Botanical Print Coloring Index

Sample botanical print, hand-colored.

       A botanical illustrator is a person who paints, sketches or otherwise illustrates botanical subjects. Typical illustrations are in watercolor, but may also be in oils, ink or pencil, or a combination of these. The image may be life size or not, the scale is often shown, and may show the habit and habitat of the plant, the upper and reverse sides of leaves, and details of flowers, bud, seed and root system.

       Botanical illustration is sometimes used as a type for attribution of a botanical name to a taxon. The inability of botanists to conserve certain dried specimens, or restrictions on safe transport, have meant illustrations have been nominated as the type for some names. Many minute plants, which may only be viewed under a microscope, are often identified by an illustration to overcome the difficulties in using slide mounted specimens. The standards for this are by international agreement (Art 37.5 of the Vienna Code, 2006)...

       Under this category I will include drawings of botanical studies that you may color, trace, add more visual and written details to in order to create your own collection of prints. Soon you will gain the confidence to draw your own originals for a journal or even to decorate your own home with. Botanical illustrations are also fun to trade and collect with friends and family members.

       In the past, during my summer vacations, I often carried a tablet and art supplies on my husband's fishing and camping trips in order to record wild flowers from the surrounding pastures, river beds and mountains that our family would explore. Drawing and painting nature's small gems is a relaxing and inspiring way to pass the time on a lovely summer day.

1. A variety of tree leaves to include in your journal
2. A flowering branch of Bouvardia
3. A flowering Asimina Triloba 
4. Flower of Abutilon Insigne 
5. Swamp Rose Mallow 
6. Poplar blossom and leaft for you to color 
7. Water lilies floating in a pond 
8. Oak and Maple Leaves to Color
9. Opium Poppy to Color
10. Garden Anemones to Color 
11. These peony would be fun to color... 
12. A Evening Primrose for coloring 
13. Mistletoe for coloring
14. Color Jasmine or Wild Crab Apple
15. Bignonia to include in your collection
16. Color a Cotton Plant for Botanicals
17. Evening-Star Flower for Coloring