National Library of Australia
The Flower Hunter | Ellis Rowan
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The Arts

Botanical illustrations

Visual Arts…

Botanical illustrations have changed with fashion. At times, they have been bland scientific depictions of plants with little or no attempt at aesthetic embellishment. At other times, the emphasis has been on the artistic merit of the illustration, possibly to the detriment of accuracy. Today, artists combine the two methods, balancing a fine attention to detail with beauty of form.

Discuss with students the difference between an artistic work and a botanical illustration. What makes a botanical illustration? What is the difference between a scientific and a pretty picture? Compare Celia Rosser’s scientific representation of banksias, and Gauguin’s explosions of colour in tropical vegetation. What are the artists trying to portray? Both paint plants but what is the difference between the two? 

Using one plant specimen, have students paint or draw two radically different representations of the same plant. Have them do a botanical illustration, focusing on the flowering and sexual parts of the plant (they might even want to dissect the plant to record it in greater detail). Using the same specimen, students should complete an artistic rendering of the flower in the manner of Paul Gauguin or another favourite artist.

 

Watercolours

Visual Arts…

Watercolour painting is a technique where water-soluble pigments that are either transparent or opaque are used.

Have students research the origins of watercolour painting. Identify artists such as Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528), and Paul Sandby (1725–1809). Look at how watercolour revolutionised painting techniques. Discuss the difference between watercolour techniques and other forms of painting. Discuss the pros and cons of using watercolours over oils. Discuss why botanical illustrators favour watercolour painting over oils.

Encourage students to complete a botanical illustration of a plant specimen using watercolour paint, paying particular attention to the flowering parts of the plant. Have students then complete a similar illustration using oils. Compare the techniques and discuss which might be more practical for botanical illustrators in ‘the field’.

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