Botanical illustration finale ...

I have been a bit slow updating my blog because life truly has gotten in the way - and then some!  So much has happened I can't begin to tell you ... so instead I guess I had better play catch up with the past few months and post the remaining diploma artworks to round off the completed SBA Distance course.  This one being the botanical illustration - which I touched on in an earlier post during the height of the madness.

Rough leaf rubbings in graphite on copy paper to study venation ...

plus a lot of close work to observe the reproductive elements

It took forever to work out the composition for this artwork - so many components came into play ...

The best way for me to compose is to have final drawings of each element on various cuttings of tracing paper and then move the pieces around until they fall into place in a pleasing arrangement.

Love the flowers of the Bauhinia variegata, starting to come to life ...

I quite liked the design with these two flowering stems ... but so much more to go!!

Really enjoyed the palette ... all my favourite colours came into play ...

There was so much detail to include on this illustration - I wanted the page to be very informative - showing the flower front, side and back view - bud, calyx, unfurling bud, leaves from all angles - ripe  and dehisced seed pod - and of course the dissections which were rendered in graphite.

 Watercolour work completed ...

 This was the most difficult and time consuming piece of all three diploma works due to the research and accurate observation and detail required.  I chose the Bauhinia variegata as it was flowering profusely at the time and I had already completed colour studies to include in my mixed floral composition - once again I worked on a few artworks simultaneously to ensure I was able to complete the course on time!
I was rewarded for my hard work when I saw this artwork hung in London at the annual Society of Botanical Artists (UK) Exhibition.

 Bauhinia variegata var. 'Variegata' - Butterfly Tree

Botanical Illustration with graphite dissections

© Vicki Lee Johnston