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Archive for June, 2008

Today’s Botanical Artists Answer Your Questions

Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Education, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events, tagged , , , on June 24, 2008 | 1 Comment »

Thirteen questions were submitted by readers and these questions were distributed among members of the panel. A heartfelt Thank You to members of the panel for sharing their thoughts, knowledge, and experience with us. And thank you to the hungry minds who submitted questions. Great job!
Click on any of the topics below to begin your [...]

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Today’s Botanical Artists On Digital Painting

Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Education, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events, tagged , , , , on June 24, 2008 | Comments Off

1) Why choose digital painting over watercolor? What attracts you to digital painting?
Michael Maskarinec:
Please let me start by saying that I love all types of botanical painting and illustration. For me, it is a constant and consistent form of observation in an ever-changing world. My career is that of an art director/creative director for publishing [...]

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Today’s Botanical Artists on Photorealism

Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events, tagged , , , on June 24, 2008 | Comments Off

2) Photorealism looks like it takes a really long time. On average, how long does a painting take you?
Sherry Mitchell:
It’s difficult to say how long, ON AVERAGE, a photorealistic painting takes, as every painting is so completely different. However, for the examples in the book, a painting like the Himalayan Blackberries took approximately 50 hours.
Return [...]

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Today’s Botanical Artists On Framing

Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Education, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events, tagged , , , on June 24, 2008 | Comments Off

3) Do you do your own framing or do you use commercial frames?

I do my own framing = 6
I use commercial frames (i.e., store bought) or a commercial framer = 9
I use a private framer = 7

Additional comments:
Bobbi Angell: I order frames and glass from a commercial frame shop and assemble them myself. The same [...]

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Today’s Botanical Artists On Watercolor

Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Education, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events, tagged , , , on June 24, 2008 | Comments Off

4) Once you really learned watercolor, did you ever go back to graphite, ink, or colored pencil?
Olivia Marie Braida Chiusano: Yes. I do quite a bit of graphite work for clients and professional commercial assignments. The same for pen-and-ink. I also use both for fine art pieces. As for colored pencil, I [...]

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Today’s Botanical Artists On Matching Colors

Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Education, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events, tagged , , , on June 24, 2008 | Comments Off

5) How do you match your colors? Do you achieve this by glazing or do you mix your colors in a palette?
Julie Sims Messenger:
I use glazing technique to achieve form and color. Starting with studying the subject, I choose lots of pigments, cool/warm, transparent and opaque, and then I begin with the thinnest of glaze [...]

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Today’s Botanical Artists On Certificate Programs

Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Education, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events, tagged , , , on June 24, 2008 | Comments Off

6) How many of you have a certificate from a certificate program?

Yes = 8
No = 13
No response = 1

Programs referred to in “Yes” responses: Denver Botanic Gardens, New York Botanical Garden
Robin Jess: I don’t have a certificate, however, I started a certificate program for the New York Botanical Garden in 1984. However, I did [...]

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Today’s Botanical Artists On Composition

Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Education, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events, tagged , , , on June 24, 2008 | Comments Off

7) Because botanical art is so representational, how far can you stretch a composition in botanical art?
Bruce Lyndon Cunningham: When any artist draws a face of a person, the face needs to look like that person in life. Same with botanical species.
Carol E. Hamilton: The key is research. Once you have thoroughly researched the [...]

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Today’s Botanical Artists On Using Photographs

Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Education, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events, tagged , , , , on June 24, 2008 | Comments Off

8. Do you ever draw and paint exclusively from photographs? Is this a wise thing to do?
Olivia Marie Braida Chiusano: I do not draw from photographs. I use macro photography to record key elements of the subject and detail. My students are taught not to trace from photographs but to use them only [...]

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Today’s Botanical Artists On Drawing Branches

Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Education, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events, tagged , , , on June 24, 2008 | Comments Off

9) Any advice on drawing and painting branches? I have so much trouble with this.
Wendy Hollender: Study the branches closely, first without any leaves. Winter is great for this. Draw them with all the detail you would put in a flower. Pay attention to how they change direction and thickness. Lay a branch next to [...]

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Today’s Botanical Artists On Paper

Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Education, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events, tagged , , , on June 24, 2008 | 4 Comments »

10) Do you use a lot of different papers? If so, which paper do you like best?
Kathy J. Imel: Yes. I have one set of different papers for watercolor, graphite and colored pencil. The common element is that it is hot-pressed and fairly heavily sized (if for watercolor). I use a completely different set of [...]

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Today’s Botanical Artists On Drawing Veins

Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Education, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events, tagged , , , on June 24, 2008 | Comments Off

11) How do you like to draw veins?
Bobbi Angell: I like to draw them as accurately as possible, since they are important for identification. I doubt that is what you are asking, but once you start paying attention to patterns they become quite fascinating to draw no matter the technique.
Margaret Best: I love [...]

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