Botanical Illustrations

History and Process

Albrecht Dürer

Botanical drawings in situ, in their natural habitat.

His watercolors mark him as one of the first European landscape artists.

16th Century Artist

Pierre-Joseph Redouté

Marie Antoinette’s court appointed garden painter.

This type of botanical painting is considered plant portraiture, with a white background.

Botanical painting in the early 1800’s was a reaction to the impressionistic style where detail and accuracy were sacrificed for effect.

Scientific Approach

This formal style of botanical art arose from the need to identify plants accurately at a time when many explorers, often accompanied by an artist, were sailing around the world and returning with new seeds and dried specimens.

What You’ll Need“Bad workmen always blame their tools.”

Graphite pencils: Grades F, HB, or H (no B’s); or a mechanical pencil if you can control pressure.

2. Professional technical or illustration pen (black ink). The ink is waterproof, lightfast, and dries immediately.

3. Color Pencils including a neutral brown. Always work from light to dark, building layers of pigment to create the color you want.

4. Optional: watercolor brush. Used sparingly and as a wash.

Drawing Techniques1. Hatching: Method shading in closely set parallel lines.

2. Cross hatching: To mark or shade with two or more sets of intersecting parallel lines.

Above: Layering color pencils using the cross hatching method

3. Stippling: To draw, engrave, or paint in dots or short strokes.

CompositionConsider your format before drafting your composition. If you have a tall specimen, a vertical format (a.k.a. portrait) is necessary.

However, if you have a shorter specimen, you may want to consider a horizontal format (a.k.a. landscape).

Should you decide to dissect your plant and include it in your illustration, consider the shape of your plant and it’s parts. Don’t forget you can utilize negative space to include information too!

Focal Point, Center of InterestNotice how the center of interest is framed by several smaller buds. It is also not dead-center, rather it’s off to the side creating visual interest.

However, the other parts of the plant allow the eye to move around the image. The viewer isn’t stuck inside the focal point.

This visual trick of moving the eye around the painting is called movement.

High ContrastAn easy way produce a successful focal point is by creating high contrast and great detail in the area of interest. Used in this way, contrast can excite, emphasize and direct attention to desired points of interest.

Contrast: A large difference between two things; for example, hot and cold, green and red, light

and shadow.