This page is about the development of botanical sketches or studies
  • ​prior to the development of a formal botanical illustration or artwork
  • in their own right - for reference material
  • for pleasure
It includes:
  • OVERVIEW of why keeping a sketchbook / making studies is a good idea
  • TIPS about keeping a sketchbook
  • RECOMMENDED BOOKS about Botanical Sketchbooks
  • EXAMPLES of collections of work by artists who produce sketches and sketchbooks
  • RECOMMENDED SKETCHBOOKS

This page is relevant to other other processes prior to developing a complete artwork which are:​
Picture
The Late Mr Worthing G. Smith Sketching Under Difficulties (Gardeners' Chronicle 3 November 1917)

Plants: Sketchbook Studies and Working Drawings
​

Keeping a sketchbook and doing studies and working drawings before you commence your final artwork is an essential process for all those who are serious about their botanical art.  

This is the best way to work out how to
  • deconstruct and identify all the features of a plant
  • work out how to represent these features; and
  • how best to represent these on paper.
​
 I always try to do a study or sketch page because it’s the best way to learn about the plant by deconstructing. 
Dianne Sutherland
The processes of working out:
  • recording how a plant grows in its natural habitat
  • illustrating how a plant works
  • defining its distinctive features
  • how to represent texture
  • what colours it includes
  • how best to present it
  • how best to draw or paint it
​are all best done in advance.

Historical perspectives on sketching and studies
​

One only needs to look at the resources available to us to realise the great artists of the past devoted time to sketching and developing studies of parts of various plants as well as the whole.

Below are a couple of examples from Leonardo da Vinci and Ferdinand Bauer.
Historical Sketchbook: REFERENCE:
Picture
Flower Studies by Leonardo da Vinci. Metalpoint, pen and ink on slightly brownish paper
Picture
one of Ferdinand Bauer's annotated sketches for the "Flora Graeca" - the numbers relate to his colour swatches which meant he could record accurate colour without needing to paint

Contemporary perspectives on sketching and studies
​

"I painted 51 species in 2021 over a 42 week period, it was great fun and I learned a lot about plants and painting."
Dianne Sutherland
Sketchbook Tips: REFERENCE:
For me it's not all about making perfect finished paintings but about process, recording and understanding - although I also learn a lot about composition and painting painting of a weekly subject. Dianne Sutherland

Why use a sketchbook?
​

Sketching and drawing studies of plants is the traditional way botanical illustrators have recorded plants - prior to developing "proper" botanical illustrations or art

But it's not the only way of developing a botanical artwork....

​So why use a sketchbook?
Sketchbooks allow artists to research their subjects and to fine tune observational skills.  They facilitate drawing and painting practise without the pressure of producing a finished work. They allow compositional ideas to be formulated. A large body of study material can be created without the commitment of a final piece. 
Dianne Sutherland
Other processes also playing a role in developing a botanical artwork today include:
  • photography - in situ and back in the studio
  • video - try doing a 360 degrees pan around the plant
  • collecting images of how other artists have approached the same plant
  • developing colour swatches for all the colours you can see - with notes as to what colours you used
  • using thumbnail sketches to work out shape and tonal values for the artwork
A sketchbook allows botanical artists and illustrators to:
  • learn about plants at their own pace - without having to focus on a finished piece of work
  • record the plant as a whole - and in its constituent parts - without having to think about whether or not this is the best design for publication
  • record colours seen or used alongside drawings of the plant
  • experiment with designs and mixing elements that describe a plant on apage
  • create a record focused specifically on
    • EITHER a species or specific kinds of plants
    • OR a journey to a specific habitat
    • OR plants seen in your local environment
    • OR specific plant colours e.g. green
There are all sorts of different reasons to start a new sketchbook. Ones which are very focused can become books for publication in their own right.
TUITION - REFERENCE:

Why use a perpetual sketchbook?

A perpetual sketchbook is one in which the same pages are used each year at the same time to record plants observed and seen. In this way you can monitor the kinds of plants which are available to view at different times of the year - in your location.

