As a botanical illustrator, your role is to accurately draw all the features of plants to be used for all kinds of different publications or displays. Your sketches will require flawless attention to detail and scientific accuracy to represent the natural environment. A Botanical Illustrator is a sub-set of Nature Illustrators [Biological or Scientific Illustrators].

Nature illustrators use various techniques to depict plants and animals that are life-like and accurate. A nature illustrator - sometimes called a biological or scientific illustrator - creates images of wildlife and plants using a variety of digital and traditional methods. These may include inks, oils, pencils, acrylics, graphics software and watercolors. Nature illustrators may work with specimens, which must be handled delicately. They may sometimes be required to use partial specimens in order to illustrate entire subjects. The main responsibility of a nature illustrator is to create images that can be used as educational tools; therefore, illustrations must be accurate and look natural.

In addition to illustrating plants and animals, nature illustrators may also create maps and charts that depict species information. Their work is often used in natural science publications, such as journals or textbooks. Nature illustrations are also used in websites, audiovisual presentations and museum displays.

Botanical illustrators use their accurate drawing talents to portray plants for scientific purposes. This may be for various reasons such as specimens being too small to mount on slides, recording endagered
species or to replicate the natural world around us. Botanical illustration is the accurate pictorial depiction of plants and plant traits for a scientific purpose, as opposed to flower painting, which has no further purpose than to be admired. The emphasis of botanical illustration is on science rather than visual art. Botanical illustration is always a true and lifelike representation of a plant. ​It should highlight a plant's particular distinguishing features which enable botanists to tell one plant from another.

Botanical Illustrator - Lucy Smith - working
2nd Prize Winner of the Margaret Flockton Award
(Source: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)

 

ANZSCO ID: 232412

Alternative names: Nature Illustrator, Scientific Illustrator, Biological Illustrator, Botanical Artist,

Specialisations: Australian Natives,

Media categories:

• watercolour painters

• pen and ink artists and illustrators​

• charcoal & pencil painters

• traditional fine art printmakers​

Knowledge, skills and attributes         

Standards for contemporary botanical illustration tend to be set by the professional botanical illustrators who work for the botanical gardens and professional publications. This technical artist spends her workday sketching and painting flora in minute detail -- from the tiniest vein to the most colorful blossom. To work as a successful illustrator in this industry, you need detailed knowledge of plant anatomy as well as keen artistic talent.

You also need to be:

• a self-starter

• good at working largely on your own

• a nature lover

• able to put detail into your drawings and have a number of drawing skills to be a professional botanical illustrator.

• able to sell their artwork via art galleries or direct to clients

• successful in developing art business skills

 You must love both nature and detail and have a number of drawing skills to be a professional botanical illustrator. Skills required include:

• how light works on form

• how forms appear as they turn

• how plant material looks as it is coming at you or going away

• knowing how to represent both form and articulate how it moves in space very clearly - with no ambiguity

• technically realistic in image-making

• proficient in use of a technical pen

• use of technology and image software.

