Day 231: Birds are one thing. Botanical art is another, and although I want to be as accurate in my representations as possible in both subjects, plants are infinitely more difficult to portray. Petals/tepals and stamens must be counted, leaf form must be scrupulously observed. Does the leaf clasp the stem? Is it serrated? Notched? Are the stems glabrous or pubescent? Colour and shading are the least of your worries when you're trying to draw a plant with scientific accuracy. Maybe that's why so much botanical art is done in pencil or pen. In fact, I have been hesitant to add colour for fear of losing important detail, but at this point, my detailing skills are marginal, so I'm hiding my sins beneath a wash of pigment. For now, I am content to show the plant in its proper genus; species is going to take a lot more work. (Clockwise from the left: Paeonia, Lamprocapnos, Rhipsalidopsis, Centaurea).
No comments:
Post a Comment