A new book about Natural History Illustration in Pen & Ink

Natural History Illustration in Pen & Ink by Sarah Morrish is being published by Crowood Press (one of my favourite art instruction publishers) on 23rd August 2021.

Natural History Illustration in Pen and Ink
by Sarah Morrish

It's always a pleasure to introduce a new book by a friend. 

I've been watching content for this book being developed for some time - and it's great to know that we now have a known publication date and it can now be ordered.

Sarah Morrish is a botanical and natural history artist and illustrator who which combines science and art. She has exhibited extensively and also teaches workshops and online (See her website Illustrating Nature's Details). She also has a BSc Hons Ecology & Conservation Biology and a Certificate in Botanical Illustration from the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh.

This is her first book. It won't be her last!

I know how Sarah teaches - she's very thorough and extremely well-organised and communicates extremely clearly - both in writing and online when she's delivering Zoom workshops / demonstrations to artists all over the world.

A new book about drawing nature in pen and ink

This is a unique book of instruction for those who enjoy - or aspire to - drawing nature and wildlife. So far as I am aware there's no other art instruction book which covers drawing a range of natural history subjects in pen and ink.

It provides:

• Practical advice on using a range of materials and equipment for illustrating in pen and ink, as well as the collection and preservation of subject matter and reference material.
• Detailed instruction in how to create essential mark-making techniques that will enhance your illustrations through accurate depiction of shape, form, texture and pattern, and in the principles and elements of design.
• Subject-themed chapters including botanical subjects, strandline and marine specimens, fossils, invertebrates, birds, feathers and nests, and mammals.
• Additional chapters on: 
•  the importance of sketchbooks and study pages, 
• protection and presentation of artwork, 
• combining pen and ink with other media and 
• composition.
• Step-by-step exercises suitable for all skill levels 
• Case studies describing working practice as a professional illustrator.

Additional examples of natural history illustration in pen and ink by other artists - including:

• Paschalis Dougalis - a wildlife illustrator-artist, living and working in Munich, Germany.
• Lara Call Gastinger - an American botanical artist (and RHS Gold medallist), based in Virginia, USA who is an inveterate keeper of perpetual journals
• Jennifer Hunt - who gains her inspiration from Dorset’s unique countryside and coastline. In 2018, a facsimile of her sketchbook, A Year on Chesil Beach was published.
• Richard Lewington who is a full-time, freelance illustrator, specialising mainly in insects and other invertebrates. He has illustrated Field Guide to the Caterpillars of Great Britain and Ireland
• Lisa Mason, 
• Libby May, 
• Carim Nahaboo - who specialises in drawing insects
• Adrienne Roberts - Elected Fellow of the Society of Botanical Artists in 2019. Regular exhibitor with SBA and also Birmingham Society of Botanical Artists and the Leicestershire Society of Botanical Illustrators.
• Elizabeth Romanini (The Natural Line)- A Californian artist who draws wildlife in pen and and ink and graphite. The images she creates are rendered in detail by the use of live specimens, taxidermied animals, and foliage I gather to bring into the studio
• Guillermo García-Saúco - a zoologist from the University of Hull who has a Master's degree in Scientific Communication from the International University of Valencia. He studies insects and plants and works as a popularizer at the Botanical Garden of Castilla-La Mancha. Plus he produces scientific illustrations.
• Lucy T Smith - an award-winning botanical artist and illustrator who has worked worked as a freelance botanical artist for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew for the last 21 years producing botanical illustrations for scientific publications and the botanists at Kew Gardens. She also teaches their Certificate in Botanical Illustration at Kew.
• Ann Tromans, 
• Claire Ward - a botanical and nature artist living in Wales. She is a Fellow of the SBA.
• Sharon Williamson
• Dawn Wright - Fellow of the Society of Botanical Artists

Details of the book are as follows.

• Publisher: The Crowood Press Ltd 
• ISBN: 9781785009228 
• Number of pages: 192 
• Weight: 709 g 
• Dimensions: 280 x 220 x 14 mm

Now available to order

As with all good books, this one is now available to pre-order in the UK prior to publication - which means you get it as soon as it is published from the following:

• Amazon UK 
• Waterstones 
• WHSmith

It will also be available in other parts of the world in the near future - but this should become clearer after publication. 

Plus an Exhibition

The book (signed copies with a free bookmark too!) will also be for sale at Sarah's solo exhibition "A Journey through Nature" at The Holt in Hampshire on the 10th, 11th and 12th September. The majority of the illustrations on display are also included in the new book.