetic watercolour brushes.

The three brands I compared were Winsor & Newton synthetic sable, Rosemary and Co. Spotter Red Dot, and Princeton Aqua elite.  None were appalling, and one came close to equalling my beloved Series 7 brushes.

Synthetics: Winsor & Newton synthetic sable

I was surprised that this brush looked scruffy on removal from its’ tubing.  Working with it, although it did have a point and did hold paint, the brush was too long.  This meant I couldn’t achieve the tight control I require.  The stray hairs didn’t help sell the brush to me.  The handle was comfortable.  Price wise, I found them selling at £5.80 each, or on sale for £4.06.

Close up of the Winsor & Newton synthetic sable brush, with the leaves I painted using it

The very tip of the brush also had a noticeable “hook” which made it hard to get that sharp point.  With the Series 7 brushes, if I roll them into a tip in the wet paint, the point is exquisite.  With this dowdier cousin, I couldn’t get the frighteningly crisp point I look for.

Synthetics: Rosemary and Co. Spotter Red Dot

This brush was definitely my favourite of the synthetics I trialled.  The brush shape didn’t appeal at first – the point of the brush looks short and dumpy.  However, the point was very sharp, and it worked well in wet and dry paint.  it was only when using the brush with extremely wet and pale washes that the point held less well.

Close up of the Rosemary and Co Red Dot synthetic sable brush, with the leaves I painted using it

I was really impressed by this brush, and at a price point of £3.40 each they would be excellent alternatives to a Series 7 brush for those on a budget.

Were I to commit to getting sable out of my life, this is certainly a contender for a replacement.

Synthetics: Princeton Aqua elite

The Princeton Aqua elite had a decent point.  Again, it was absolutely serviceable.  However, the brush felt like it had lateral compression.  It felt flattened, with the associated slight splaying of the point that a flattening brings.   I almost felt that the nib was too long.

Close up of the Princeton Aqua elite synthetic sable brush, with the leaves I painted using it

This feeling of the brush being too long also made me feel uncomfortable using it.  I had to focus and concentrate to ensure I got the crisp lines I was after.  I felt slightly less control that I wanted.

However, as with all things, this could be because I’m used to a shorter-shaped brush.  These things are so very personal.

The price for this brush is £5.80; exactly the same as the Winsor & Newton synthetic sable.

Synthetics: Conclusion

Having tried all three brushes, I attempted finishing the test illustration with them.  It shows how very set in my ways I am that within half an hour I had reverted to the Series 7 brush.

Completed illustration (initially used as a synthetics brush comparison test piece)

These synthetic alternatives are all good.  the Rosemary & Co. brush is excellent.  If I were to commit to sable-free illustration, I’d certainly be investing in some of these Red dot brushes.

Comparison of synthetics and Series 7

Price wise, for anyone on a budget I will heartily reccommend these brushes.  One of my Series 7 brushes costs up to three times the price of one of these – a cool £17.10 cost price (2021 prices).  They can be got on sale for £11, but even at discount that’s a much bigger outlay than for the £3.80 Rosemary one.

For much more detail on this comparison, do check out my Youtube film.

Zen Art Fineline Minature brushes: Trying out a freebie

I was recently sent a set of  ZenART fineline minature paintbrushes to try and review by the manafacturers.   Obviously, the company sent them to me for free, looking for a good review, and some decent social media feedback. I’m a little cynical, so I tried them without a great deal of conviction. It’s important to have full disclosure about these things, I think…

They came in a cardboard box, and inside is a lovely canvas carrying thingy, all bound in red ribbon. There’s a great assortment; riggers, filberts, and angled brush, and several round ones. I only use round ones, so those are the ones I can speak for.

I’m surprised to say they were really good, and potentially a welcome alternative to my beloved Winsor & Newton series 7 brushes. They held their points, didn’t splay, had decent wells to hold paint, and produced consistent tiny lines. The number 2 was good for pale top washes, holding lots of paint and having the required sharp point. Accuracy was good with the number 1 and the 5/0.

They are also synthetic, which is an excellent thing in terms of my feelings about using animal hair to make brushes.

