The Process of Illustration
Lizzie works traditionally, by hand.
After researching the species she’s illustrating, she gathers reference (preferably specimens not images)
Working from a variety of sources, and being sure to emphasise species-specific traits, she draws up her illustration in pencil
Once the client approves this, she’ll complete the illustration in tonal pencil, pen and ink, pen and ink with watercolour wash, or full watercolour
Botanical Illustrations in Watercolour
Lizzie starts by plotting in her dark areas, then blends to lighter colours.
Finally, she picks out her darkest shadows with a deep mix of purple and blue
For more detailed information, check out her step by step blogs
Botanical Illustrations in Pen and Ink
Lizzie begins by drawing in pen and ink outlines
Next, she plots in the darkest areas with patches of solid ink
Finally, she blends these sharply distinct areas with endless stippled dots
If required, she’ll apply a top wash of watercolour
For more detailed information, check out her step by step blogs
Animal Illustrations in Watercolour
Working with specimens from her freezer whenever possible, Lizzie carefully colour matches paint to fur or feathers
Using lots of tiny strokes to add texture, she plots in her darkest shadows
With paler, diluted tints she blends these to lighter colours.
A top wash unifies the illustration and adds vibrancy
Lastly, she plots in the darkest shadows with a deep mix of blue and purple
For more detailed information, check out her step by step blogs
Animal Illustrations in Pen & Ink
First, Lizzie draws in the outlines
She next blocks in the darkest shadows with solid ink
Stippling, she tries to create an easy visual transition between dark areas and the white page
A top wash of colour can be added once the ink is dry
The process is very similar to her botanical pen and ink work
Watercolour Landscape Illustrations
Working from a client list, Lizzie collects species info and visual reference for all the plants and animals involved
Pencil roughs help position each species in the landscape
A more detailed pencil version is sent to the client, with annotations
Once approved, Lizzie “colours in” from distant landscape to foreground
She completes all the plants first
Finally, she will add the “jigsaw pieces” of the animals
For more on this process, check out the following blogs:
Illustrating a Coastal Hay Meadow
Illustrating a Water Meadow Landscape
To see Lizzie’s work as she completes it, follow her on Instagram
She often posts photos of her works in progress in her “Stories” and has links to her blogs, many of which are step by step explanations
Booking for my 2026 illustration workshops @CambridgeUniversityBotanicGarden are now open.
The first is:
Pen & Ink stippling workshop March 24th - 26th
https://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/.../pen-and-ink-stippling.../
The second is:
Painting Blue flowers May 20th - 21st
https://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/.../painting-blue-flowers.../
And the final one is a day of grasses July 7th:
https://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/.../courses/drawing-grasses/
This is the only teaching I`m planning on doing in 2026, and I`d love to see you there!
(Copy the links or visit CUBG education page to book)
#stippling #botanicalillustration #sciart #paintingplants #teaching #botany
This is the endemic Bottlebee Melipona lautipes, on a Tridax daisy. This endearing bee is from Montserrat in the Caribbean.
It`s pouring with rain here, so I`m posting a summery insect illustration to remind me of tropical sunshine
The bottle bees have no sting, are fluffy and friendly, and make nests in the shape of bottles. What`s not to love? I was lucky enough to see them going about their business, visiting flowers, when I visited Montserrat back in February
#bottlebee #naturalhistoryillustration #sciart #naturalscienceillustration #melipona #bee
Latest blog is all about illustrating thebeautiful grasses of Montserrat for UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum and Montserrat National Trust
https://lizzieharper.co.uk/2025/11/grasses-of-montserrat-and-the-eastern-caribbean/
Grasses are amongst my favourite subjects, so this was a dream of a job.
#botanicalart #botanicalillustration #sciart #Poaceae #graminaceae #montserrat
These are Red-rumped agouti, Dasyprocta leporina nobelie.
They fill the same ecological niche as rabbits, and are a common sight in Montserrat, grazing on grasses and fallen fruit.
As with all mammals, the challenge is to build enough colour and texture into the fir using tiny brush strokes.
Other challenges include figuring out the anatomy of the feet and the ears, and trying not to give the animal a n expression.
I have failed on the last point. One looks scared and hopeful, the other looks irritable. What can you do?
These are one of the 17 illustrations I completed for the UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum for Montserrat earlier in the month.
#naturalhistoryillustration #naturalscienceillustration #nature #agouti #dasyprocta #sciart #montserrat
Lizzie Harper Newsletter October 2025
Take a look, October`s newsletter is out. Fancy catching up with what Lizzie`s been working on, accessing her films and blogs, and having the chance to buy originals? You know where to look...
Well, that`s this week done.
For various reasons I had a whole lot to get through, and I`ve managed to knock out 16 full watercolours in one week. Very pleased, relieved, and surprised.
They need tweaking, scanning, cleaning and filing. But getting them done means I can start on the next set on Monday.
(I`ll probably post them separately at some point, so you can see them a bit clearer. Suffice to say they`re all animals from Montserrat and, even at high speed, were a total joy to work on.
#naturalhistoryillustration #sciart #notahobby
My latest blog is out, it`s on the Lamiaceae, or Dead-nettle family of wildflowers:
https://lizzieharper.co.uk/2025/10/wildflower-families-lamiaceae/
It`s one of a series on common flower families I`ve been doing, featuring my botanical illustrations and attempts to simplify the complexities of botany and classification.
So come and have a look at the mints, bee-balm, dead nettles, and wild thyme that feature in this family; and learn what features put them all under the same classification umbrella.
#wildflowers #wildflowerfamilies #botany #botanicalart #botanicalillustration #sciart #naturelovers #flowerart #illustration
Had a excellent weekend painting a penny bun Boletus edulis fungi & a Rosy button one, and chatting to @fungitownhay visitors in @haycastletrust in Hay.
My mate @emanations_myth filmed me at work in a borrowed (appropriately themed) shirt.
It was such a hrwat event, such passion for all things fungi, such hard work from @puffinsmithofficial and so so many others to make it happen.
So much going on! Fungal hats, tables of foraged beauties, the whole town full of fungal themed shop windows, amazing art installations, hundreds of visitors, talks and films, so much humour and fun...
I even got to drive the glorious bonsai exhibits of @mycomyth home afterwards (an honour, but super scary).
Thankyou everyone involved
#fungi #hayonwye #fungitown #botanialillustration #boletus
Sketchbooks
Most of Lizzie’s work is done direct to order
However, when she gets the chance she loves sketching for pleasure
Below are some pages from her sketchbooks