They're best used in one location - with other sketchbooks used for travels and/or different locations (i.e. habitat specific)
Lara Call Gastinger is probably the best known exponent of the use of a Perpetual Journal for recording her botanical illustrations of plants

Online examples of sketchbook studies by botanical artists
​

GARDEN FLOWERS

RECOMMENDED BOOKS about Botanical Sketching and Sketchbooks
​

Botanical Sketchbooks by Helen and William Bynum
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: This book is about botanical sketchbooks which were created to record the natural world - between the 16th and 20th centuries. It attracted a lot of glowing reviews when published.
  • the contents provide a real insight into the firsthand experiences and adventures of the botanists, artists, collectors, and explorers behind them.
  • It's a unique book which all botanical art enthusiasts will treasure.
  • It's also a very special gift for a botanical artist or for a person who enjoys botanical art.​​

This book was published almost simultaneously in the UK and USA - hence the two different covers below and the two different publishers. The standard of publishing is absolutely first rate. (My copy is the Princeton edition)
What's unique about this book is that it provides an insight into the working methods and sketchbooks kept by various different important and/or famous names in botanical art - as well as a few who are less well known - what they recorded and how they chose to make and annotate their records.

It's an amazing collection of colour images - many of which have never been seen before - because they are in sketchbooks
Hardcover: 296 pages
Publisher: Thames and Hudson Ltd;
Publication date (1st edition): 13 April 2017

RECOMMENDED UK:
rated an average 5 out of 5* by 4 customer reviews
BUY IN THE UK
Botanical Sketchbooks from Amazon.co.uk
The sketchbooks cover:
  • sketches made on location - by adventurers, collectors, those pursuing botany and those undertaking imperial projects
  • by those serving science - as naturalists or botanists and in the botanical garden
  • by those making art - by artists interested in nature in art, as a job (eg for explorers), for their patrons
  • by those who sketched plants as a pleasing occupation
It also has a very useful listing at the end of how to find out more.
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press Publication date: May 9, 2017
Language: English
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 1.4 x 10.9 inches
RECOMMENDED USA:
rated an average 4.8 out of 5* by 13 customer reviews
​BUY IN THE USA
Botanical Sketchbooks from Amazon.com
The third book (see below) produced for the Distance Learning Diploma Course run by the Society of Botanical Artists is based on a sketchbook developed by a student (Mary Ann Scott) who was awarded a Distinction at the end of the course. 
Botanical Sketchbook
by Mary Ann Scott with Margaret Stevens

One of the things the SBA Diploma students have to do is keep a sketchbook.  This book provides both an inspiration and a guide

If you'd like to know more about the book and how it came about
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Batsford Ltd (5 Mar. 2015)
BUY IN THE UK
UK: 4.7 out of 5* by 43 customer reviews

​BUY IN USA
USA: Rated 4.4 out of 5* by 36 customer reviews
Botanical Sketchbook from Amazon.com

Different types of sketchbooks
​

Questions you should ask before buying sketchbooks are:
  • PURPOSE:  What am I going to use it for?
  • MEDIA: Does the paper work with the media I like to ue for sketching (e.g. some are extremely well suited to pen and ink - but hate water)
  • SIZE: What size works best for me?
  • BINDING: Is it bound in a way which means it won't fall apart?
  • DOUBLE PAGE SPREADS: does it lie flat i.e. can I work across a double page spread really easily
  • EASY TO REMOVE PAGES: does it allow me to tear pages out easily? (If that's what you like to do - not everybody does)​
Stillman & Birn: Zeta Sketchbook
Recommended: I like this sketchbook a lot. It provides a heavyweight smooth natural white paper (270gsm) inside a quality heavyweight binder. The paper is ph neutral and lignin and chlorine free. It works well with both dry and wet media eg pencils and coloured pencils, pen and ink and watercolour or inks. It would also work well with water based marker pens.

It's very suitable for pencil drawing, pen and ink drawing and studies in watercolour. The bound book also lies flat making it easy to work across a double page spread.

​This is a link to an example of a study of daffodils painted by Shevaun Doherty in a Zeta Sketchbook
Metric Dimensions of the A4 size: 30.7 x 21.6 x 1.8 cm

There's also a smaller version. Plus you can also get in a spiral bound version if you prefer to tear pages out of your sketchbooks.

BUY NOW
Recommended by Diane Sutherland
You may use a book of your choice but the one I recommend is the Stillman & Birn Zeta series, size 14.0 x 21.6 cm, in natural white, smooth surface. It has good heavyweight paper for washes and is available from a number of sellers, Such as Jacksons Art or Dick Blick. You will also need pencils and a basic set of watercolours, preferably artist quality.