However, by the third of fourth day of use, the tips had become slightly blunted and weren’t holding the crisp point I require.  In every other respect they remained really good; they didn’t shed any hairs, rust, nor discolour.  The paint on the handle remained in place and didn’t peel or crack.  For me, the loss of tip is a deal breaker.  I would suggest folks who don’t need such a precision-perfect tip could do a lot worse than go for these (very reasonably priced) brushes, but if you need a very crisp point then for me, they haven’t made the cut.  But definitely worth a try.#

Synthetic brushes: A hint to help fix hooked tips

This tip has come in from Rebecca, who left this suggestion in the comments section.  Many thanks for sharing it with us.  “Hooks that develop on synthetic bristles can often be remedied by dipping the bristles about half way into a cup of water taken off the boil. Take care not to get the ferrule or upper bristles wet with water this hot or it may affect the glue. The timing varies from 10-30 seconds based on the brand and size. Gently reshape the tip on your thumbnail after heating. While I don’t expect that is an annoyance one would want to deal with during a long painting session, it will at least restore the brush to a usable condition for lighter tasks.”

Conclusion

So there you are.  The easiest of all these equipment blogs.  What paintbrush do I use?  A Winsor and Newton Series 7, size 1.  And no, they don’t pay me or give me free brushes to say this (however, if someone working for the company is out there and has a whole load of brushes they want to get rid of….?)

Mulberry Morus nigra with paintbox and Series 7 brush

Other alternatives are the Rosemary brushes (which some people adore) and the Zen art minature fineliner brushes reviewed above, both of which are a lot cheaper that W&N.  But thus far I’m still to find a real potential replacement for my Series 7s.

You can order these brushes direct from Winsor and Newton, or from your local art shop.  If that’s not possible, look for good online art suppliers like Jackson’s, Cass Art, London Graphics Centre, or Ken Bromley.  In the US I believe Dick Blick  to be a good art store.

The post Equipment: Paintbrushes appeared first on Lizzie Harper.

Plant clamp

These clamps are really helpful.  They clamp to your desk, and the other clamp holds onto whatever specimens you’re drawing, at whatever angle you choose.  They can hold direct to a stem, of to a small test-tube with water in that hold the plant.  They’re also useful if you ever want to film yourself at work.

Get a decent light

The older I get, the mrore important this has become.  I now have a really good daylight LED lamp.  It’s adjustable, and the light can be rotated.  This means you can get the light on your subject swiftly and easily.  Mine is a Daylight Lumi Task lamp.  Not cheap, but invaluable.

Scalpels and cutting mats

When you’re illustrating plants, it’s really important to take them apart to see how they work.  This helps you understand the different structures, and how all the flower parts fit together.  It can also help when you’re looking at fruits and seeds.  Cross sections of flowers and fruit are often a requirement with a botanically accurate illustration, so it’s good to have the right kit available.

Cowslip Primula veris with dissected flowers, specimen, and scalpel

Scalpels are crucial, along with a good cutting mat.  I tend to use “self-healing” cutting mats, which close up after being sliced.  These are mostly blue or green, so when I’m busy dissecting I pop a sheet of white printer paper on top so I can see what I’m doing.  RS make a good range of these mats.

Scalpels come in many shapes and sizes.  I have my posh scalpel, a Swordfish with a number 3 handle.  Then my normal everyday Swann-Morton scalpel with replaceable blades.  The blades I favour are size 10A.  These fit both scalpel handles. I also have lots of craft knives scattered across the studio, and these sometimes get used to help in dissections, or to sharpen pencils.

Scalpels: Swordfish, craft knife, Swann-Morton ACM round handle, Swann-Morton handle no.3, curved blade 20, 10A scalpel blades

It’s a good idea to keep your dissecting scalpels just for dissection.  Blades blunt incredibly quickly.  It’s also worth noting that if you’re trying to cut a section across a leaf or flower, to look at under the microscope, a razor blade is your best bet.  DOuble sided ones are the sharpest, and it goes without saying that a great deal of care is needed both when using and when safely storing these.  Wilkinson sword make good ones.

