ArtPlantae Today

What do you say to budding artists when they ask you how they should develop their skills as a botanical artist?

Sandra Wall Armitage
That the eye and good accurate observation is essential and plenty of practice.

Kathleen Baker
You need to be observant, read up on the detailed botanical structure of plants generally and the species you are about to paint in particular. Dissection of the flower will reveal its structure. Practise drawing whenever you can and also try out the techniques mentioned in the many flower painting books.

Susan Christopher-Coulson
Probably the most useful skills to develop initially are accurate observation and drawing.

Susan Dalton
When asked by budding artists how they should develop their skills as a botanical artist, I advise them to look at works by other botanical artists, to look very closely at whatever specimen it is they are painting, to paint what they see and not what they think they see, to constantly try to make their next painting better than the last and lastly, never to be completely satisfied with any painting they produce.

Brigitte Daniel
Learn how to look.  This is the most important skill.  Do not try to adopt the style of another – develop your own style that matches your relationship with the plant.  You have to love what you paint.

Susan Hillier
Practice.

Jennifer Jenkins
I advise them (depending on their level of ability) to either enter an appropriate botanical art class, or join the SBA Distance Learning course.

Kay Rees Davies
I advise “budding artists” to work slowly and carefully after a detailed scrutiny of the specimen. Learn to look at the structure of the plant – how many stamens, the position of the veins, and so on. Work on the leaves as much as the flowers – they are just as important and frequently neglected. Make notes of the colours you use, making a chart so that the paint can be matched if you run out. Mix enough paint using a large, old brush. Many beginners use a small brush, mix a minute amount of paint and spend a lot of time mixing more.

Margaret Stevens
There is only one way to develop as a botanical artist and that is to pracise, practise, and practise.  The three peas – practise, perseverance, and precision! Keep that up for a few years and if you have some natural talent your work will eventually hit the spot.

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Continue to Grounds in Various Media

Return to Colors in Palette or Pencil Case

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What are your preferred grounds for working in graphite? Colored pencil? Watercolor? Gouache? Pen-and-ink?

Sandra Wall Armitage
Watercolour: I use either Fabriano Artistico 140 lbs which I stretch or the heaviest weight Fabriano Satinata

Kathleen Baker
I prefer to work with watercolour because I am able to produce the minute details, seen with a hand lens, in my paintings. The other media don’t allow me to do this.

Susan Christopher-Coulson
My preferred work surface for coloured pencil is a Bristol board with as white a surface as I can get. I like the smooth surface and clarity.

Susan Dalton
My preferred ground for working in is: Watercolour blocks of 140lbs Fabriano Artistico 300gsm hot pressed paper. I do not work in any other mediums.

Brigitte Daniel
I don’t understand this question.  If [you] mean what support I use, then I work on watercolour paper and vellum using a technique similar to chiaroscuro.  I build up the painting in layers, i.e. I use the paper as the light and work from light to dark.

Susan Hillier
For coloured pencil and w.c., Fabriano h.p., rag paper

Jennifer Jenkins
I always use the materials mentioned in question one, which are of high quality for watercolour, gouache, graphite etc.

Kay Rees Davies
For graphite, watercolour, pen and ink and coloured pencils I use hot-pressed paper, 300gsm (140 lbs). For gouache I have used dark-coloured mount board which works well. Have a look at Sally Keir’s exquisite work in The Art of Botanical Painting (Margaret Stevens).

Margaret Stevens
For graphite and watercolour I use Hot pressed 350gsm paper, preferably Fabriano Classico 5 which is hard to come by, Sennelier in the same weight and surface, or Arches. The latter is because I started an ongoing commission for old roses in the style of Redouté some 15 years ago and I cannot change papers now as they are all hung together, over 50 of them. I occasionally work on vellum in watercolour. I like mount board for gouache or Bockingford tinted paper when it is for reproduction.

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Continue to Commercial Application of Botanical Art

Return to Encouraging Budding Botanical Artists

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At the recent conference of the American Society of Botanical Artists, one of the exhibitors in the Exhibitors’ Hall presented a service making it possible to place original botanical art on porcelain. This process enables artists to produce tiles, mugs, plates, and ornaments featuring their artwork. Artwork by botanical artists has been featured on items such as greeting cards, fine textiles, dish towels, and scarves. How have you applied your skills as a botanical artist? How have you chosen to feature your personal artwork?

Sandra Wall Armitage
I have worked for many years as a greeting card illustrator for companies and surface pattern designer. Products include: china, home wares, furnishing fabrics, enamel boxes, gift wrap and greeting cards. Personal art work is exhibited or sold as prints and cards on my website.

Susan Christopher-Coulson

As well as greetings card & wrapping paper commissions, I produce my own range of greetings cards and fine art prints from my work.

Susan Dalton
I have produced greetings cards of some of my paintings. These have been printed either by myself or occasionally I have asked for a printer to print them for me. I sell these when I exhibit at exhibitions that allow artists to sell cards.

