Observe, draw, paint, explore and master the art of botanical illustration Award-winning botanical artist Islk Güner shares her passion for drawing and painting living plants from around the world. Her work is both artistically accomplished and scientifically accurate, and will inspire you to master the skills you need to produce your own botanical illustrations from life. If you want to practise botanical illustration, it must become your passion. START Modern botanical illustration has evolved as part of science, in some respects: aiding natural scientific recording, understanding and communication through the use of various types of drawing. OBSERVE Learning the art of drawing and painting plants is a matter of observation and practice. One of the most important skills you need to develop is observation. The most beautiful thing about botanical illustration is working with live specimens. DRAW The beauty of preparing a botanical illustration is drawing from a live plant specimen: seeing it, touching it and even smelling it. In this way, you are truly looking at the plant, not only through the eyes of an artist, but also as a scientist. You will be able to take correct measurements, analyze and investigate, by simply touching the plant and getting closer to it. . PAINT Watercolour is such a refined painting style: you can achieve both delicate and loose washes, as well as vivid, detailed images. It is very adaptable and versatile, and capable of infinite variability when applied with skill and precision. This is why for centuries it has been the preferred medium in botanical illustration, capturing the delicacy and variation of plant forms. EXPLORE The main purpose of botanical illustration is to record, describe and identify. To fulfill this function, the artist needs to understand the diverse external shapes and structures of the plant. MASTER After many years working on plants in a detailed way, you might feel that you are mastering plant painting. This will take a very long time as it requires dedication a lot of practice, and perhaps innate talent. Achieving high standards and feeling that you can be called a highly proficient botanical artist will never happen over night. The best to hope for is that if you practise, you will develop a beautiful style of your own. So you will not just be recording the plant, but recording it in your own personal way. In this fast-moving world that we live in, it is a joy to be a botanical artist. Look around you – nature is just out there! Look closely, deep inside, and see all the magnificent details in the diversity of nature surrounding us. Being in contact with nature can trigger something inside you and make you feel more connected to this incredible earth in which we live. When this happens, simply start to draw nature – drawing is a better way of seeing.
✔ Author(s): Isik Guner
✔ Title: Botanical Illustration from Life: A visual guide to observing, drawing and painting plants
✔ Rating : 4.7 out of 5 base on (355 reviews)
✔ ISBN-10: 1782218068
✔ ISBN-13: 9781782218067
✔ Language: English
✔ Format ebook: PDF, EPUB, Kindle, Audio, HTML and MOBI
✔ Device compatibles: Android, iOS, PC and Amazon Kindle
Readers' opinions about Botanical Illustration from Life by Isik Guner
Jillian Neel
This book has reignited my passion for reading. It reminded me of the sheer joy that can be found in losing oneself in the pages of a good story. I can't wait to explore more books now.
Virginia Savage
I loved the powerful messages hidden within the story. The book tackled important social issues and made me ponder the world we live in. It's a must-read for everyone.
Aileen Menzie
The characters in this book felt like old friends, and I was sad to say goodbye to them at the end. It's a testament to the author's talent for creating memorable and relatable personas.
