Find out about the new books providing instruction and tuition 
in Botanical Art and Illustration in 2020
​
NEW BOOKS ONLY
This is the listing of all relevant NEW books about botanical art and illustration:
  • to be published in 2020
  • providing tuition for students of botanical art and illustration
  • covering various topics - in terms of technique and media

Whether or not a book will eventually make it into my listing of The Best Botanical Art and Illustration Instruction Books.
will depend on:
  • how well a book is received by those buying the book and rating it
  • what I think of it - when I get to see a copy!

NOTE: As an Amazon Associate I earn tiny sums from qualifying purchases - which help fund the hosting costs for this extremely large website. ​
The books I cover are for those who are serious students of Botanical Art and Illustration - where science meets art.
​
WHAT I DO NOT COVER!
Please note that I do NOT cover
  • books about basics for beginners - although some books may have techniques suitable for beginners.
  • books for children
  • books which use the word "botanical" or "botanicals" - essentially because it's currently a very popular marketing term - rather than because it accurately describes its content (i.e. the books are actually about basic flower painting or simplistic graphical designs)
  • ​colouring books and dot to dot books with botanical in the title! OK for some - but NOT for this website!
MORE BOOKS ​
Students of botanical art will also be interested in: NEW Botanical Art Books​ OTHER Books

NEW IN 2020 Books about Botanical Art History and Artists' Groups

PUBLISHED MAY 2020
Botanic Endeavour
by The Florilegium Society at the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney
AUTHOR
The book has been compiled by the Florilegium Society at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.  it includes
  • a preface by Denise Ora, Executive Director, Botanic Gardens and Centennial Parklands,
  • a foreword by Dr Shirley Sherwood OBE,
  • an introduction to the Florilegium by Beverly Allen and
  • an essay on the Banks collection by Dr Brett Summerell, Director, Research & Chief Botanist, Botanic Gardens and Centennial Parklands.
The book was published with the generous support of the Garden History Society and the original paintings and their copyright are gifted by the artists to the Trust and held in the Daniel Solander Library in the National Herbarium of NSW.

The Florilegium Society is a self-funded, voluntary organisation, endorsed by the Trust. 

EXHIBITION
The planned exhibition Botanic Endeavour has been postponed because of the Pandemic - but will be held at a future date.
SCOPE
This book was produced to mark the 250th anniversary of Captain Cook’s voyage in HMB Endeavour and is the second project undertaken by the Florilegium Society. 

It links the herbarium specimens collected by Banks and Solander on their expedition to Australia to the living plants which can be seen as part of the Living Collection of the three Gardens which make up the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.  The specimens are held in the National Herbarium of New South Wales. 

There are 45 paintings. Each double page spread has:
  • a full colour painting produced by one of the members of the Florilegium Society
  • a newly digitised image of the Banks and Solander specimen in the herbarium
  • a description of each species, written by Colleen Morris -  with its indigenous names and uses where known and quotes from the journals of Joseph Banks, Daniel Solander and artist Sydney Parkinson. ​
The cover illustration is Lambertia formosa - Elaine Musgrave
BASICS:
  • Paperback:   132 pages
  • Publisher:  The Florilegium Society of the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
  • Publication Date:  2020
  • Language: English
  • ISBN 978-0-646-81608-1
  • Product Dimensions:  245 x 300mm

BUY THIS BOOK
The book is limited to 600 copies. 
The book is available from the Society by mail order. Click botanic.endeavour@gmail.com for further information. 
Click here to download order form

NEW in 2020 Instruction books about botanical art and illustration 
​

Books are listed in reverse chronological order (i.e. more recent publications are at the bottom; those announced but not available for some time are towards the top)

The books listed below include:
  • ​Botanical Art Techniques - A Comprehensive Guide to Pen and Ink, Watercolor, Colored Pencils, Etching, Egg Tempera, Oils, Casein, and More - edited by Carol Woodin and Robin Jess (18 August 2020)
  • Drawing and Painting Botanicals for Artists: How to Create Beautifully Detailed Plant and Flower Illustrations Paperback by Karen Kluglein (16th June 2020)
  • ​The Practice of Botanical Drawing: A Step-by-Step Guide to Drawing and Painting Flowers, Leaves, Fruit, and More  by Wendy Hollender (7th April 2020)
Botanical Art Techniques - A Comprehensive Guide to Pen and Ink, Watercolor, Colored Pencils, Etching, Egg Tempera, Oils, Casein, and More
by the American Society of Botanical Artists.
​Edited by Carol Woodin and Robin Jess
This is A VERY BIG BOOK given it has over 400 pages and over 900 images - and a huge amount of content!  It's also very impressive. 

