online tutorial Archives

Sycamore Tree step by step

Posted on 6th December 20196th December 2019 in Botanical Illustration step by step

Sycamore trees can have distinctive shapes, and be well loved by those who recognize them. This is why I was commissioned to illustrate a large Sycamore tree growing in the churchyard of All Saint’s Church in Slingsby, North Yorkshire. The tree that dominates the graveyard was to be the centrepiece of a new interpretation board. […] Read more

Desk with finished botanical illustration, sweet peas, and paint box

Step by Step Everlasting Sweet pea botanical illustration

Posted on 26th July 201924th January 2023 in Botanical Illustration step by step

Sweet peas are beautiful flowers, and a joy to paint. This blog is a step by step guide to painting the Two-flowered Everlasting Sweet Pea Lathyrus grandiflorus. About Sweet peas Members of the legume family; Sweet peas are classed alongside peas, gorse, beans and lupins. Lots of food crops are members of this family; alfalfa, […] Read more

Step by Step pencil illustration of a bean leaf

Posted on 29th March 201811th January 2019 in Botanical Illustration step by step

Using Pencil to understand tonality In order to complete a decent botanical illustration, you need to understand about lights and darks. You must be able to see where your shadows fall. One of the excersizes I recently got my flower painting workshop to try was to complete a detailed pencil study of a relatively simple […] Read more

Step by step botanical illustration of a Holly leaf

Posted on 15th December 201710th January 2019 in Botanical Illustration step by step

As it’s Christmas time, I thought it might be a nice idea to do a seasonal step by step blog. Holly leaves are one of the few winter subjects that look just as good in the middle of winter as in summertime, and since they’re pretty easy to come by and defiantly seasonal, I chose […] Read more

Step by step Painting Bloom on a Fruit

Posted on 30th November 20179th January 2019 in Botanical Illustration step by step

In this blog, I’ll go through the steps involved in creating a life like botanical illustration of a fruit with a “bloom” or cloudiness on its skin, such as these Sloes (Prunus spinosa). These feature on a series of stamps completed for Jersey Post in their Fruit and Berries issue, out now. (Click here for a […] Read more

Step by step Great Willowherb

Posted on 19th May 20178th January 2019 in Botanical Illustration step by step

One of the botanical illustrations I was recently commissioned to complete for the Field Studies Council is the Great willowherb, Epilobium hirstutum. This will feature in an upcoming leaflet on Wayside wild flowers. Here is an explanation of the steps involved in creating a botanically accurate illustration which is also visually appealing. It needs to allow a novice to identify […] Read more

Botanical Illustration of Red Clover- step by step

Posted on 20th April 20178th January 2019 in Botanical Illustration step by step

This botanical illustration of Red clover Trifolium pratense was completed recently for the Field Studies Council who are producing a leaflet on identifying plants and wild flowers of the wayside and hedgerows. You’ll see the same basic approach is taken with all my step by step blogs; it’s only the details and colours that very. Gathering reference […] Read more

Botanical Illustration: Step by step Sphagnum moss

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

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

Botanical Illustration: Step by step painting of leaves

Posted on 18th November 201619th December 2018 in Botanical Illustration step by step, Illustration techniques

I recently taught a workshop of botanical illustration of leaves. I broke down the process of painting a leaf into incremental steps. these were shown on a demonstration painting of a blackberry leaf. Demonstration illustration showing different steps involved in painting a blackberry leaf. There’s also a breakdown of the colours used to mix the greens […] Read more

Natural History Illustration of the Goshawk

Posted on 8th January 201618th December 2018 in Zoological step by step

After a lot of recent botanical illustration, it was a treat to be commissioned to do an ornithological natural history illustration of the Goshawk Accipiter gentilis for a private client. The Goshawk is a gorgeous bird of prey, and has long been used in falconry. They’re really hard to spot, and are fearsome predators. (A recent and […] Read more

Step by step Elder

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

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

Natural History Illustration: Step by step Parrot

Posted on 13th November 201512th June 2019 in Zoological step by step

As a natural history illustrator, I get asked to do botanical illustration, entomological illustration and recently, to complete an ornithological illustration of the Yellow Headed Amazon Parrot Amazona ochrocephala oratri for a friend, who has one as a pet. Getting reference The first step is always the same, get the reference ready. In this case my client wanted […] Read more

Nasturtium, sketchbook study, Garden forager, Tropaeolum, watercolour,

Step by step Nasturtium illustration

Posted on 27th September 201326th November 2018 in Botanical Illustration step by step

I need to paint a nasturtium! We recently got the wonderful news that The Cultivated Forager (follow up to Adele Nozedar’s best-selling The Hedgerow Handbook) will be published, probably in late 2015. Working on a list of illustrations This means that I have to get painting; 49 garden plants to illustrate in the sketchbook studies style, which is […] Read more

Hawkmoth, lepidoptera, Achenrontia, deaths head, deathshead,

Scientific Illustration of a Death’s Head Hawkmoth

Posted on 3rd August 201321st November 2018 in Zoological step by step

I received a private commission to do a scientific illustration of the Death’s head hawkmoth, Acherontia atropos for someone who is passionate about moths. Normally the first step is to get a specimen to work from, but alas in this case there were none at the local museum, and the deadline was tight. Gathering reference I collated […] Read more