Project Three- What is botanical illustration?

Botanical Illustration is a genre of illustration specifically used to to help progress knowledge and further discovery within the botanical world. The illustrations are used to further back up found knowledge and help within research. 

Many botanical illustrators work mainly in water colour and gouache as a way to layer different colours and create a range of shades that will help create that sense of realisation. However, other traditional materials used includes oils and ink. 

The fragility of the plants means that in transportation and preserving it can be very difficult therefore, the idea of botanical illustration made it a lot easier for the research and records. 

 

Above shows the portrait of Maria Sibylla Merian one of the most famous botanical illustrators and scientists. who was known as one of the first to record metamorphosis. Maria was a Swiss naturalist born in 1647. Her most known work is from her trips to the North east of South America specifically Suriname. In this time she captured a range of different artworks both plants and insects. 

Above shows a piece of work by Maria specifically being A parrot tulip, and red currants with magpie moth painted in black chalk, bodycolour and watercolour on vellum. I really like this piece and feel it i a great example of traditional botanical illustration and its original purpose and uses.  

It is interesting to look at different traditional paintings to look at the styles and how each artist tackles the subjects in their own way. For example from the piece above i really like the use of colour from Maria and the warm tones chose within the flower that contrasts to the darker cold colour of the leaves. 

Moving forward I feel it would be exciting to create my own responses to the idea of traditional botanical illustration.