New blog out, it's on Ginseng. I illustrated this crop plant, and a few others, for The Crop Trust, then decided I wanted to know more about it:
lizzieharper.co.uk/2026/03/crop...
#ginseng #botanicalart #botanicalillustration #byhand #sciart #naturalscienceillustration #NoAI #cropplants
Cut to white watercolour illustration of the Green sea turtle, pacing right with front flippers outstretched and face in profile.
Here's another of the #naturalhistoryillustrations I did of #Montserrat wildlife. This is the #Greenseaturtle, #Cheloniamydas.
The pattern of the shell is tough to try and capture. Lots of layers of paint, and treating each scute individually.
#seaturtle #naturalscienceillustration #sciart
The rainbow coloured Plymouth anole #lizard, found on the #Caribbean island of Montserrat. The head is vivid green with a yellow chin and throat flap, the tail gets bluer and is almost pin and purple at the tip. The lizard has deep orange eyes and very long toes. I saw one scuttle across the path and the colours really were astonishing. This is a cut to white watercolour illustration with the lizard raising its' head slightly and facing right. The tail curls a little and the back foot shows outstretched toes.
Pen and ink illustration of the rainbow coloured Plymouth anole lizard. Details of the tecture and markings of the lizard skin are represented with stippled in lines, the main shapes are a solid black ink line. The illustrations is atonal, and destined to be used in a colouring in book. I create these pen and ink illustrations by tracing the watercolour, either using a light box or a desk-mounted projector.
Detail of the tail and hind leg of the Plymouth anole. There are a few white spots of the thigh, but the remarkable thing is the way the tail fades from a vivid spring green through teal to turquoise, and the tail tip is a pink magenta.
Detail of the head of the Plymouth anole, The individual scales on the edge of the lip are shown, along with white spots of the lizards bright green skin. The eyes and surrounding sockets are a reddish orange, and the throat flap is a bright yellow, The folds in this are clearly visible.
The #Plymouth #anole #lizard #Anolislividus
It's another #sciart #watercolor #illustration completed for #Montserrat National Trust educational materials (the #penandink to be used in colouring books)
#naturalhistoryillustration #naturalscienceillustration #madebyhand #NoToAIGeneratedImages
I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be offering my carbon dust course again in the new year. You’ll have the option of taking a 1 day workshop or a 6 week course. If you're interested, check out the link below.
lymeartassociation.org/online-class...
#SciArt, #CarbonDust, #NaturalScienceIllustration
A red, orange, and purple iris painted with watercolor.
#watercolor is one of my #FavoriteThings to create with. #BlueSkyArtShow
#watercolorpainting #botanicalart #naturalscienceillustration #botanicalillustration #art #watercolour #iris #fkowes
Happy Halloween! To get into the Halloween spirit, I created this warty pumpkin illustration as a demo for my carbon dust course offered by the Lyme Art Association Natural Science Illustration Program. #SciArt, #NaturalScienceIllustration #CarbonDust
One week until my carbon dust course starts. There are still some spots available. This technique combines drawing and ‘painting’ using a dry brush to apply layers of ground dust to achieve realistic 3D illustrations. #SciArt, #NaturalScienceIllustration #CarbonDust
Happy September! The look back continues…Here’s an Eared Grebe that I did in colored pencils with some minimal digital clean-up. TYSM! ✨🎨🎉😊🙏
#prismacolor #birdart #illustration #artistsupport #drawing #artistsonbluesky #art #traditionalart #naturalscienceillustration #coloredpencils #wildlife
TYSM! New traditional work up now! ✨🎨🎉😊🙏
#art #artistsonbluesky #artistsupport #traditionalart #naturalscienceillustration #illustration #botanicalart #plants #drawing
Adonis blue Polyommatus bellargus butterfly cut to white illustration, shown on a diagonal angle. Watercolour by lizzie harper
This is the #Adonisblue #Polyommatus bellargus #butterfly. The #insect is an incredible glowing blue, and seeing them in life (in France) was an amazing treat. This #sciart #naturalscienceillustration was completed for a #packagingdesign on chinaware
Small tortoiseshell buttefly cut to white. This insect has a brown central body, orangish eyes, and striped antenaae (black and white) with orange tips. The wings are brown, deep orange, fade to areas of bright yellow before hitting the outer margin/ The top wings have a dash of white. the rest are all deep orange until they hit the black cresents which border glowing turquoise blue semi circles along the upper and lower wing edges. Beyond these is a thin black line, then a thin brown line, then a white edge cut through with the veins that support the wing and come out diagonally from the thorax to the wing edge.
