PencilA4 Paper/card...MATERIALS PencilA4 Paper/card - watercolour paper is lovely to use but can be...

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BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATIONS Drawing and painting from plants develops observation skills and greater knowledge of the topic. You can label your drawings scientifically in as much detail as you like. Pencil and watercolour are good mediums to use because they are used by botanical illustrators to capture the texture, colours and detail of plants MATERIALS Pencil A4 Paper/card - watercolour paper is lovely to use but can be expensive. Card or thick paper is a good alternative. A flowering plant* Watercolour paints plus the tin lid or a plate for mixing colours Pot of water Brushes ideally soft ones; one large and one small Paper towel for dabbing brushes dry and for removing paint from the paper’s surface when it is still wet *As observation is key to this exercise having plants to look at is really important. If possible having real examples with buds/flowers and maybe even roots is the best option. Make sure you only dig up plants where you have permission. If you don’t have any plants available there are photographs you can use on pages 3-4.

Transcript of PencilA4 Paper/card...MATERIALS PencilA4 Paper/card - watercolour paper is lovely to use but can be...

Page 1: PencilA4 Paper/card...MATERIALS PencilA4 Paper/card - watercolour paper is lovely to use but can be expensive. Card or thick paper is a good alternative. A flowering plant* Watercolour

BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATIONSDrawing and painting from plants develops observation skills and greater knowledge of the topic. You can label your drawings scientifically in as much detail as you like. Pencil and watercolour are good mediums to use because they are used by botanical illustrators to capture the texture, colours and detail of plants

MA

TERI

ALS ■ Pencil

■ A4 Paper/card - watercolour paper is lovely to use but can be expensive. Card or thick paper is a good alternative.

■ A flowering plant*

■ Watercolour paints plus the tin lid or a plate for mixing colours

■ Pot of water

■ Brushes ideally soft ones; one large and one small

■ Paper towel for dabbing brushes dry and for removing paint from the paper’s surface when it is still wet

*As observation is key to this exercise having plants to look at is really important. If possible having real examples with buds/flowers and maybe even roots is the best option. Make sure you only dig up plants where you have permission. If you don’t have any plants available there are photographs you can use on pages 3-4.

Page 2: PencilA4 Paper/card...MATERIALS PencilA4 Paper/card - watercolour paper is lovely to use but can be expensive. Card or thick paper is a good alternative. A flowering plant* Watercolour

These resources were developed by Toya Walker for House of Illustration

*Extra Watercolour tips:

Watercolours need lots of water. The finished look should be washes of transparent colour and it is nice to be able to see the pencil lines you have drawn through the watercolour washes.Most tins of watercolours will contain black and white paints. It is recommended that you try not to use these colours at all. The best way to create white, in watercolour painting, is to leave the paper uncoloured. To make other colours paler, simply use more water/less paint. To create dark colours close to black try mixing colours (eg dark brown and dark blue).All paint, whether it just has water added, or if it is being mixed with another colour should be transferred to the paint tin lid (or a white plate) before painting with it. This gives better control of how light or dark the paint is, and keeps your paints clean.When watercolours are wet the colours will run into each other on the paper which can be used to create interesting effects, but if you do not want colours to mix, make sure you let one dry before applying the next.

Method:

■ Start by looking! Observe the plant and identify any features you know - roots, buds, flowers, stem, leaves etc. (they will look different on every plant). Think about the shape of the plant and decide which way round your paper should be: if it is short and wide your paper should be landscape, if it is tall and thin it will need to be portrait.

■ Begin to draw your plant using a pencil, focusing on the outlines not shading. Remember to look as closely as possible at your plant.

■ When the drawing is complete you can add colour and tone with watercolour paints* - keep looking carefully at your plant and try to mix colours to record it as accurately as possible.

■ When the whole plant is coloured, let it dry, then using a blue-grey colour you can add another layer where the plant is in shade or where it casts a shadow.

■ FInally you might want to label your plant or do some extra studies of small details.

Page 3: PencilA4 Paper/card...MATERIALS PencilA4 Paper/card - watercolour paper is lovely to use but can be expensive. Card or thick paper is a good alternative. A flowering plant* Watercolour

Buttercup

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Page 4: PencilA4 Paper/card...MATERIALS PencilA4 Paper/card - watercolour paper is lovely to use but can be expensive. Card or thick paper is a good alternative. A flowering plant* Watercolour

Welsh Poppy Cranesbill