Pins and Prodders

I’m pretty sure “prodder” is not a technical term, but I use it to describe a rear-mounted needed with a wooden handle.  This tool is properly known as a “seeker” (I think) and is invaluable.  I use it all the time to life the edges of leaves, to move things under the microscope, to hold a bit of a plant in place as I draw it.  A variant on the theme is the dissecting or prepping needle, another useful and similar tool. I’m sure you can buy these prodders separately, but you may as well invest in a dissection kit.  That way you get seekers, scalpels, scissors and forceps all in one handy canvas container.  I like the ones sold by NHBS.

Assortment of tools you might find in a dissection kit.  The prodder is at bottom left.

I use a lot of pins and foam or polystyrene.  This allows me to pin specimens into the correct position when I draw them.  I’ve pinned bat and swallow wings, dragonfly bodies, and leaves that seemed intent of curling up.  You could invest in entomological pins.  These are very slender, so can be used for pinning insects too.  They’re also good to use as “prodders” as they have even finer tips than the wooden handled one.

This bat has its right wing pinned into position with an entomological pin

As well as pins, specimens (especially botanical ones) can be held in place with a bit of blu-tak.

Scissors

A fine pair of sharp scissors is great if you want to neatly remove a part of the flower or plant for a closer look.  Dissecting scissors are good, as are embroidery scissors which often have tiny blades and sharp pints,  Do not use these for anything other than your dissections!  They’ll blunt super fast.

Tweezers

You’ll also need a pair of watchmaker’s forceps.  These have pointed tips, and are an integral part of a dissection kit.  You can sharpen these if needs be on a whetstone.

Measuring

You need a ruler when you’re doing botanical illustration,  You may not be working to scale, and that’s fine, but having a good tool at hand which allows you to compare the lengths of different parts of a plant is vital.  Your eyes can really trick you, especially when it comes to under-estimating the length of a stem. I have a whole range of lovely Rabone rulers.  The longer ones are great to tear paper against, and as cutting edges.  Because they’re made from steel, they don’t get nicked or warp like wooden rulers might.

I also use callipers when I’m illustrating insects, it really helps get the proportions correct.  Mine are made by Clarke precision.

Banded jewel beetle Chrysochroa buqueti rugicollis. This beetle was drawn from a specimen using callipers.

Some illustrators like Proportional dividers, however I’ve never used them.  Others use the cunning trick of placing their specimen on graph paper, so you can easily get the sizes right with minimal disturbance.

Magnifying glasses

These are absolutely vital.  If you’re trying to identify specimens in the field, or if you’re getting a closer look at a plant you’re drawing, you’ll be needing magnification.

Hand lenses (also known as loupes) are great, and relatively inexpensive.  I have several.  In the studio, in coat pockets, in my handbag.  The same is true of scalpels, although it’s really important to remember that carrying any blade is technically illegal.  Not so for the hand lens.  These can be hooked onto a finger, or worn around the neck.  They tend to multiply x10, x15, or x20.  I use mine ALL the time.

A few of my trusty hand lenses.  The one on the left belonged to my father when he studied Zoology at college

They’re made by various companies; Opticron, Kite, and Gowllands.  All are good.

Jackdaw Corvus monedula with painting materials…and a hand lens

I have used a desk magnifier, but this broke.  For a while I used the glass lens, but eventually this too broke, or perhaps it was stolen by the children for some paper-burning excersizes.  Anyway, I know it’s no longer around.

Green cellar slug Limacus maculatus with my illustration and my old hand-held magnifier

I replaced it with a rather good hand-held magnifier.  Eventually this was replaced…with glasses!  Now I have decent reading glasses and a good daylight lamp, I can see much clearer.

Microscopes: Dissecting microscope

There comes a time in a botanical illustrator’s life when you just have to bite the bullet and buy a dissecting microscope.  I use mine a lot.  It’s crucial when looking at tiny things like mosses or the flowers of grass.  There’s a big enough space under the lens to see plenty, and the magnification is enough to make a real difference to the level of detail.  I got mine second hand, which really pushed the price down.  A new one from a decent company like Brunel comes in at about £60 – £100.  You can even buy additional eye pieces to double the magnification.

