The Kew Book of Botanical Illustration (paperback edition)

This is not the first book to have the imprimatur of Kew, but they have high standards, so it’s not only worthwhile, but hard to achieve. This is botanical illustration at the highest level. Christabel King is not just the practitioner in the field but one of those selected to work at Kew itself. This is flower painting for the purpose of identification and the results will be used and trusted by botanists the world over. Such work is not for including advice on the use of a microscope, preserving specimens and observing spots and markings. The instruction as a result, is of the highest quality.

― The Artist

Everything you need to know about being a botanical illustrator.

A lovely book if you want to know what it’s like to be a botanical illustrator, and learn some of their techniques. The colour chart gives information on why Christabel King uses the colours she does, there’s information on equipment used, including proportional dividers which I brought for myself after reading this book, they are very useful if you want to resize a drawing.

The drawing illustrations in this book are beautiful and well done. The book tells of the history of Curtis’s Botanical magazine with some beautiful illustrations from the magazines. It also includes what you need to know about collecting and preserving plant specimens. I would recommend this book if you are interested in how botanical artists work at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.

While the book contains some background information relating to botanical illustration and art its main purpose is to provide excellent, no nonsense information in relation to materials, process and techniques. The explanation of these is clear and supported by drawings. There are numerous beautiful illustrations of a huge variety of plants clearly showing the skill and expertise of the author. I found this book to be very readable and inspirational and it will provide useful information for many years to come.

Originally published in hardback in 2015, Christabel King’s popular book, The Kew Book of Botanical Illustration, is now available in paperback. Christabel is the foremost botanical artist at the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, and her beautifully illustrated book shares her working methods, producing both scientifically accurate representations of flowers as well as flowers in a looser botanical style. There’s plenty of practical advice here, such as how to use how to preserve your specimens, and suitable subjects for beginners.

If, like us, your first port of call for crafty inspiration is nature, you might want to listen up! Who better to take horticultural art tips from the person behind some of Kew Garden’s most iconic botanical illustrations? Christabel King’s The Kew Book of Botanical Illustration is a comprehensive guide on all things plants. Learn everything from drawing techniques to pressing and preserving your own treasured blooms. Whether you’re a budding artist looking for inspiration or a plant lover who just wants to admire great art, this brilliant book is a must-read.

Christabel King, Kew’s chief botanical artist, has been working as an illustrator at Kew for over 40 years. In 1975 she began painting for Curtis’s Botanical Magazine (first edition 1787), after achieving a degree in botany and scientific illustration. She runs successful workshops and courses at Kew and is highly skilled and acclaimed for her work. Christabel lives in Twickenham, Middlesex, UK.