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Botanical Illustrations: Design the most beautiful, everlasting Garden Blog

May 26, 2022

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How do you draw Botanicals

Botanical illustration can be defined as the art of drawing the plant's shape, color and detail. Illustrations of botany are essential in the field of natural science as they reveal the unique characteristics of every plant, and also what distinguishes them from other illustrations.

Step 1: Collect Inspiration

It is also possible to take your own reference photos. If you are taking photographs, make sure to be as close as you can but keep your focus. If the background is clear, however the plant isn't on the foreground, you can try setting a blank paper or notebook cover in front of the plant. If you're taking photos of plants at the arboretum or botanical gardens It's also a great idea to snap a picture of the signs that identify each plant to ensure that you don't forget what they are later.

Step 2: Practice With the Sketch of a copy

Through the sources you gathered in Step 1, find the botanical drawing (rather than an image of the plant) that you are drawn to and you'd like to create. One of the best ways to learn to do drawing botanical illustrations is to replicate good illustrations. It is important to remain original in your finished pieces of art, especially when any of them are going to be used or displayed commercially, when sketching and working out your ideas you can copy the illustrations of others for personal use. Just don't pass the copies to others as original works!

Choose a basic illustration starting with something which has basic linework, and isn't too tiny or too big and detailed. In this stage it's all you need the sketch pad as well as drawing pencils and an eraser.

Step 3: Make a Drawing From Your Reference Photograph

After you've had some practice using your sketch copy It's now time to draw the actual thing. Using your reference photo to guide you, begin with sketching out the basic forms and lines using light pencil strokes. Pay careful attention to the scale and composition when drawing leaves, the branches, as well as general designs.

After you've drawn the basic shapes and lines, start paying more attention to specifics which make your plants unique. Look closely at the shapes of the flowers and leaves: Do they have sharp lines or curly edges? Deep lines or subtle ones?

Step 4: Do a Line Drawing in Pen

When you're satisfied with the sketch you've drawn, bring in a pen to make the sketch more bold. You may either sketch further than the lines in the sketch with a pencil or in case you're comfortable with sketching the entire thing over again, use your pencil sketch as a guide but start on a new piece of paper with pen.

The next step - applying watercolor paints or other mediums to the botanical design is optional, but it is a good idea to try it, you should make sure the pen you use during this process is water resistant.

Step 5: Add Your Style and Personality to the Illustration

Step 6: Include the name of the plant

Finish off by adding your botanical title of the plant in the bottom corner of the page as well as your signature and date if you'd like.

Make Yourself a Garden

The natural world is endlessly gorgeous, and you do not necessarily have to visit remote lands for the inspiration. You might be surprised how much beauty you'll find right outside your back door!

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