​READ MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS in ASBA's Botanical Art Techniques: first impressions +  who contributed?​
this is a "best botanical art instruction book" and, in my opinion, the NEW standard reference book for botanical art instruction - soon to be found on every bookshelf of everybody who wants to learn more about botanical art. It sets a very high new standard...
Katherine Tyrrell | Botanical Art and Artists
Picture
Cover of the new ASBA Book
SCOPE
Botanical Art Techniques is a comprehensive instruction guide to botanical art and illustration techniques used for drawing and painting plants in different media.

From the experts at the American Society of Botanical Artists, it features:
  • how-to tutorials of all the major techniques and media. The tutorials move from basic and introductory to advanced, so the reader can choose whatever level of difficulty they are most comfortable with and build on their skills as they progress.
  • Major media: graphite, pen and ink, watercolor on paper and vellum, and colored pencil
  • Minor media: egg tempera, gouache, casein,  silverpoint, etching, acrylic and oil
  • Additional information - includes overview of necessary materials, basic information about principles of composition, and advice on how to develop a personal style.

EDITORS
  • Robin Jess has been a freelance botanical illustrator and teacher since 1976. She developed the botanical illustration certificate program at NYBG in 1984 and was the Executive Director of ASBA from 2003 to 2016 (and has stepped up again as required since her retirement).
  • Carol Woodin has been making botanical art for nearly 30 years. She is an award-winning international botanical artist who specialises in painting rare plants in watercolour on vellum. She has been the Director of Exhibitions for ASBA for a number of years and knows the artwork of very many members extremely well.
In addition, many of the contributing artists are also instructors and know how to demonstrate their techniques.
Over 50 ASBA artists have contributed materials to the book, from start-to-finish tutorials to individual spot tutorials on a single aspect of their working method.
ASBA Journal March 2020
COMMENTARY
I've now received my Review Copy and predict that this book will sell very many copies because
  • it will become the NEW standard reference book for instruction in botanical art techniques across a wide range of media
  • it is the FIRST book of instruction techniques created by the American Society of Botanical Artists. It follows the very successful model pioneered by the Society of Botanical Artists in the UK which led to very many global sales.
  • it provides something for everybody. It is
    • accessible for those new to botanical art - with excellent attention to "the basics" that all need to know
    • advanced techniques for improvers
    • new media for those who are already leading artists.

​I like the idea of a distinction being drawn between different skills levels which provides readers with more realistic expectations of what they can achieve and how development progresses. It's also good to see the number of hours for every artwork displayed - which is a FIRST in any book of botanical art instruction I've seen

It is also very good to see more attention given to
  • composition which is often missing from instruction books about botanical techniques.  (See my commentary on books which provide instruction about composition on my Composition page)
  • less common media - egg tempera, etching, silverpoint

​The finished works of art included in the book are generally of a very high standard. The colour reproduction is also excellent.  

Beware the shipping weight of this VERY big book and be sure to check delivery charges if ordering from overseas and not using Amazon!
BASICS:
  • Hardcover: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Timber Press (OR)
  • Publication Date: 18 September 2020
  • Language: English
  • Shipping Weight: 1.7 lbs | 770g
  • ISBN-10: 1604697903
  • ISBN-13: 978-1604697902 
  • Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 27.9 cm

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PUBLISHED AUGUST 2020
The Science Behind Flowers: Plant Morphology for Botanical Artists
by Dick Rauh 
AUTHOR

Dick Rauh has been teaching a class about Plant morphology for Botanical Artists at the New York Botanic Gardens since 1994. He started to get involved in botanical art in retirement, after a career in motion picture special effects. He pursued a graduate program in Plant Sciences at the City University of New York, ending up with a doctorate in 2001
My students leave me telling me they will never look at a flower in the same way again.
Dick Rauh
SCOPE
The aim of the book is to:
  • provide basic information in layman's terms that will guide you to identify and stress those features that make each flower special.
  • feature thirty floral families, covering the wide range of floral form.
  • enable botanical artists to never look at a flower in the same way again.
BASICS:
  • Paperback:  184 pages
  • Publisher:  Independently published
  • Publication Date:  
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-13: 979-8675412235
  • Shipping weight:  1.35 pounds
  • Product Dimensions:  8.5 x 0.44 x 11 inches

