NEWS about Botanical Art and for Botanical Artists

How to get the exhibit to stick to the display panel - without falling off!

16/7/2018

There are two particular aspects of the RHS Botanical Art Show that sometimes people forget about until a little late in the day. These are:

how to get the exhibit to stick to the display panel for four days without falling off
how to get the exhibit there and back - safe and secure - and without ending up with a back problem!

This post comprises my TIPS (from exhibitors) about the "sticky" aspect of exhibiting. Or how to avoid your exhibit and/or card holders ending up on the floor of the Lindley Hall! (Please also read the comments from those who have exhibited previously)

At the end of the show I also took photos of examples of how people had chosen to stick their exhibit to the panel.

What sort of sticky display tape?

The consensus seemed to be that Velcro provided the most reliable display tape.
I'm sure there are others in different parts of the world but most people seemed to have opted to use Velcro.

What size of Velcro? How best to use it?

Well it depends. There seem to be two basic approaches:

long strips of thin velcro
squarish strips of thick heavy duty velcro

The trick is to have

velcro which is robust enough to keep the exhibit hanging - no matter the weather (and last week exhibitors were having to contend with very hot and increasingly humid weather which was causing some watercolour paper to cockle!)
not so much velcro that it is impossible to get off the display panel without damaging the artwork!

Then there's the issue of whether to place the long strip horizontally or vertically - and how big a strip to cut!

Bridget Gillespie had framed paintings and decided to stick items that were heavier (cans of beans?) to the wall to see if they lasted three days before she made a decision as to how much velcro to use!

I took photos so you can see what sort of strips were hanging up what sort of exhibits (You may need to refer back to RHS London Botanical Art Show 2018 - Awards and Medal Winners to see the size of the exhibits)

Angela Lober - Native Food Plants of Australia
(Australia) used four narrow strips on the outside edges - used horizontally top and bottom on her smaller than average exhibits.

I think it was Angela who told me that she finds that you can lift by wiggling something sharp, flat and strong underneath.

Narrow white velcro strips on the reverse of Angela Lober's vellum exhibits

Sue Wickison GM (2008) - Plants of the Holy Qur'an (New Zealand) probably had the largest painting in the show - and below this is what it looked like from behind.

Four oblong heavy patches of black heavy duty velcro - three at the top and one at the bottom for this big painting

Below you can see how big the painting is based on how big the others were and compared to the size of Sue herself who was packing as I photographed

Sue Wickison packing her paintings - the smaller paintings had just three heavy duty oblong patches holding them to the display panel - plus two small ones for the caption/information

Maureen Hallahan (UK - Fruits in Illuminated Manuscripts) also used the wider velcro tape - but she used the white version (see below) - and you can see what she had used when her exhibit was removed from the display panel. The small patches are for the image captions/information.

Maureen Hallaran's display panels once the exhibits and captions have been removed

However - on closer inspection - it was revealed Maureen was taking no chances. She had stapled her velcro to the display panel!

Velcro plus staple - plus you can see the surface of the heavy duty velcro tape used and the tape width relative to a normal staple

I walked around at the end looking at the velcro left - or the marks it had left on the panels(!) - and I would say the majority of exhibitors opted for four oblong patches towards the corners of each exhibit

Those with smaller and/or lighter exhibits were using the narrower tape.
Most of those with bigger than average paintings were using the heavy duty tape. This was also used by those who just didn't want the worry of whether or not they'd walk in and find their exhibits on the floor!

Of those I talked to I'd say the majority had TESTED whether the exhibit tape would keep their exhibit hung for four days before they left home.

I RECOMMEND that you do what a lot of artists did and trial the tape to see what works best in terms of security of display of your particular exhibit PLUS the ease of getting it off the exhibit afterwards!

I DO NOT RECOMMEND long strips of the Heavy Duty Stick On Tape.
That's because the more you use the more difficult it is to remove - and I've helped out on an exhibit which was using long strips and it's not easy!

About Velcro display tape

Sticky display media comes in different forms (tape, strip, and pre-shaped 'coins'; different colours; different lengths and it can support different weights per specified size. Read on....

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Guide to Botanical Illustration using Pen and Ink - in Portuguese

23/2/2018

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Rogério Lupo has produced another Guide to Botanical Illustration - this time using pen and ink. The Portuguese title is Apostila Bico de Pena. (© Rogério Lupo 2018 - All rights reserved. Sale prohibited. Free distribution.) The title contains the link to the page where you view it and download it.

