Kew Book of Botanical Illustration - by Christabel King (Paperback)

About the Book

Published in hardback in Great Britain in 2015.

Book Synopsis

Learn and improve your approach to botanical art from the foremost botanical artist from the Royal Botanica Gardens Kew.
'This is botanical illustration at the highest level.' - The Artist

Kew is eminent worldwide in botanical science and preservation, and Christabel King is their foremost botanical artist. Here she explains botanical art and illustration, covering materials, collecting plant material, drawing and painting techniques, magnification, and painting from succulents to wildflowers. Now available in paperback, this book is perfect for anyone who wants to learn techniques in botanical art.

Here she shares her passion for depicting plants, both in scientific illustrations and in looser botanical art. This inspiring guide covers everything you need to know from

collecting and preserving plant specimens, through magnification,

drawing from life and painting leaves, flowers cacti and much more.

A chapter on travel drawing gives a flavor of the author's worldwide experience,

and there are many of her beautiful plates from the prestigious Curtis's Botanical Magazine.

There is a helpful section on suitable subjects for beginners and a glossary of terms, to get you started in the beautiful art of botanical illustration.

About the Author

Kew's chief botanical artist, and one of Kew's elite band of practitioners, Christabel King has been working as an illustrator at Kew for 40 years. In 1975 she began painting for their prestigious Curtis's Botanical Magazine (the longest-running botanical magazine - first edition 1787), after achieving a degree in botany and scientific illustration. She runs successful workshops and courses at Kew and is highly skilled and acclaimed for her work. Christabel lives in Twickenham, Middlesex.

About the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew is a world-famous scientific organisation and home to two elegant gardens in the South East of England - Kew Gardens in South West London and Wakehurst Place in West Sussex which also houses Kew's Millennium Seed Bank. Kew Gardens is a recognised World Heritage Site, with stunning glasshouses and a rich history of royal heritage interwoven with the development of modern-day plant science and sustainable development.