I believe it is important in developing your arts practice to use art diaries/journals/sketchbooks/notebooks even online blogs to keep track of your ideas, thoughts, sketches, make notes of things that interest or are important to you as an artist. … Continue reading Art diaries, journals, sketchbooks…where to start…
Essentially I see drawing at its most basic and simplest form as marks on a page. You can make these marks with a variety of media such as pencil like this waratah sketch, charcoals, pen, watercolour, pastel, etc. For me drawing beginning to draw involves finding a surface – usually a piece of paper – taking a for example, a 3 dimensional object such as a vase of flowers and taking time firstly to perceive the object in a proactive way. Making an effort to pay particular attention to detail through your eye and into to your brain. The more … Continue reading DRAWING – Where do I start?
My work with illustration – Botanical and Fauna Illustration uses a very fine Rotring pen and ink. The drawing should be botanically correct which is a challenge in itself – preferably working from real specimens. The image is made by slowly building up the surface image is made up of a series of very small dots and lines using a very fine nibbed rotring pen. This was the final set drawing for the short botanical illustration course. It is Banksia serrata – Saw banksia – or ‘Old Man Banksia’. The challenge now is to try a variety of subjects in … Continue reading Botanical illustration – Banksia serrata 1
This illustration/drawing of a Banksia serrata is probably about half way through but I am pleased with the way it is coming along. I have a couple more drawings sitting back in various states but none ready to ink. The image below is the partially completed, it is a slow process but I quite like the slowness and being particular savouring each little section of the plant and ‘dotting’ it in on the paper. And the final result. Copyright – Lynette Weir Continue reading Botanical Illustration – Banksia serrata 2
I did a short course on Botanical Illustration at the local adult community education. I love going and doing short course – gets the brain working again! Although I draw all my designs most of which are botanical and I see my linocuts as botanical linocuts, I have never done any formal training in botanical illustration. So I am doing a short 4 week course….here is my first botanical illustration. It is a Moreton Bay Fig – one of my all time most favourite trees – we have one in the reserve nearby our house. Copyright – Lynette Weir Continue reading Botanical Illustration – Moreton Bay Fig
In this particular illustration of a Waratah – Telopia speciosissima – I have used a very light wash of watercolour and use fine dots (many many fine dots) with a Rotring pen to build up the image. For those that may be interested in papers I have used an antique white rag based acid free watercolour paper. I like this paper with its slightly rough texture – it is cold pressed watercolour paper and so has a ‘bite’ on its surface. The hot pressed papers I mainly use for the linocuts has a smooth surface. Copyright – Lynette Weir Continue reading Botanical Illustration – Waratah 2 – with colour
This was my first attempt in recent years at Fauna Illustration – a Tawny Frogmouth illustration using rotring pens and lots and lot and lots of dots! The basic technique involves using dots to create the image – the closer the dots the deeper the tone. I would like to try the Tawny Frogmouth illustrations with some light watercolour as well. Copyright – Lynette Weir Continue reading Wildlife Illustration – Tawny Frogmouth 1
Love these birds! The first image shows the early stages of the Tawny Frogmouth Glare. After drawing it up lightly on watercolour paper I added some light underwashes of colour with watercolour. I have then been slowly working using a rotring pen with black ink with tiny (and sometimes what seems endless!) dots to create the detail…it’s getting there…slowly… Below is the completed illustration/drawing. Copyright – Lynette Weir Continue reading WILDLIFE ILLUSTRATION – Tawny Frogmouth 2
Wildflowerings Linocut & Art Tutorials 