sketches ep11 🍃botanical studies 🌱 – thoughts and sketches | ginkgo drawings in progress + a few photos! (Patreon)

I’ve been drawing some plants as I’m recovering from the worst cold I had in years!

It’s been a mix of drawing for myself, for a client and for Patreon rewards. Let’s take a look at my sketchbooks, shall we?!

I’m an introvert and I’m the happiest when I can just be at home (preferably alone) but being sick for more than a week and not being able to go outside has started to nag me.

I started to dream about going somewhere. Anywhere, honestly. I got a major flashback from the 2020 lockdown. Not cool!

One of the first places I went to during the pandemic, when it was a bit safer to go outside, were the Palm House in Gliwice. What a beautiful place. I hope to visit it soon again!

These sketches were made when I was thinking about this palm house. No reference picture was used, even though I took million photos when I was there. This quick sketching session led me to draw the monstera leaves I showed you a few days ago.

Ginkgo!

This tree has always fascinated me. It’s one of the oldest tree species in the world. This tree outlived dinosaurs!! Do I need to say more?! (do I? I can write essays about most plants I draw :D)

I saw ginkgo tree for the first time only about a year ago!

I knew it exist but haven’t saw it in real life before.

What a beauty!

The foliage changes colors to golden yellow during Autumn.

I went grocery shopping yesterday (leaving the house for the first time this month, yyyyay) and went to check the young ginkgo trees living in my neighborhood!

Gorgeous color!

I wanted to take a few leaves home and use them as props for pictures but the wildlife needs leaves more than I do, so I left them there after taking these pictures.

I think I found the right color for these leaves! This sketchbook spread was made mostly to try colors in practice.

Work in progress!

These designs will be used to make phone wallpapers and a sticker sheet for November.

Back to my pencil sketchbook.

I got commissioned to illustrate three botanical books about 3 edible plants that could be find in central European climate! Hawthorn, black elderflower and wild rose.

My job is to create dozens of illustrations showing these plants (their flowers, fruits, twigs, leaves, anything you can think of!) in Spring and Autumn seasons.

When I’m drawing for myself, most of the time I just look at a few reference pictures and draw based on them. Kind of.

Unless I have more time, then I nerd out fully and do a whole research about the plant.

That’s also what I do when I draw for a client and the drawings have to be really accurate.

First, I read about these plants and the most common types of them, their features.

Basically I learn how to identify them and tell them apart. Sometimes I take notes.

Then, I look for tons and tons of references and just draw less or more based on them, to learn how this plant look. I have my favorite resources for that! I think this topic deserves to be a whole new post!

Once I feel like I understand the anatomy of the plant, I make illustrations based on what I’ve learned so far/ my visual memory, not using any reference pictures.  In this case I’m still not on this stage. I’ll need to make a few more pages to feel like I can draw this plant. It gets easier with time!

Please let me know if you'd be interested in learning more about my botanical studies process/recources/more info about plants I draw.

My energy is finally baaack!

PS. This month Patreon mail will arrive later than usual. I haven't sent anything yet since I was too sick to print and pack anything! I'll send them as soon as possible (this Monday!) My apologies for this delay and thanks for sticking around! 

Marta