Brigitte Daniel
I have produced work for greetings cards, but the style required is very different from that required for botanical illustration.  I have also produced prints.  The most important thing to do is to understand the market and ensure that you produce the appropriate type of work for the product you have been asked to design.  Some of the objects you describe require a stylised design rather than an exacting reference piece of artwork.  Are you working for a mass market or are you painting for the enthusiast, plant breeder, collector or museum collection?  As my background is botany, I am drawn to how the plants work and what their individual characteristics are and how best to represent them.

Susan Hillier
I have worked as a book illustrator and packaging designer.

Jennifer Jenkins
My work has been produced on Welsh slate products, greeting cards, calendars, brochures and I have been featured in the book The Botanical Palette.  I have worked on commissions, including monochrome pen and ink work, produced on postcards and mounted prints ready for framing. I exhibit annually at the Westminster Hall, London with the SBA, and at the Florum exhibition in Kent.  I also exhibit work from Spring through to Autumn at a Manor House with gardens open to the public.

Kay Rees Davies
My artwork is featured in greeting cards which I publish myself and limited edition Gicleé prints.

Margaret Stevens
Over the last 25 years my work has been used for numerous greetings cards, calendars and in books. It has also been reproduced on porcelain by Franklin Mint – The Chelsea Plate for one thing – and The Bradford Exchange for collectables including plates, musical boxes, clocks, figurines, Wedgewood vases etc. I have numerous private commissions including one which is ongoing, painting old roses.  I started that about 15 years ago and I have so far done around 55. As they mostly only flower once in the season it means that I can only do about 5 in a year and some years – depending on circumstances, health, bad weather etc., it is not possible to do any.  The last two summers have been particularly bad and although I did two extra ones required as gifts, I could only add 1 to the main collection.

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Continue to Teaching Botanical Art to Children

Return to Grounds for Various Media

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Do you teach botanical art to children? If so, think about what you have observed in your classes to date. Which approach(es) engage(s) children the most when teaching them botanical art?

Brigitte Daniel
No.

Susan Hillier
I would not teach botanical art to children.

Jennifer Jenkins
I do not teach.

Margaret Stevens
I only teach adults.

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Continue to What’s Your Day Job?

Return to Commercial Application of Botanical Art

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Few people are able to make their living as a botanical artist. Do you make your living as a full-time botanical artist? If not, what’s your day job?

Sandra Wall Armitage
For many years I worked freelance and also taught part at Universities and Colleges of Art. I taught plant drawing and textile design. I still do the occasional commission for greeting cards and home wares, but mostly do botanical paintings for exhibition or run workshops.

Kathleen Baker
I used to be a full-time teacher of Biology. Since retirement I have spent much time doing botanical watercolour paintings. I would like to make a living from my botanical paintings.

Susan Christopher-Coulson
Teaching botanical work/coloured pencil has become an important parallel to working as a botanical artist and the two work symbiotically – but it is necessary to keep a balance between the two aspects so that there is sufficient time to create the original artwork!

Susan Dalton
I do not make my living as a full-time botanical artist – my day job is doing all the secretarial work and book keeping for my husband’s Carpentry & Joinery Company – I have to fit my painting in as and when I can!

Brigitte Daniel

Yes, I do.  But I have a medical condition and I have to work from home.  Botanical art is the only real choice I have since I could no longer continue my botanical career and it is my way of keeping in touch with the botanical world.

Susan Hillier
I have made a living as a full time artist for nearly 40 years, mainly but not exclusively botanical,
I also teach botanical painting.

Jennifer Jenkins
I am not a full-time artist.  I  am retired.

Kay Rees Davies
I have retired from teaching music as my botanical art took over. I teach at many venues and am a tutor for the Distance Learning Diploma Course for the SBA. I’m not sure that this would entirely make my living, but it helps!

Margaret Stevens
For over 20 years I have made my living by painting and teaching, supplemented by a small widow’s pension.  At this point I feel it is necessary to say that talent alone will not enable you to earn a living.  Artists by their very nature are not terribly organised and that is what lets some of them down.  You need a certain amount of business acumen and above all NEVER miss a deadline.  If you take on a job it must be completed on time regardless of your personal circumstances.  I have worked with a raging temperature doing an hour at my desk and an hour or two in bed alternately in order to get a job out.  That is when you hate it and wonder why you chose such  a means of earning a living.  Whilst waiting for two hip replacement operations I could not sit down for 2 years, dependent on a perching stool for rest – or flat out in bed. Still I had to carry on and knowing it is one’s livelihood is a great spur!

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Continue to Blocking Watercolor Paper

Return to The Society of Botanical Artists Answers Your Questions

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Margaret Stevens and members of the Society of Botanical Artists have received your questions. The complete Ask The Artist Q&A session will be posted on November 20, 2008.

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