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PUBLISHED JUNE 2020
Drawing and Painting Botanicals for Artists
by Karen Kluglein
Cover of
Cover of "Drawing and Painting Botanicals For Artists" by Karen Kluglein
SCOPE
This book aims to show artists at all skill levels how to translate careful observation into impressive botanical art.
​It provides:
  • a brief history of the art form - including guidance on developing observational skills for botanicals, key botanical terms and concepts and the differences between botanical illustration, botanical art, and flower painting.
  • detailed guidance and demonstrations for drawing and painting botanicals in various media
Drawing:
  • Techniques: loose gestural drawing, precise measuring and rendering, and working from photographs
  • Media: graphite, colored pencil, finepoint markers, pen and ink, and silverpoint.
Painting:
  • Techniques: Master color mixing, washes, layering, gradations, values, and adding details. Plus guidance on adding “personality” to your work and knowing when a painting is done.
  • Media: watercolor, gouache, and acrylic
COMMENTARY:
A general concern I have about ALL books for "all skill levels" covering various media - is that they very often tend to disappoint more than they impress. Which is not to say this one will (I've not seen it) however, the content suggests this book maybe rather more of an introduction than indicated - with generic techniques rather than the specifics  required by the particular demands of botanical art and illustration. ​ Effective instruction in drawing and painting botanicals to my mind builds on a good grounding having been already achieved in drawing and painting basics and is then related to skill levels already attained and/or a specific medium AND the particular requirements of botanical drawing / illustration / painting. I'd like to be pleasantly surprised as Karen's own artwork is very accomplished.
BASICS:
  • Paperback: 160 Pages
  • Publisher:  QuartoKnows / Rockport Publishers (USA)
  • Publication Date:  16th June 2020
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1631598570
  • ISBN-13: 978-1631598579
  • Shipping weight: 1.1 pounds
  • Product Dimensions: 
The For Artists series are intended to provide expert guides for artists at all skill levels who want to
  • develop their classical drawing and painting skills 
  • create realistic and representational art.​​

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AUTHOR
Karen Kluglein graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 1980. Her botanical work developed in the 90s and she licenses her artwork and welcomes commissions. She is an award-winning member of the American Society of Botanical Artists and has taught workshops at the New York Botanical Garden. She also makes and sells instructional downloads and DVDs on her website.  Her career as an illustrator (for packaging and point of display work) brought her many varied clients which she lists on her 'about' page on her website. She lives on Long Island, in East Hampton, New York.
DUE FOR PUBLICATION (in the USA) IN APRIL 2020
The Joy of Botanical Drawing
​A Step-by-Step Guide to Drawing and Painting Flowers, Leaves, Fruit, and More 
​by Wendy Hollender
Average Customer Rating out of 5 stars: 4.7 by 100 customers
​
Cover of
Cover of "The Joy of Botanical Drawing" by Wendy Hollender
SCOPE
An easy-to-follow guide to realistic botanical drawing for those who enjoy drawing nature and creating realistic plant portraits. Wendy Hollender shares her drawing techniques for coloured pencils and watercolour pencils:
  • using short lessons that start simple
  • build on the basics with easy to use step by step instructions
Examples of scientifically accurate botanical portraits in the book include
  • a spiraling pine cone,
  • a spiky chestnut,
  • a fuchsia-tinged radish,
  • a morning glory and others.
Techniques cover a range of textures from delicate petals to stems and textured bark. 
COMMENTARY
Wendy Hollender is an American botanical artist who has been providing instruction in the use of coloured pencils and watercolour pencils for botanical art and illustration for a very long time. She has a wealth of experience in teaching - which will provide excellent grounding for the lessons to be found in this book. Plus very many followers - which will doubtless lead to good sales.

The Amazon listing now provides various images which deliver a comprehensive "look inside". The book appears well designed and the content looks good. It also clearly indicates that Wendy writes well - in a coherent and accessible way.
​
BASICS:
  • Paperback: 192 pages ​Also available as a Kindle edition
  • Publisher: Watson-Guptill 
  • Publication Date: April 7, 2020
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1984856715
  • ISBN-13: 978-1984856715
  • Product Dimensions: 216 x 279 mm (8-1/2 x 11 in)
Average Customer Rating out of 5 stars:
  • 4.7 by 100 customers in USA
  • ​4.6 by 31 customers in the UK
BUY THIS BOOK IN NORTH AMERICA
BUY THIS BOOK IN THE UK
Wendy Hollender is a botanical artist, illustrator, author, and instructor who works predominantly in coloured pencils. Her work has been Her work has been exhibited at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, and the Smithsonian National Museum for Natural History. She is currently an instructor at the New York Botanical Garden and is the author of Botanical Drawing in Color
EDUCATION - including Tips and Techniques and Courses

You can find out more about the best books about botanical art and illustration in
PLUS NEW Botanical Art Books​ ​
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As an Amazon Associate I earn very small sums from qualifying purchases - which help fund the costs of running this website.