His scientific illustration guide to equipment and materials comments on the use of a dip pen nib - which Google translate insists on calling a "feather beak" - but basically a nib which flexes when pressure is used so as to produce fine lines of different thickness and character.

HOWEVER it is not yet translated into English. I think he's hoping to get this done later this tear

So if you can read Portuguese you're fine.

If you're prepared to use Google Translate to read a bit at a time it's also fine (you can see what I made of it below!). It's a bit odd - but you can get the gist of what he's saying.

Apostila Bico de Pena de Rogério Lupo

Below are the two descriptions of the Guide in Portuguse and Google Translate English.

Guia de curso com informações completas sobre os bicos de pena mais especializados para traços precisos usados na ilustração científica. São tratados assuntos como marcas de bicos, de tintas e papéis, procedimentos para seleção do material na hora da compra, restauração, cuidados, exercícios e tudo que se precisa saber para começar a conhecer e praticar.

Course guide with complete information on the most specialized pen nozzles for precise strokes used in scientific illustration. Subjects such as nozzle marks, paints and papers, procedures for material selection at the time of purchase, restoration, care, exercise and all that one needs to know to get to know and practice are treated. (according to Google Translate)

Note that Google Translate takes the portuguese he uses and translates the word as

"nozzle" which is a term we more usually associate with a technical pen
or "beak" - it comes up sometimes a "feather beak"

rather than a specialist nib which is typically used with a dip pen holder. This is just Google Translate rather than Rogério!

20 of the 40 practice strokes using pen and ink recommended by Rogerio Lupo and provided as examples at the end of his Guide ( © Rogério Lupo 2018 )

What I like about the Guide

Note - this was all identified using Google Translate!)

What I like about this Guide is that he discusses:

buying a pen nib and very precise detail about what to look out for to get a good nib which will behave well
different brands by name and how he finds them
the best brands of paper to use for pen and ink illustration - and he comments on Bristol (plate) paper he likes and those he does not (the ones which are too abrasive on the end of the nib).
the best quality ink to use - and his recommendations plus how to keep the ink hydrated
how to protect the point of the nib
how to preserve the nib on good condition - and the use of alcohol for cleaning and the purpose of a pen wiper
how to test nibs before purchasing them - including how to test for blade crossing - this is the truly fastidious bit for the real pen and ink fan. There's a nice bit where he displays how to detect splay in the end of the nib and whether the cut is central or not.
how to sand and polish nibs to improve the flow or restore their use
what to do when the ink won't flow (the "departure problem")

He then moves on to the use of the pen

how to train yourself to deliver parallel strokes - which includes tips on breathing!
he provides some examples of pen strokes to practice. His list of 40 pen strokes is precisely explained as to what each demonstrates

All in all it's a lot more information than is often available - written by somebody who is fastidious about the use of the kit he uses for illustration. I'm a huge fan of those who really care about the quality of the materials they use - and want to share what they know with others.

You can obtain the Guide from Slideshare (as with his Graphite for Scientific Illustration Guide) - just click the link in the title. As before to access the free download you will need to be logged in to an account with Slideshare or a Linked In account also gives you access to download

You can also follow his announcements about new classes and guides on Facebook by following his Facebook Page Rogério Lupo - Ilustração Científica.

Read more about Botanical Illustration Tips: Pen and Ink on this website

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The favourite art supplies of botanical artists

5/11/2017

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I've created a new section on my website Botanical Art and Artists for information about and recommendations of Art Materials used by Botanical Artists and Illustrators. The aim is to

share - and pass forward - what we know to help people produce the very best botanical art.
identify alternatives for materials which fall short of the performance and quality people want and need.

Many of you will be aware that I've been steadily compiling tips, techniques and recommendations about the use of art media, materials and equipment for botanical art and illustration. If not, take a look for example at:

Paper and supports
Vellum

Some of the new pages in the NEW Section about Art Materials used by botanical artists

I've got a number of NEW PAGES to develop in this section.

One of the ones I'd like to develop first is a new page about Favourite Art Materials - the ones people openly recommend. The new page will cover both favourite art supplies and favoured art materials suppliers - to the extend that these have been independently identified by botanical artists and illustrators on their own sites.

What I'm now trying to do is identify all those webpages and/or blog posts created by reputable botanical artists that provide information about

their recommended art supplies for botanical art.
art suppliers that they recommend.

I've highlighted some examples below.

Highlight favourite art supplies.