If you do invest, buy one which has a battery-operated in-built light source.

Dissection microscope in use, along with that old broken lens and my sketchbook

Even flowers you initially think are straight forward can reveal secrets when you get them under the dissecting microscope.  Sorting out the fold of the calyx of a thrift flower was a case in point.  I thought I knew exactly what I was drawing, and then when I double-checked under the microscope it turned out I’d invented bits of the flower!  I rely on my microscope to stop mistakes like this before I get caught out by a client…

When working on the Dewberry stamp for Jersey Post, it was so helpful, allowing me to look really closely at the different undeveloped drupelets of a non-ripened berry, and to figure out the thorn shape.

Microscope in use with the Dewberry stamp

Microscopes: Compound microscope

I also have and use a compound microscope which magnifies up to 200x.  This is good for really intricate details, and when I’m illustrating micro-organisms.  It’s left over from my Zoology degree.  I don’t think I would have purchased one for illustration.  Unless you’re about to start drawing diatoms, rotifers, and tardigrades I think you should be ok without one of these.  Saying that, they are a fascinating insight into the surprising details of the natural world.

Diatoms seen through the compound microscope

Microscopes: Digital microscope

A friend has just lent me her digital microscope as I’m currently busy illustrating ants.  One of the species is only 2mm long, so the microscope helps.  I’ve not got used to using it yet, though.  I keep worrying about where the eye-pieces are…

My microscopes: Clockwise are the Digital, Compound, and dissecting microscopes

Other useful things

Photos are helpful for reference, and most phones now come with decent ones.  Make sure you can take close-up shots though.  If you can’t you can buy adapters to help with this.  Mine is a Victising 3-in-1 camera lens.

Microscope slides are useful and cheap.  You can put a piece of sellotape (sticky side up) onto the slide, then have an immobile and perfectly positioned specimen to draw.

Lots of work and drawing equipment on the desk

Conclusion

A lot of the science-based equipment is pretty obvious.  Only a few items cost more than a few pounds (like the microscope) and even these can be found for lower prices second-hand.  It’s not to much a list of what you need, as a list of things that will simplify your illustrating life, and make life easier for you.

If you have any beloved bits of kit I’ve not mentioned, f4eel free to share it in the comments box.  I’m sure I’m missing all sorts of helpful hints and tricks of the trade – let’s share what we know!

The post Equipment: Magnifiers and scalpels appeared first on Lizzie Harper.

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 past few weeks.

Moss specimens in storage

Below is a gallery of some of the moss illustrations I’ve completed so far for this job.  This blog is more of a “what I’ve been up to” posting than a mossy step by step, or blog on moss anatomy (although I’ve written blogs on both of these topics in the past.)

The Process of illustrating tiny Bryophytes

With all these mosses, I worked tiny – each illustration is about 10cm square.  I use 000 Winsor and Newton Series 7 brushes on Fabriano Classico hot press paper (a side note here, this used to be my paper of choice but recent alterations in manafacturing means the paper is now much more absorbent and far less crisp.  I’m trying out alternatives such as Arches and Moulin du Roy, we’ll have to see what I can replace it with!)

I’m very short sighted, so am painting the detail with one contact lens out (for getting lost in the minuatae of each leaf) and one contact lens in (so I can mix paint and see where the water pot is!).  Although somewhat disconcerting and dizzying, this approach seems to be working out well thus far.

One of the first mosses I painted was the bright green Fountain apple moss, Philonotis fontana.  It was a straight forward specimen, simple to see individual areas of the moss, and fun to get involved in the tousled mass of hairs at the base of the shoots.

Fountain apple moss, Philonotis fontana

Difficult Bryophytes: Heathland plait moss

I had a lot of trouble getting the pencil rough of the Heath Plait Moss, Hypnum jutlandicum correct.  Somehow my specimens and my drawing failed to capture the right feel of the plant.  I got the go-head, but still am less pleased with the final of this species than of some of the others on the list

Heath Plait Moss Hypnum jutlandicum

The detail of Hypnum jutlandicum was a little more satisfying.