Did You Know?                                                 Jenny Phillips - CAMEO This excerpt is taken directly from Australia Post - 2017 to celebrate three stamps (Source: Australia Post) Founder/Director of The Botanical Art School of Melbourne, Australia. She's also a Fellow of the Linnean Society and has won the Celia Rosser Award. Exhibited at the 10th International at the Hunt. She has work in the Hunt, the Shirley Sherwood Collection, the Highgrove Florilegium and the Filoli Florilegium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne . She is also an Honorary member of both the Chelsea Physic Garden and Brooklyn Florilegium Societies. (Source: Botanical Art & Artists) Botanical illustrator and artist Jenny Phillips has been creating beautiful works on paper since 1971. Jenny is the recipient of numerous awards, including the prestigious Celia Rosser Award, in 2008. In 1995, Jenny founded the Botanical Art School of Melbourne which encompasses a Botanical Fine Art Gallery, school and art print business in South Yarra, Melbourne and where Jenny continues to teach and hold masterclasses. Jenny grew up in rural Victoria, attending local schools and, later, Bendigo Teacher’s College. From an early age, Jenny possessed a love for both art and science classes, particularly drawing things in detail. In fact, she can remember as early as two years of age being dazzled by the process of brushing watercolour paint across a page. This love became a well developed talent – one that has taken her around the world. Jenny has taught the art of botanical illustration in the UK, USA, Italy and South Africa. Jenny’s art not only appears in collections nationally and internationally, but three of her illustrations were selected to become part of the Prince of Wales’ [now King Charles'] Highgrove Florilegium. Water Lily by Jenny that is part of the King Charles' Highgrove Florilegium (Source: Australia Post) While inspired by the ability to explore the art galleries of Bendigo, Ballarat and Castlemaine as a teenager, Jenny was not allowed to go to art school or university to study, so it was her “insatiable appetite for learning” that helped foster her burgeoning talent, along with the influence of some important mentors. “Some of my earliest mentors were from my own family. My grandparents and my mother were all fabulous gardeners. They taught me the joy and delight of planting, watching plants grow and observing every stage of their development. My interest and love of gardens and plants never left me,” says Jenny. Another mentor was renowned botanical artist and illustrator Lady Joan Law-Smith (1919–1998): “Lady Law-Smith helped me appreciate the ‘poetry’ in plants, and encouraged me to believe in myself and my abilities, and my ability to use plants to express myself,” says Jenny. Plus, Jenny’s own hard work and determination helped her to further hone her craft. “My innate curiosity fuelled my desire to learn and experiment with effects, and to take on new challenges. Hard work as never phased me, and if I wasn’t happy with the result of my endeavours, then I would start all over again. I would always persevere until I achieved the desired result, a principle which I still follow and has stood me in good stead,” says Jenny. It is no wonder then that Jenny’s stunning illustrations adorn Australia Post’s latest international stamp issue, Water Plants, which will be released on 27 September 2017. The stamps showcase three attractive flowering water plant species that are native to Australia: Entire Marshwort (Nymphoides geminata), Giant Waterlily (Nymphaea gigantea) and Lotus Lily (Nelumbo nucifera). (Source: Australia Post) Jenny’s aim is always the same: to convey the joy that she experienced when observing the subject she was working on. This is something which she has certainly achieved in this latest project, depicting both the flower in detail and its growing conditions. “The greater the depth of knowledge for the subject that is translated to the paper, the greater the feeling of achievement and success. This is applied to all my work in portraits, landscapes and botanicals,” says Jenny. And Jenny certainly has a great love for plants and flowers. “Where I grew up, on the Victorian–New South Wales border, droughts were always a constant part of life. As a very small child I witnessed miles and miles of dust pans; starving sheep that were too weak to move, just waiting to die. Often these droughts were followed by floods, and as the country was flat there would be water as far as the eye could see – with lines of trees always off in the distance. These memories have always been very powerful images in my mind. They made me incredibly aware of our need and dependence on plants – I then knew we had to treasure water and plants!” says Jenny. “Plants are like people to me, so diverse – yet always fascinating and wonderful – and quite predictable when you study them. I love the ability of plants to adapt to their environment; the functional design evidenced in every part of the plants; the beautiful lines and patterns in their growth; the magnificent variety and beauty in the colours, tones and colour combinations; the intrigue in the pollinators; and their whole architecture is amazing,” says Jenny. As well as a love of plants and flowers and obvious artistic talent, Jenny believes there are many skills required to be a good botanical illustrator, namely observational skills, curiosity, concentration, application, patience, integrity, sound decision-making and the ability to keep the balance between science and art. Lotus Lily - another illustration in the King Charles' collection (Source: Australia Post) So how does Jenny apply her skills to each project? “It has always been my practice to paint from real life plants – I do not paint from photos. I believe paintings from photos to be more stylised than real. The joy of it all for me is to have the beautiful flower in front of me, to be able to study every detail and aspect of it, and to give as much plant information as I can, without it being boring. Like people, some plants don’t appeal to me to paint. They do have remarkable characteristics and design, however I don’t wish to spend a great deal of time studying or painting them, as my subject must appeal to me before I can spend hours or days recreating them on paper,” says Jenny. Jenny also uses resource books to check native habitat and climactic conditions, for species with which she is not already familiar, or intricate details that may be used to distinguish one species from another such as the number of veins on their leaves and the like. For the Water Plants stamp project, Jenny thought of it as an adventure of discovery, and a new and interesting challenge. “I researched where I could obtain live specimens. I travelled to nurseries to seek out the specimens I needed, especially nurseries that specialised in certain plant types. I have always found nursery owners to be incredibly helpful, as we share a love of plants. Once I had selected my plants I placed them in large bins of water, studying them under the microscope, their structure, habits and life cycle, taking note of how they responded to light and various times of the day. When I had the precise details I required, then I would decide how to portray them in a way that would be suitable for a stamp. Obviously, I needed to be able to put in as much detail as possible. It was the fact that I loved the detail in the stamps in my collection as a child that inspired me to aim for exactness, or as close to it as I could succeed. That was the concern me for, and as a general rule, is what drives me as a botanical illustrator in all of my work," says Jenny. “I am thrilled and delighted about having my illustrations on stamps, for use by the general public. It is such an urbane but universal place to display my work, and I am honoured to be part of a unique group of people who have had this opportunity,” concludes Jenny. To learn more about Jenny Phillips’ work, visit her website, www.jennyphillips.org Source: Australia Post Jenny Phillips of with her Corymbia ficifolia - at the PV for the Modern Masterpieces of Botanical Art at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery at Kew (November 2019) (Source: Botanical Art & Artists) What is a Florilegium? The Florilegium is a collection of contemporary botanical paintings of some of the most significant plants in the living collections in a particular place eg. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney. King Charles [when he was the Prince of Wales] commissioned a florilegium of one of his properties, Highgrove, for his 60th birthday. He invited top botanical artists from around the world to come to his property and paint. The resulting work, a record of the plants in the gardens of his family home, is a florilegium containing 120 watercolours. See the video about this production in the Links for the Botanical Illustrator.