For example a post which provides a compendium of recommendations is

Heidi Venamore's Favourite supplies for painting;
Heeyoung Kim's favorite art supplies for botanical art does the same thing - and covers pencils, erasers, watercolour paint and papers etc.

Others highlight one specific type of art material, the options available and what they've noticed about them. This includes products where you really like them right up until the point at which they need to be misplaced (often relating to comments on brushes)

e.g. see Dianne Sutherland's Which Brush? Spotters and Miniatures
and her equally helpful blog post Which pencil?

Five miniature brushes - pressed against the paper to illustrate the differences (Left to right: Winsor & Newton Series 7 miniature, Rosemary & Co spotter, David Jackson spotter, Raphael 8048 and Pro Arte series 107) - courtesy of Dianne Sutherland Ball

While others provide information on the tests they've done on different options eg for paper

e.g. Earlier this year Lizzie Harper used both blog posts and videos to demonstrate her experiences of different watercolour papers - see Botanical Illustration: Comparing Hot Press Watercolour Papers and Botanical Illustration: Comparing Hot Press Watercolour Papers (part 2)
Or one particular art medium that they use

Nominate favoured suppliers.

Others will highlight the art supplier they favour as being reliable and stocking good quality products.

If you have a recommendation

If you:

recommend art materials on your website or blog (i.e. anywhere the page has a URL)
have explored alternatives for specific types of media or equipment
would like to endorse the people you use for art supplies

please leave a comment - or contact me

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Amber Halsall and Angeline de Meester demo at Great Art

28/9/2017

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Angeline de Meester with her painting "Botanic symbiosis ‘December’ Clematis vitalba climbing on hawthorn Crataegus monogyna" at the British Botanical Artists exhibition in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery (2017)

Two FREE botanical art demonstrations are scheduled next week at the GreatArt store in the heart of Shoreditch - at 41-49 Kingsland Road, London, E2 8AG on the 3rd and 4th October 2017. (Store hours 10:00 to 19:00)

Amber Halsall and Angeline De Meester will be at the store, one on each day, for a day's residency to demonstrate contemporary botanical art techniques and brief you about their tips for effective paintings.

These residencies have been organised in partnership with The Society of Botanical Artists, ahead of their annual open exhibition 'Changing Seasons' which opens on the 13th of October at Central Hall, Westminster.

I know both artists and they're both extremely competent and experienced teachers. I'm absolutely positive you'll find both very helpful in answering any of your queries about botanical art.

Amber Halsall at Florum 2016

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VIDEO: Wendy Hollender compares watercolor papers for botanical drawing

6/5/2017

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Following on from yesterday's post (see VIDEO: Lizzie Harper compares painting on different watercolour papers), Wendy Hollender contacted me to tell me she had also produced a video about testing different papers.

Still from video where Wendy displays her baseline "gold standard" sample - from the OLD version of Fabriano Artistico HP 140lb - which she has decided must be replaced

Her video (and blog post) display

her "baseline" comparison of OLD Fabriano Artistico HP 140lb (which has now changed and hence needs to be replaced)

PLUS a different set of papers from those tested by Lizzie Harper (with some overlap)

Stillman & Birn Zeta (pad style)
Fluid
Stonehenge Aqua Paper made by Legion (two samples)
the new Fabriano Artistico paper
Saunders Waterford High White (the new paper)
Arches HP paper
Canson L'Acquerelle HP paper

Some comments on the video before you watch it:

Wendy does not paint during the videos.
Primarily she is a coloured pencil artist who uses watercolour as an underpainting. It needs to be stressed that her paper is used for mixed media work using both watercolour and coloured pencil.
Her purpose in doing the video was to find a good quality paper for the sketchbooks she makes for her students to purchase.
She excluded all the papers she decided she could not work with - so if a paper is not in the above list you may think it was not liked. There again it might not have been tested!
Wendy shows the sample papers she has tested and the images she created - but you don;t get a good look at them (see her accompanying blog post for a much better look - below)
At the end of the video she recommends the paper she decided was going to work best - and explains why.

Perhaps the most important conclusion she makes is that taking time to get to know a paper properly is necessary if you really want to make a proper assessment. In other words she could work with all the papers in the list if she adjusted how she worked.

So here's the video (which you can also view bigger via YouTube - click the YouTube bottom right in the video when you start it).