Pointed spear moss

Pointed Spear moss, Calliergonella cuspidata, was a joy to paint.  The tip of each shoot is decidedly pointy (hence the name), and the whole plant is a refreshing bright green.

Pointed Spear moss Calliergonella cuspidata

Wooly fringe moss

The easiest moss to paint thus far has definitely been the instantly recognisable Wooly Fringe moss, Racomitrium langionosum.  This species has long, clear toothed apexes to each leaf, which make it look like the moss clump has grown a luxurious white fur coat.  Since white in watercolour painting comes from leaving the paper blank, this was an easy effect to achieve, and the moss illustration felt like it had a lovely flow as I completed it.

Pencil rough of Wooly Fringe moss, Racomitrium langionosum

The final was interesting mainly in trying to get the correct shade of green, greyish and yellow, but not too brown.

Wooly Fringe moss Racomitrium langionosum.

Sphagnum mosses

Next came the Sphagnum mosses, a law unto themselves.  these glorious bog and wetland byrophytes are like cushions, highly absorbent, and sumptuous, often blanketing swathes of upland.  I love them especially because they gave me the chance to use all sorts of magenta, pink, and crimosn colours that I normally only break out for the blousier flowering plants, or the occassional stem.  The entire plant of the Megallanic Bog Moss Spahgnum magellicum is a wine-red crimson, what a treat.

Megallanic Bog Moss Spahgnum magellicum

The Sphagnum mosses involved extra work, not only the habit illustration from above and details of individual shoots and leaves (showing how they attach to the stem), but also a side view.  Teasing out a few shoots from the mass for this was a touch tricky, but rewarding, I love how the green tinge appears in the areas hidden from the light.

Detailed side view of Megallanic Bog Moss Spahgnum magellicum

Another Sphagnum moss tinged with red is Spahgnum capillifolium rubellum.  Again, painting this beauty was a joy.

Spahgnum capillifolium rubellum

Painting the individual shoot and side view of this moss was a treat, gentle gradations from green through pink the a dark crimson.

Spahgnum capillifolium rubellum details

Not all Sphagnum mosses are tinged pink, one of the others on the list, the Soft Bog Moss Sphagnum tenellum is a tiny little moss, all green and golden.  It has been the most detailed moss to paint, but a treasure of a plant.

Soft Bog Moss Sphagnum tenellum

To show what I mean when I mention the additional details, here is the same moss with all it’s associated visual information.

Soft Bog Moss Sphagnum tenellum with diagnostic details.

For a detailed step by step on how I tackled this lovely golden Spahgnum, please check out my blog.

Bryophytes still needing to be illustrated

There are a handful more mosses to do; two are still being scrutinized at rough stage by the botanists at The Field Studies Council, two are in the “to do” pile, and one is mid painting as we speak.

Moss painting in progress, the Rusty Hook Moss Scorpoides revolvens

Detail of olive green leaf tips of Rusty Hook Moss Scorpoides revolvens, the rest is a dark red brown.

I am loving these mosses, they are one the toughest challenges I’ve ever had; the combination of a need for absolute botanical accuracy, the minute scale, and the importance of correct colour is exhausting, in the best possible way.  Each moss final takes three or four times as long as the more conventional flowering plants I take, and I know that to many the finals illustrations aren’t nearly as appealing as a poppy or a heather might be.  However, I am loving pushing myself, and am falling hook line and sinker for all things mossy.

The post Beautiful Bryophytes: Botanical moss illustrations appeared first on Lizzie Harper.

The first step is to get your hands on the moss itself; drawing mosses is so unusual and new for me that unless I have a reliably identified specimen to work from, there’s no way I can even begin an illustration of the species.  I’ve been incredibly lucky in having the support of Ray Woods (Radnorshire Wildlife Trust botany and mycology expert) and Jonathan Sleath (British Bryological Society), both of whom collected and delivered samples for me.

