Botanical Drawing

Paperbirch

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Jan 6, 2001, 9:45:58 AM1/6/01

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Greetings,
I'd like to learn to do some botanical drawing. Can anyone
recommend a good reference book or guide?
Thanks,
Elaine

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Wakefield

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Jan 6, 2001, 2:00:15 PM1/6/01

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I'd've loved to have seen that question (and had my present interests)
about 10 years ago when I was doing cubscouts. At that time we were deep
into the crafts, and I had a source of inexpensive art books.
There was a series by Walter Foster Publishing- 'How to draw (and paint)'
various things- I bought anatomy, faces and features, heads, heads2,
figures, cartoon animation, etc. Hoping my kids would take off with it (they
didn't) May have been that they had botanical illustrations.
It's a cheapo approach, but look at an (arts and) craft area. Also, adult
ed frequently has some art offerings.
One of the foresters I am on a website with does some very nice flower
art a la Georgia O'keefe. I will see if I can remember to ask him for any
refs. Meanwhile, can you post back here if YOU find something in the
meantime?
--

-- L Wakefield, owner and operator of the beastly truck heretik, that
refuses to stay between the lines when parking --
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HHerbalOne

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Jan 6, 2001, 5:29:38 PM1/6/01

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>From: Paperbirch paper...@my-deja.com

>I'd like to learn to do some botanical drawing. Can anyone
>recommend a good reference book or guide?
>Thanks,
>Elaine

I do botanical drawings and the best approach is looking. Just get out there
and start. It's training the eye to see the individual plant/flower/bud/seed
case/root, etc. It doesn't hurt to look at what others have done for technique
and approach, either. I colletct many drawings from different eras (there are
tons on the web), just to see how others handle it with different media. But
look, look, look-start with one leaf, one stem, make zillions of sketches.

I did this with my kids each summer. We would go on our "Science Walk," and
each would pick a plant (weed) to bring home, and then they would draw it.
Trained them to actually "see" what they were looking at.
Delightful drawings.

H.

Wakefield

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Jan 6, 2001, 8:09:03 PM1/6/01

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One thing about a leaf- it won't be a perspective drawing, but you can
lay it flat and trace it, sketch in the veins- and that would give you the
2-d basis. Then you have held it and made the first transformation to the
paper.
--

-- L Wakefield, owner and operator of the beastly truck heretik, that
refuses to stay between the lines when parking --

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Paperbirch

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Jan 7, 2001, 12:40:40 PM1/7/01

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One thing about a leaf- it won't be a perspective drawing, but you can

> lay it flat and trace it, sketch in the veins..

This is a great idea. So obvious, but this will help me to learn
to focus and see what's there, not what I think is there. I'll try it.
It's also nice to know there are others out there drawing. Thanks for
the encouragement and ideas. Any favorite illustrators? Once my
interest grew, I found a new appreciation and respect for Redoute.