ArtPlantae Books

A republication of this book that was first published in 1915 in London. Cole embarked on a serious study of trees from an artist’s point of view because of his love of trees and his belief that artists cannot paint trees unless they really get to know them. Cole states, “I cannot understand the position of some who assert that an object can be painted in a convincing manner without its mechanism being understood.” Cole discusses what to look for in trees, how to balance dark spaces with light, tree outlines, lines of tree branches, light & shade, the shapes of twigs and boughs, as well as that of leaves, buds, flowers, fruits, seedlings, and bark.

Agathe Ravet-Haevermans provides a brief history of botanical art and interesting insight into how she and fellow scientific illustrators document plants at the Museum of Natural History in Paris. Beginners will find Ravet-Haevermans’ instructions easy to understand and they will appreciate her drawing and painting demonstrations which feature three different stages of development so beginners can observe how a technique is accomplished. All examples are done gracefully and are sure to inspire new artists. This is a well-rounded portable gem of a book that fits easily into a backpack or small canvas bag.

The moment you open "Fundamental Graphite Techniques" by Katie Lee, you know you are holding something different in your hands. Something you’ve never seen before. Something you know you need. Whether you view a graphite pencil as a mere stepping stone to a watercolor painting or you view a graphite pencil as the specialized tool of your preferred medium, by the time you finish this book, you will have fresh new insight into what can be accomplished with a simple pencil. 

Artists new to natural science illustration will learn a lot about this discipline from the authors. This book is a nice addition to any scientific illustration library. Other books to consider are Wood (1994) and Hodges (2003). This book contains chapters on the following topics: Materials and Equipment; Animals; Birds; Fishes and Other Marine Life; Insects; Reptiles and Amphibians; Geology and Paleontology; Botany; The Illustrator’s Career.

A republication of the third edition of the book, "Elementary Art: or, The Use of the Chalk and Lead Pencil Advocated and Explained" published in London in 1846. This edition contains plates from Harding’s book, "Lessons on Trees" that were not included in the "Elementary Art" book. In this book, Harding provides: general remarks about using chalk and lead pencil to draw nature; discussion about the importance of capturing form; discussion about the act of copying in the study of nature; discussion about the drawing of leaves, stems & branches, and foregrounds; the creation of light & shade; and an overview of art materials and their use.

In "Realistic Textures", Diane leads readers through a progression of exercises involving mark making and the creation of pencil washes using water-soluble graphite and smudging techniques. Diane’s demonstrations illustrate clearly that a pencil is more than a simple note-taking tool. While it may seem you’re playing around with pencil marks that will never be used on botanical subjects, Diane demonstrates otherwise when she shows artists how to apply tonal values and pencil marks to create form. Eight pages of "Realistic Textures" are dedicated to the creation of botanical textures.

An invaluable reference for anyone interested in natural science illustration. A variety of rendering techniques are discussed (from line & ink to 3D graphics). Individual chapters are dedicated to illustrating the following topics: molecules, earth science, astronomy, plants, fossils, invertebrates, fishes, amphibians & reptiles, birds, mammals, habitats, humans & their artifacts, and medical subjects. There are also three chapters about the business aspects of working as a freelance scientific illustrator.