Botany Trip!
I recently returned from a trip out to the Mojave Desert. I drew plants from a scientific, botanical viewpoint. It was fun to learn all the terms used to define plants and their anatomy.
Desert Chicory, rendered with .05 micron pens and cake watercolors, viewed through a microscope. For this, I used very few pencil guidelines. The method resulted in a lyrical, flat-looking illustration.
The Desert Five Spot was really cute but somewhat rare. These are field drawings! I did them outdoors.
Pre-emptive ink sketch before I redrew the above chicory huge for watercolor work. Lab drawing.
Desert Dandelions! Field drawing.
Desert lilies. Field drawings.
Unfinished Fiddleneck field study. Someone told me this might not be a native plant, so I abandoned it for native plants!
Fremont Pincushion; the center one is off, proportionally.. Actual size of this bloom is less than a quarter-inch by a quarter-inch. Lab study, done under a microscope.
Field study of a Desert Birdcage, a weird plant that dies and leaves 'skeletal' remains for other plants to grow around.
Science!
More science!
Overall leaf shapes and some sciencey designations...And yes, then there's a closeup of a half-leaf, half-axolotl. I pay attention in class, you see.
Desert Birdcage for reals! You can see the living plants climbing through its old 'skeleton.'
A neat bug! Dunno the species.
Desert dandelions. If you'd guessed that I have no idea how to make my camera focus on things in the foreground...you'd be absolutely correct!
Desert Five Spot!
Desert Lily among a crowd of little flowery friends.
Fiddleneck. Has a 'cyme' shaped series of buds.
We woke up a grumpy horned toad from its nap.
Sometimes if you're lucky you encounter the rare Vegas Flamingo, and if you're EXTRA lucky, you even find an albino one!
Sand Verbena.
Behold, the Teddy Bear Cholla. Yes, the name is a cruel joke. Yes, this plant is as gleefully sadistic as it looks.
This is the teacher. If you guess why I shot this photo, you win infinite Friend Points!
PLANTS!
Desert Chicory, rendered with .05 micron pens and cake watercolors, viewed through a microscope. For this, I used very few pencil guidelines. The method resulted in a lyrical, flat-looking illustration.
The Desert Five Spot was really cute but somewhat rare. These are field drawings! I did them outdoors.
Pre-emptive ink sketch before I redrew the above chicory huge for watercolor work. Lab drawing.
Desert Dandelions! Field drawing.
Desert lilies. Field drawings.
Unfinished Fiddleneck field study. Someone told me this might not be a native plant, so I abandoned it for native plants!
Fremont Pincushion; the center one is off, proportionally.. Actual size of this bloom is less than a quarter-inch by a quarter-inch. Lab study, done under a microscope.
Field study of a Desert Birdcage, a weird plant that dies and leaves 'skeletal' remains for other plants to grow around.
Science!
More science!
Overall leaf shapes and some sciencey designations...And yes, then there's a closeup of a half-leaf, half-axolotl. I pay attention in class, you see.
Desert Birdcage for reals! You can see the living plants climbing through its old 'skeleton.'
A neat bug! Dunno the species.
Desert dandelions. If you'd guessed that I have no idea how to make my camera focus on things in the foreground...you'd be absolutely correct!
Desert Five Spot!
Desert Lily among a crowd of little flowery friends.
Fiddleneck. Has a 'cyme' shaped series of buds.
We woke up a grumpy horned toad from its nap.
Sometimes if you're lucky you encounter the rare Vegas Flamingo, and if you're EXTRA lucky, you even find an albino one!
Sand Verbena.
Behold, the Teddy Bear Cholla. Yes, the name is a cruel joke. Yes, this plant is as gleefully sadistic as it looks.
This is the teacher. If you guess why I shot this photo, you win infinite Friend Points!
PLANTS!