How do they work?

Producing botanical illustrations is a lengthy process when narrowed down involves sketching the specimen, transferring the sketch to appropriate paper and finally, detailing the drawing. There’s a range of mediums used in botanical illustration, but I have decided to cover the most common medium, watercolour paint.
It starts with placing your specimen in a vase or a dish lined with damp cotton pad of kitchen roll.
You need to set up your workspace with all the materials required for the illustration. As well as a sufficient light source, coming from the opposite side of your drawing hand, this is because it avoids you casting shadows over the paper.
You begin with sketching the specimen, typically in a sketchbook. Pay very close attention to every single fine detail of the plant, ensuring to draw exactly what’s there. Once you’re happy with the sketch, you use tracing paper to transfer a clean outline to the high gsm paper.
You can mix all your paint shades prior to painting or mix them as you go. The method chosen is often decided through experimenting and finding a system that best suits the individual. When painting you must stay true to the hues, tones and shading that you see in the plant because botanical illustration is inherently scientific and relies of realistic representation of the plant.
A technique often used when using watercolour paint is glazing /washes of colour. This is when you work in layers, waiting for each previous layer to dry before painting the next to avoid bleeding and muddied colours.
When using high gsm, hot press paper, it can get expensive so starting over when a mistake is made can not only be a waste of money but make an ecological impact. Luckily there is a good trick to fixing small mistakes, you use a sharp scalpel to scrape away the affected area, then use a burnisher to smooth the paper back over to avoid paint unevenly pooling at the edges.

What inspires them?

They’re inspired by passion for nature and the accurate recording of plants and by the challenge of perfectly portraying flora; in my experience it’s difficult, time consuming and requires skill. I am inspired onto botanical illustration for my love of science in connection with my deep desire to create art. Others may be compelled to catalogue rare plants, so there’s a record before they go extinct.

Materials, processes and skills required

Drawing Materials:

• Sketching pencils
• Coloured pencils
• Pen and ink
• Sharpeners
• Eraser
• Watercolour paint
and pencils
• Series of different
weight paint brushes

Paper:

• Watercolour paper
(300gm 140lb or
higher)
• Cartridge paper
• Sketchbook for
fieldwork
• Tracing paper

Extras:

• Mixing pallet
• Masking fluid
• Scrap paper to rest
hand on

Set up:

• A light box
• Good lighting
• Smooth flat drawing board
• A container/vase to hold the flora being studied.

For studying the flora:

• Microscope
• Magnifier.
• Ruler
• Geometric measuring set.

Use of technology and image software (such as the adobe programs).
Knowledge of how light works on form.
Knowledge of how form appear as they turn.
Knowledge of perspective and proportions.
Knowledge on how to use a microscope to illustrate the most minute details.
The abilities of drawing, pen-and-ink and painting.
Fine observational skills

Key skill required for this industry

Created by Leonardo Hammersley

@leo.eli.art