The Kew Book of Botanical Illustration (paperback edition)

Kew's chief botanical artist, and one of Kew's elite band of practitioners, Christabel King has been working as an illustrator at Kew for over 40 years. In 1975 she began painting for their prestigious Curtis's Botanical Magazine (the longest-running botanical magazine – first edition 1787), after achieving a degree in botany and scientific illustration. She runs successful workshops and courses at Kew and is highly skilled and acclaimed for her work. Christabel lives in Twickenham, Middlesex, UK.   About the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew is a world-famous scientific organization and home to two elegant gardens in the south east of England – Kew Gardens in South West London and Wakehurst Place in West Sussex, which also houses Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank. Kew Gardens is a recognized World Heritage Site, with stunning glasshouses and a rich history of royal heritage interwoven with the development of modern-day plant science and sustainable development.

Introduction 6

Botanical illustration 8

Materials 10

Choosing the subject 14

Choosing the technique 16

Your work space 18

Drawing from life 20

Composition 22

Light and shade 24

Sketching and drawing 26

Magnification 30

Transferring the drawing 34

Using a shading guide 36

Watercolour 38

Gouache 42

Pen and ink 46

Correcting mistakes 48

Leaves 50

Flowers 60

Using a microscope 78

Preserving specimens 80

Working from pressed specimens 82

Cacti and succulents 84

Wild flowers 92

Travel drawings 98

Curtis’s Botanical Magazine 104

Trees 120

Advice for beginners 123

Botanical glossary 124

Artistic glossary 125

Index 126

Bibliography 128