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| 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.
- A variety of tree leaves to include in your journal
- A flowering branch of Bouvardia
- A flowering Asimina Triloba
- Flower of Abutilon Insigne
- Swamp Rose Mallow
- Poplar blossom and leaft for you to color
- Water lilies floating in a pond
- Oak and Maple Leaves to Color
- Opium Poppy to Color
- Garden Anemones to Color
- These peony would be fun to color...
- A Evening Primrose for coloring
- Mistletoe for coloring
- Color Jasmine or Wild Crab Apple
- Bignonia to include in your collection
- Color a Cotton Plant for Botanicals
- Evening-Star Flower for Coloring