Her blog post provides more details about Evaluating Hotpressed watercolor papers for botanical drawing. It covers:

her requirements of botanical art paper
a composite image of all the different sample pages
her recommended paper - and a description of it
images of all the samples of papers she tried and could work with

Remember all the images have watercolour under-paintings and then coloured pencil drawings.

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Both this video and the one from yesterday are now included on my page in the Education section about Paper for botanical artists. This also offers guidance on how to test paper.

The most important advice I have to offer is that only YOU can work out the best paper for your work. That's because everybody works slightly differently and what works best for one artist will not suit another.

So take your time and do some testing:

be OPEN to trying new papers/types/brands/sides/weight;
order complete sheets of a variety of papers to test;
remember to try both sides;
do try heavier weight papers that do NOT need stretching (wetting the paper releases size and changes the surface);
do try Cold Pressed (NOT) as well as hot pressed - some outstanding botanical artists do all their work on NOT;
try different ways of working e.g. adjust the way you work so as to work with the paper rather than against it.

DO YOU HAVE A VIDEO OF YOUR PAPER TESTING?
If so, please do let me know.
If it adds value to the ongoing debate I'm happy to share it via this blog and my website.

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A Botanical Art Paper Review

4/4/2016

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From discussion to testing!

There has been much discussion amongst botanical artists in recent weeks and months due to what appeared to be some significant changes in the quality, surface and performance of Fabriano papers much used by botanical artists.

See my blog post Fabriano, R K Burt and St Cuthberts Mill - and fine art watercolour paper for precision painting for a discussion of some of the aspects of what has been happening.

As a result we're now beginning to see artists writing about and showing the results of controlled tests done on the various papers.

Dianne Sutherland has produced an excellent blog post - Paper Matters: St Cuthbert Mill vs Fabriano. It covers:

various types and weights of paper produced by Fabriano (in Italy) and St Cuthberts Mill (in the UK).
systematic and structured tests involving the various techniques used by botanical artists - as you can see from some of the samples in the image below
a well-informed and well balanced commentary by Dianne who is a very experienced botanical artist and teacher.

It's very definitely a RECOMMENDED READ!

The blog post on Dianne's blog at http://diannesutherland.blogspot.co.uk/

I'll be pleased to highlight other reviews of papers much used by botanical artists.

Just leave a comment or contact me and let me know if you have also done a review that you'd like to share.

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News about Fabriano Artistico and Classico 5 - and two new papers

17/3/2016

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Changes to the surface of Fabriano HP Papers

Very many botanical artists have been discussing the changes they have detected in the HP surface of NEW supplies of Fabriano Classico 5 - and also Fabriano Artistico - in recent months.

There's rather a lot of botanical artists who are not very happy with the change.

This morning I published a post on Making A Mark which summarises the current situation as I understand it.

Fabriano, R K Burt and St Cuthberts Mill - and fine art watercolour paper for precision painting - summarises:

experiences to date
what might be the reasons for the change
what alternatives are available - including two new papers by St. Cuthberts Mill.

Obviously artists wanting to find a surface comparable to that they have been used in the past are going to start looking at alternatives if Fabriano do not address the problem people have been experiencing.

I'll certainly be wanting to highlight possible alternatives as and when they are identified on this website.

Two new possibilities are papers just starting production at St Cuthberts Mill in Somerset - which produces Saunders Waterford and Bockingford.

Papers by Saunders Waterford have not been popular with botanical artists in the past mainly due to the fact that:

the HP surface was not smooth enough
the size was too soft and colours sink into the paper.

I'm led to understand by RK Burt, who are a wholesale paper supplier of all makes of fine art paper to retailers in the UK, that St Cuthberts Mill has recently changed its technology and can now produce much smoother paper.

As a result they have produced two new papers:

a NEW version of Saunders Waterford Hot Press Paper
Botanical Ultra Smooth - which may well suit those who have previously used Fabriano 5.

See my blog post for more details.

Samples of the paper have already been distributed to artists at the recent RHS show and more samples will be available at the Annual Exhibition of the Society of Botanical Artists. Feedback about the papers in use is now being generated - and is also welcomed.

Samples of the two new papers being produced by St Cuthberts Mill. In reality the Botanical Ultra Smooth is whiter than the SW HP Paper - and the latter is the exact same shade as Fabriano Extra White

Obviously whether or not you have yet experienced any problems with stocks of Fabriano paper will very much depend on:

when they were made
which retailer you bought them from
to a certain extent what sort of technique you use for botanical painting.

Do please feel free to comment on your own personal experience - and your preferred surfaces for botanical art.

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