There are so many things to notice when you are drawing plants—not only the colors and the shapes, but also the textures, the pot holding the plant and so on. We asked three illustrators to draw their favorite plant and give one tip on how to best draw your own.
1. Jennifer Orkin Lewis: Ficus lyrata
“Look carefully at the shape of the leaves and the way they overlap.”
2. Anne Bentley: Yucca
“I pay special attention to the negative space when drawing plants, and sometimes exaggerate it to make the composition more interesting.”
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3. Kate Pugsley: Ficus elastica
“I like to paint plants without any planning beforehand. Painting several quick watercolor or gouache sketches on a page usually results in at least one or two that look fresh, interesting and spontaneous.”
*Six more illustrators share their favorite plant and drawing tip in Issue 27.