"The one test of an artist's conception is nature. Therefore, study her industriously, for truly, art is embedded in nature; he who can extract it, has it."
Albrecht Durer
Since ancient times Man tried to capture the beauty of the flower. People decorated their homes, clothes, dishes and other household items with floral designs. Images of plants were used in botanical science and medicine.
With the advent of photography images of plants became a separate line of exquisite salon painting.
Botanical painting begins with a careful study of plants, careful transfer to the paper all the botanical details and
creating
the attractive composition. The object of botanical painting is not only plants, but also insects, birds, animals, shells, stones, etc.
An object (e.g. a plant) is drawn on a white (blank) background to showcase all the beauty of the plants, pick out the details and
avoid the narrowness
(which is due to lighting, angle, size, etc.), from which we see plants in nature.
Botanical artists create their works by using graphite pencil, watercolor, gouache, acrylic paint, ink pens and so on or use mixed media
in their works. Drawings are usually made on heavy watercolor paper or leather parchment (vellum).
I use hot press watercolor paper, which maintains multiple layers of painting. I like to work in dry watercolor technique: layer by layer all the details
are hand-painted on by a very small and almost dry brush, all the color transitions that convey identity of the plant or insect. This technique requires thoroughness, accuracy, meditative
immersion.
Even a small work can take up to 50 hours
to complete it. Such detailed work creates a unique intimacy between the artist and his works.
Previous 