 

Duties and Tasks

What's required of a botanical illustration? Botanical illustrations should be based on:

• observation of living plant material

• reconstitution of dry plant material if possible

• inspection of plant features using a microscope

• accurate measurement of the different parts of the plant

• work with expert botanists who can provide the necessary advice as to what aspects to emphasise

• a very good understanding of the morphology of the plant - shapes and form are a great help in distinguishing one plant from another

• identification of the key (unique) features of the plant - at different stages of its life cycle

• association with a herbarium specimen (when part of a scientific collection) and notes of its habitat and growth

• botanically typical and accurate - The specimen chosen for the illustration is typical rather than unusual. The accuracy is derived from very close study of the plant, sometimes over the seasons

• black and white artwork - typically in pen and ink. This facilitates good quality printing at economical cost in learned journals

• depicts distinguishing features - the purpose of a botanical illustration is to help a botanist distinguish between different plants

• based on herbarium specimens - most illustrations are created from dried specimens of a plant. This is typical for those illustrations produced by illustrators working for botanical gardens if no plant exists in the garden

• life sized or drawn to scale - Size is an important aspect of identification. Plants are usually sized and drawn at a 1:1 scale - this involves measurement during initial studies. Smaller distinguishing features may be depicted at a larger scale (see magnification below). Illustrations produced for publication on a defined plate size are typically produced larger and must indicate the relationship between the size of the drawing and the size of the published image.

• images for reproduction - MUST always include a scale bar rather than a multiplier

• bar scales must be precise, informative and visible but discrete. They represent one standard unit of measurement and must always include the unit of measurement. Otherwise any change in size on publication (expansion or reduction) renders the use of a simple multiple (e.g. x3) meaningless. (The latter method was used in the past but is no longer considered good practice)

• includes dissections and the use of magnification - identifying a plant is based on all aspects of the plant as exhibited on the exterior and interior. The smaller distinguishing characteristics are often identified through the use of a microscope (or a magnifier/loupe in the field). Illustrations always include a precise scale bar to indicate the extent of magnification.

• when presented in an exhibition or a publication it is always displayed with the botanically correct name (including the Latin).
  

Working conditions

The work involves reading and researching particular species and a bit of laboratory work such as collecting specimens and viewing them under a microscope to see the fine detail. You will use maths to help draw images to scale and English skills will be useful for writing descriptions to accompany your drawings. Botanical illustrations are often published in journals or magazines and some organisations like council sometimes use them for pamphlets or signs relevant to environmental issues.

Did You Know? Botanical drawing dates back to at least to the times of the Pharaohs. Botanical garden of Thutmose III (Source: Wikipedia) It was particularly developed in the Middle Ages, when plants were often used for medicinal purposes and people needed to be able to tell safe from poisonous plants. A lot of plant families contain both. For instance, the nightshade family of plants includes Belladonna, a poisonous plant, and also edibles like tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. Explorers often brought a botanical artist along to record the plants encountered. During "Tulip Mania" in 17th century Holland, when rare bulbs sold for the equivalent of an average person's annual salary, it was crucial for collectors and breeders to record each flower's unique patterns and contours. (Source: Amsterdam Tulip Museum)

Tools and technologies

The techniques used by botanical illustrators - including

• the use of mechanical pencils and Rotring pens,

• retrieval of pressed materials for the herbarium and other specimen material

• discussions of the brief for the illustration with the botanists as to key features for inclusion in a plate

• scanning and tracing of herbarium material

• tracing of material in pencil to get dimensions correct

• use of a loupe

• review of drawings with the botanist to ensure the illustrator has understood what the drawing needs to display

• scanning of the diagrams into Photoshop and then transferring them into Illustrator software in order to manipulate images to design a botanical plate.

• inking of images on drafting film using Rotring pen

• scanning of images for publication

Education and training/entrance requirements

A bachelor's degree or certificate in fine arts, or completion of a program that focuses on illustration may be beneficial. A degree in Botany or Art or both is required. Those preparing to pursue a career in this field will need to develop a portfolio to showcase their abilities to potential employers.

 

Employment Opportunities

Freelance botanical illustration positions are availble through places like research facilities, museum and universities.

 

 

Related Jobs or Working with these Jobs

Artist	Botanist	Graphic Designer	Illustrator
Multimedia Specialist

 

Materials sourced from
Study [Nature Illustrator;]
My Big Tomorrow [Botanical Illustrator; ]
Botanical Art & Artists [What is Botanical Illustration; Tips & Techniques; Australian & NZ Artists; ]