Drawing a moss

Drawing up the pencil roughs of the mosses required a different approach from my normal atonal line drawings, this is because the moss makes very little visual sense without shadows, so each pencil rough is almost a finished tonal study.

Pencil rough of Sphagnum tenellum

Getting into the detail of the bryophyte was a challenge, until I took my contact lenses out (I’m very short sighted).  Suddenly, by peering closely and getting right down to the moss, I could see every tiny detail of the plant, and just drew what I saw.

I also made sure I was “seeing” the plant correctly by checking for distinctive and species-specific traits with a couple of brilliant reference books; Mosses and Liverworts of Britain and Ireland: A Field Guide by Ian Atherton, Sam Bosanquet and Mark Lawley, The Moss Flora of Britain and Ireland by Smith, and British Mosses and Liverworts by E.V. Watson.

Adding colour to the Sphagnum

Once I got the go-ahead on the roughs, I started by delineating the edge of each leaf of the moss in various shades of green.  S. tenellum is a very yellow species, tinged with orange (but also green at times), so I used a variety of hues.  Without my trusty Winsor & Newton series 7 sable paintbrush (sizes 1 and 000) this would have been impossible.  The brush holds its point, and enough paint, like no other paintbrush I’ve ever used.

Delineating the leaves of S. tenellum

Because I was mixing colours in the paint-box and looking closely at the moss specimen (and my drawing), I put one contact lens in (so I could see what colours I was mixing) and left the other out (so I could focus on the minutae of the plant.)  An odd approach, but it was really effective!

I made sure one area of the moss was significantly brighter and lighter than the rest of the clump.   I hoped this would help give it depth, and convey the cushion-like habit of the Sphagnum.

S. tenellum with all the details outlined

Next I added colour to the background; again, this was a mix of greens, yellows and ochres.

S. tenellum with spaces between the moss stems blocked in

Adding depth to the Sphagnum clump

I applied a very pale yellowish wash to the whole clump to try and unify it, but left the top of the clump on the right hand side white – this is the area that needs to look raised; by putting a wash there I’d have flattened it.

S. tenellum with wash applied

Back to the background of the clump, and I picked out the darkest areas of shadow with a mix of browns and blues.  Although this gives the moss clump substance, it also knocks back the more subtle detailing done with lighter colours.

S. tenellum with dark areas of shadow picked out

Another layer of wash is applied to the picture, this time making the different colours of the areas of the moss more distinct (and still leaving the raised area white).

S. tenellum with a second layer of wash applied

At this point I was beginning to wonder if the moss would ever look right, so I had a cup of tea and a 5 minute break.  When I came back, I noticed the flush of red around the tips of the shoots, so added a suggestion of this to the painting.  Instantly the illustration was improved.

S. tenellum with red added to the shoot tips

I was feeling a little more cheerful by now, so happily worked further into the darks with greens, browns, blues and reds.

More tonality and detail is added

I considered leaving the pale areas on the right of the moss white (they looked good on the paper), but when I scanned the illustration they stood out and looked forced and clunky.  I added a very pale top wash of yellow ochre which knocked them back without swallowing them up.

Adding botanical details and final touches

The last step was to illustrate the associated diagnostic structures, and a side view.  Compared to the main clump this was straightforward (although I was still working very small).

Final Sphagnum tenellum

I won’t pretend that working on these moss botanical illustrations is easy, but it is incredibly rewarding, and I am becoming quite passionate about the glorious variety and intricate details of these stunning lower plants.

The post Botanical Illustration: Step by step Sphagnum moss appeared first on Lizzie Harper.

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 publications department who I’ve worked with before (see my blogs on Churchyard plants and edible plants).

When confronted with a list of 15 bryophyte species, the first thing to do is to gather reference.  FSC supply a species list along with important diagnostic features, but I need more than that to work with.

Getting reference for mosses illustrations

FSC Species and diagnostics chart

Luckily, there’s a magnificent website for anyone keen on lichen, liverworts and mosses ; namely the British Bryological Society. Not only do they give lots of information, photos, and a reading list, they also have the entire “BBS Mosses & Liverworts of Great Britain & Ireland – A Field Guide” (currently out of print) available to download.  I worked the second hand shops of Hay-on-Wye and soon had my reference books sorted.