Detail of the hindwing of the Small tortoiseshell butterfly. Top corner is dark brown black, then there is an area of yellows and golds that blends into orange which gets darker towards the wing edge. It hits scalloped black edges which enclose bright sky blue patches of colour. Then another black stripe, a brown line, and the white wing edge. Painting this insect is a real treat as the colours are so vivid. I love the way the blue areas look against the orange, they almost glow. This is probably because the colours are opposite each other on the colour wheel. #sciart
Another detail of the Small tortoiseshell wing, this time tthe top of the top left wing, part of the margin above the costa. Deep oranges are cut across with solid black bands, and two little black spots. there are areas of light bright yellow at the edges of the black bands. Colour is built up with loads of tiny #watercolor brushstrokes
This #smalltortoiseshell #butterfly, #Aglais urticae.
is a commission for a chinaware company.
Painting this insect is a real treat as the colours are so vivid.
The species name is urticae (nettle) because the caterpillars often feed on stinging nettle.
#sciart #naturalscienceillustration
I just finished an art class that explores patterns in nature. We began with the golden ratio and ended with stripes, Turing spots, and meanders. More in comments below.
#art #illustration #naturalscienceillustration #painting #scienceillustration
Pen and ink drawing of a pansy with three leaves coming out of its stem.
What should I draw next?
#naturalscienceillustration #penandinkart #penandinkdrawing #newyorkartist #asilinart
Watercolour #naturalhistoryilliustration of the orange and brown comma butterfly. On the left is as adult with wings outstretched showing dark brown wavy wing margins and black and orange wing markings On the right is the sane species with wings fded, facing right. The wing underside is dark brown and blacks with a very clear bright white comma on the bottom wing, hence the butterfly name, "comma"
This is the #Comma #butterfly, #Polygonia c-album, one of my favourite UK species.
The latin name "c album" refers to the little white comma you see on the underside of the lower wings.
I love the undulating wing margins which make it instantly recognizable.
#sciart #naturalscienceillustration
Checking out a new platform for my art! 🕊️ #ornithologicalillustration #scientificillustration #naturalscienceillustration
Wheatear, a detail of a larger illustration if a uk succession sand dune landscape. The plants are all part of the sand dune ecological community, along with the insects.
Tiger beetle, a detail of a larger illustration of a uk succession sand dune landscape, Bentham in Devon. The plants are all part of the same sand dune ecological community
Common lizard, a detail of a larger illustration of a uk succession sand dune landscape, Bentham in Devon. The plants are all part of the same sand dune ecological community
Parasitic wasp carrying caterpillar and another species of wasp which favours sandy habitats. A detail of a larger illustration of a uk succession sand dune landscape, Bentham in Devon. The plants are all part of the same sand dune ecological community, along with the insects.
More details of #insects, like the #tigerbeetle #commonlizard and a #wheatear, along with solitary #wasps. Part of a larger #naturalscienceillustration of a #sanddune landscape featuring plants and animals seen in this habitat. Used on an #interpretation panel. #sciart
Scientific illustration of a seven spot ladybird in watercolour by lizzie harper
#artadventcalendar day 17. This is the #seven-spot #ladybird #entomogoy #naturalscienceillustration
With these #beetles, I can never decide whether to lay the black spots on top of the red elytra, or whether to paint them separately as black areas. Next time I'd overlay.
#sciart #🐡
Fieldfare pair Turdus pilaris in hawthorn tree
Ooh just seen the ##artadventcalendar. I'm a little late to the party, but let's have these #fieldfare #turduspilaris on a #Hawthorn for day three.
Unlike lots of my stuff, this #naturalscienceillustration was self initiated not commissioned, after I saw a flock of these beauties #sciart #🐡
Western thatching ant WIP partially in circle inset, with a reference image
#NaturalScienceIllustration WIP! Western thatching ant. Part of an infographic WIP, with reference image. Affinity Photo+Mac+Cintiq.
When composing a #NaturalScienceIllustration I try to go in with an open mind but sometimes my brain gets stuck on a pose, and that pose exists nowhere, and I have to create it in an anatomically realistic manner. Sometimes I can start somewhere… 1/
The holidays are coming and if you love #NaturalScienceIllustration I have some related reading suggestions - a pairing of fiction and non-fiction - for your downtime! /1 of 5
Color and technique studies and notes for an upcoming dark-eyed junco #naturalscienceillustration piece #SciArt
Sockeye salmon #naturalscienceillustration development, before adding infographics text. Last minute “splashy” design change. #SciArt
Ever wonder what a #naturalscienceillustration looks like as a WIP? Well wonder no more. No, I don’t block my work. I spin it constantly, and tape tear accidents are the worst.
Also, I'll add #naturalscienceillustration as one of the many alternative tags to the SciArt Feed, so you can keep using it if you prefer. Cheers!
Color and technique studies and notes for an upcoming sockeye salmon lifecycle #naturalscienceillustration piece
That feeling when you finish a #naturalscienceillustration and the iOS object identifier correctly identifies your Olympic marmot!
Finished piece closeup of this botanical painting of a lotus, 16"x20" and all in watercolors.
#botanicalpainting #botanicalillustration #botanicalwatercolor #flowerillustration #Watercolorist #floralpainting #watercolor #Watercolorillustration #naturalscienceillustration
