Natural History Illustration

Natural history illustration by Lotti Brown - creating art from nature...

'Natural history' can be a slightly confusing term, but really it's just anything to do with the natural world, be it animals, birds, plants, insects, rocks and geology, space and more.

Natural history is scientific, but it's traditionally had more of a cross-disciplinary emphasis...

So art and illustration can be included (and not just scientific illustration), but also our own human history of our interactions with and perceptions of the world around us.

And how that's led us to interact with the world - perhaps using animals and plants for our own benefit, and becoming aware of our growing role as protectors and guardians of our own natural world...

Loving and learning nature

Today (as in history) you don't have to be a professional scientist (or artist) to be interested in the natural world or to call yourself a 'naturalist'...

If you love nature and you like learning about it and finding out interesting things about different animals and plants in whatever context, you can consider yourself a naturalist...

And get involved in your own way in learning more and hopefully feeling a sense of guardianship over the natural world in your own local area, be that your balcony, garden, village, town, country or continent!

Natural history illustration is not just an artistic representation of nature though (like you can see in my nature artworks here) - it's a combination of science and art...

As well as being beautiful to look at, the illustration should also be scientifically accurate for example if it needs to be used in a field-ID guide.

So accurate drawing is a must, as well as careful observation, and attention to colour...

Which all go together to make an illustration that should be easily recognizable as the animal, bird or plant (or other natural object) and is accurate enough to be used scientifically.

And of course, we all want it to look nice, as that's what the artistic side is about after all - so careful composition and good artistic skills and techniques are important here too!

The study of natural things can also go beyond the insect, plant, bird or animal itself, too, and also look at the ecology or ecosystem around it - simply the environment around your subject and how it fits into that - which can also be its own subject for nature illustrations.

Red Admiral butterfly natural history illustration

Illustrations of Butterflies and other Insects

Gatekeeper butterflies natural history illustration

Gatekeeper Butterflies Showcase