Moss Reference books

This is not enough though; for a total beginner with mosses.  I had to get my hands on specimens.  Luckily, through contacts at Radnorshire Wildlife Trust and the Hereford Botanical Art Group, I was able to approach Jonathan Sleath and Ray Woods.  Both of these eminent experts had plenty of other tasks.  Extremely generously, they went out into the field and collected me bags of lovely (and correctly identified!) moss.

I’m keeping all the specimens, and taking a little of each for long-term storage in tupperware.

Moss storage

Without this resource I wouldn’t have been able to begin drawing up these divergent and beautiful plants.

Some species weren’t immediately available; Ray lent me his herbarium specimens, dried in labelled envelopes.  It’s easy to reconstitute these by adding a little water; after use you dry them out and return them to their envelopes.

Rehydrated Sphagnum magellicum and Sphagnum tenellum mosses.  (Worth noting that when fresh, S. magellicum is the colour of red-wine, S. tenellum is a bright green.)

With my live material, list, and moss bibles sorted, I could begin drawing.

Illustrating the mosses

Illustrating Scorpidium cossonii

I use Fabriano Artistico hot press paper and a mechanical pencil (Pentel P205 with HB lead).

The immediate problem was that mosses are so tiny I can’t see them.  I’m incredibly short-sighted, so took out my contact lenses.  Result!  By drawing nose-to-moss, I could get all the detail I needed, especially if I used a torch to light up the intricate strands making up the thicket of moss from which individual shoots emerge.

Using a torch and no contact lenses to get up close to Scorpidium cossonii

Each illustration requires a habit sketch (what the plant looks like in the wild), an individual shoot of moss showing branching and typical growth pattern, and a close up of one leaf.  The latter meant my lovely dissecting microscope has been extremely busy over the last few weeks! (Sorry about the odd angle of the next photo.)

Using a dissecting microscope to see individual leaves of Racomitrium lanuginosum

Once completed, I take innumerable photos of the moss habit and individual shoot I’ve just illustrated.  This should help with colour-matching once I get to work on the watercolour finals, although more than ever I notice the discrepancy between a real living specimen and a printed photo of the same thing.

Scorpidium scorpoides

Illustration and specimen of Scorpidium scorpoides

Each drawing takes about 6 hours; far longer than my normal pencil roughs.  I am also worried; in order to know where I am in the moss clump I’ve had to execute tonal studies.  How on earth will these be transformed into full watercolour once I get the go-ahead?  We’ll have to wait and see.

Hypnum jutlandicum

Hypnum jutlandicum Heath Plait moss (rough)

This moss, Hypnum jutlandicum, has evaded me.  This is my third attempt to capture the vital characteristics that make the plant “feel” like H. jutlandicum.  Many thanks are due to Ray who not only gives me support and feedback, but has collected me this moss for me on two separate occasions.

I was surprised but how engrossed and how firmly in love I fell with these mosses; I really enjoyed the enormous challenge of illustrating them.

Scorpidium cossonii

Pencil rough of Scorpidium cossonii alongside specimen, scalpel and Pentel pencil

I have sent off scans of these roughs to FSC, to Ray Woods, and to Jonathan Sleath for feedback.  This is, for an illustrator, always a terrifying time.  It’s perfectly possible every single moss will need a complete re-draw.  Obviously, I really hope not; but I accept that all feedback and comments received will need to be taken on board, alterations are a vital part of the process, and I’m incredibly grateful to FSC, Ray, and Jonathan for taking the time to look and give advice on these pencil roughs.

Sphagnum magellicum

Sphagnum magellinicum Megallanic Bog moss pencil rough

Once I get the feedback, I’ll begin the painstaking process of revising, and then of painting these beautiful lower plants.  I just hope I can do them justice!

Racomitrium lanuginosum

Racomitrium lanuginosum Wooly Fringe moss pencil rough

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