How RHS medals for Botanical Art are assessed

23/7/2019

For those coming to the RHS London Botanical Art Show this week - and those watching social media and reading online - you may be interested in how a botanical art exhibit at an RHS Botanical Art Show is assessed for

whether it should receive a medal and
what sort of medal it should get.

Gold Medals are only given for exhibits of outstanding quality, whatever their diversity of approach, or visual impact
Gillian Barlow, Chair of the RHS Picture Panel (in RHS Botanical Illustration - the Gold Medal Winners)

Candidates who have been approved to exhibit must submit at least six works - preferably on a theme.

You can earn extra marks if you illustrate a plant family.

ASSESSMENT: KEY POINTS are:

very high standards are essential
the emphasis should be on botanical accuracy with aesthetic appeal

The Picture Panel Judges always:

assess as botanical illustration
review botanical content and accuracy
review artistic and aesthetic effect
assess overall impression and how this has been achieved
assess the whole exhibit; marks are awarded for presentation of the exhibit as well as accuracy and quality of the artwork

The best botanical illustration successfully combines scientific accuracy with visual appeal. It must portray a plant with the precision and level of detail for it to be recognised and distinguished from another species.

Two of the botanical illustrations by Hye Woo Shin (RHS Botanical Art Show 2018) - which resulted in a Judges’ Special Award 2018 for ‘ Plants in Dokdo Island’

As a technical discipline, botanical illustration emphasizes the depiction of accurate information, documenting the anatomical and functional aspect of a plant throughout its life cycle.

Judges want to see.....

My suggestions of things you need to do to deliver on what judges are looking for are indicated in bullet points below.

This summary is based on discussions over time with both Judges and artists who have had feedback from Judges - and highlights some of the frequent problem areas which I hear about again and again. (I'll be updating and amending after this week's show!)

All quotes in green (except for the first above) are drawn from the Exhibitor Fact Sheet

Artwork should be life size and if not, a scale must be evident.

Botanical Accuracy

Very high standards means:

accurately measure the parts of your plant - and ensure any dissections or diminutions in your artwork are drawn to scale;
pay attention to plant detail - particularly that which differentiates one plant from another
understand how to use scale bars properly - and how best to display them;
make sure the plant name is accurate and you know how to write latin plant names properly (also see Fact Sheet below)
draw your plant accurately: demonstrate you know how the plant is constructed. Aim for clarity and avoid confusion in your delineation. Watch out for the angle and representation of joints and lines that go nowhere.
exhibits which are all about one plant family are eligible for a Higher Award (i.e. more than a Gold Medal)
i.e. it's not just about good you are at laying down paint!

See my section on Botany for Botanical Artists and Illustrators

Labelling is considered as part of the overall presentation of the exhibit and will be judged accordingly.

Aesthetic Appeal

Very high standards means:

ALL paintings and drawings need to get the basics right.
you must demonstrate you are more than competent in the full range of artistic knowledge and skills
e.g correct tonal values which reveal form accurately and read well from a distance as well as close up
e.g. demonstrate exact colour reproduction i.e. do NOT paint from photos alone and make sure you do lots of colour swatches from observation before you start
e.g. demonstrate your mastery of the principles and elements of composition and design to ensure individual paintings have aesthetic appeal and ALL the paintings in the exhibit work together well
e.g. you must demonstrate your skill in whichever medium you choose to use
Use the required colour of support eg white or off-white material (i.e. do not use raw or unprepared vellum - see Factsheet) and make sure any surround is neutral too
Ensure the exhibit space as a whole is 100% compliant with the rules for Exhibits as stated in the Fact Sheet / Guidance to Exhibitors

visual clarity in the detail of the picture is of paramount importance

Two more botanical illustrations from the ‘ Plants in Dokdo Island’ exhibit which resulted in a Judges’ Special Award 2018 for Hye Woo Shin (RHS Botanical Art Show 2018) -

paintings directly copied from photographs are not acceptable

One more thing.....

It doesn't say this anywhere but I've heard this so many times I recommend you take it as read that this rule applies

The colour of the medal is determined by the weakest artwork. In other words, ALL the artworks must be capable of meeting the standard for the medal they are awarded. I've met very many artists who had one painting which let them down - or whose paintings were great but presentation was weak.

Subscribe to this news blog to find out more
about botanical art and illustration and associated exhibitions
Blog posts are emailed to you when you
Subscribe to Botanical Art & Artists - News by Email

Where to find the guidelines

Signage is considered as part of the overall presentation of the exhibit and will be judged accordingly.

For those aspiring to exhibit at the RHS Botanical Art Show, the RHS provide

a useful exhibit - for reference - of how the artwork for the exhibition is assessed in the Exhibition itself (see image below)
a more detailed explanation in the Annual Botanical Illustration Exhibitor Fact Sheet - I recommend you read this very carefully. Then read it again and make a digest of specific notes relevant to each stage for your own benefit - in whichever way works best for you.

Finally - if you get accepted and get to exhibit at a show - listen very carefully to the feedback which Judges offer. It is absolutely invaluable and will help enormously in:

improving any weaknesses in your approach and
avoiding any errors next time.

Assessment explanation at the RHS Botanical Art Show in 2017.

Further Information

There is further information about the RHS Botanical Art show in pages and blog posts on this website

See Blog posts

See Pages

0 Comments

News about
Botanical Art
and for Botanical Artists