Botanical Art with Scientific Illustration

353 Pages·2018·64.79 MB·English

by  Sarah Jane Humphrey

BOTANICAL ART
WITH SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATION

BOTANICAL ART
WITH SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATION
SARAH JANE HUMPHREY
THE CROWOOD PRESS
First published in 2018 by The Crowood Press Ltd
Ramsbury, Marlborough
Wiltshire SN8 2HR
www.crowood.com
This e-book first published in 2018
© Sarah Jane Humphrey 2018
All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied,
reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or
used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as
allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as
strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or
use of thistext may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s
rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this
book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978 1 78500 420 9
Frontispiece: Oyster Mushroom Beetle, Triplax lacordairii.
Acknowledgements
With thanks to my three incredible children, Harvey, Freddy and Isla, I hope to
inspire you to pursue your dreams, and make great choices in life. Jon, thank you
for giving me the freedom to be creative and curious, and sharing some of my
adventures, there will be many more to come. Mum, Dad and Ed, an
inspirational childhood, flooded with the perfect balance of nurturing with an
uninhibited laissez-faire to explore this wonderful planet we live on.
Contents
Introduction
CHAPTER 1 The history of botanical and scientific illustration
CHAPTER 2 Scientific approaches to illustration
CHAPTER 3 Materials and equipment
CHAPTER 4 The collection and choice of specimens
CHAPTER 5 Drawing and the importance of sketchbooks
CHAPTER 6 Observation skills and perspective
CHAPTER 7 The use of monochrome
CHAPTER 8 Colour theory
CHAPTER 9 Principles of composition and the Fibonacci Sequence
CHAPTER 10 Techniques
CHAPTER 11 Professional practice
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
Introduction
Born in Bedford 1977 and later moving to Cambridgeshire, I grew up living
close to the embankment of the River Great Ouse, and enjoyed a childhood
dipping in and out of rivers and streams, surrounded by nature. At around the
age of two, my parents bought me a painting easel, which over endless summers
was propped up in the garden, nestled in between the flowers and vegetable
patch. Looking back, this is quite possibly where my passion for drawing
naturally derived subjects began, and an eye for detail emerged. From the
moment I could hold a pencil I was always drawing or writing.
Sarah Jane Humphrey in the studio.
Growing up in Cambridgeshire influenced my artworks. Here I was
surrounded by nature, with a flourishing collection of butterflies and other
curious insects, leaves and flowers – all of which were fascinating subjects to
draw. A common theme that runs strongly throughout my artwork is the
attention to details. As I grew older I was finding new techniques to sharpen my
accuracy and observational skills. On leaving school (much to my teachers’
despair for not furthering my studies in literature and languages) I decided to
pursue my artistic passion and follow my dreams – which at sixteen were
strongly rooted in fashion design and, as it would turn out, floral drawings – and
began a Diploma in Technical Illustration.
Dahlia ‘Ball’ line illustration. Commissioned by the Eden Project, for the Dahlia Garden.