Neish Pages

There are many wonderful books on botanical art ranging from techniques of botanical illustration through to historical books on botanical art. A couple of my favorites are:

• the books of Shirley Sherwood who collects contemporary botanical art
• Australia: 300 Years of botanical illustration by Helen Hewson
• The Art of Botanical Illustration by Wilfrid Blunt and William T. Stearn

Amazon has a wealth of books on botanical illustration - some are listed below:

Please note, this information is now being kept up to date on a new botanical art site at www.botanicalartistry.com.

Although many people think botanical illustration is just about painting flowers, it is more than that. It is about capturing the scientific detail of plant, but at the same time expressing the essence of the plant in an artistic way. Botanical art ranges from strict scientific drawings through to near-abstract creations. As long as the subject is botanical it is botanical illustration. Works are usually executed in watercolour, but other mediums include acrylics, oils, pastels, linocuts, engravings, etchings and pen and ink.