Friday, November 4, 2011

Extra Credit Catherine Wardrop Botanical Illustrator





Catherine Wardrop is a botanical illustrator from Australia. Her detailed drawings are used to archive new plant species or renamed species for museums, scientific journals, and the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, Australia.

Wardrop works with botanists to make sure the features of the plants are correct. Wardrop works in pen and ink to complete her work. Attention to detail and patience is essential to interpreting the drawings correctly.

I chose this illustrator not so much because of how the art looks. I chose it because of the application of her drawings. The drawings document the environment and provide a archive for scientists and nature lovers. Botanical drawings and other scientific drawings have been a long standing tradition. Through science illustration the artist is able to portray layers of a specimen or detail that has more favorable results than with photography. It's also easier to show the difference between a species that might otherwise look the same through photography. Illustrations make science more approachable and make scientific findings more easier to communicate.

To see a video of her process scroll to the bottom of her profile from Ace Day Jobs.

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