Natural History Illustration in Pen and Ink by Sarah Morrish is a book by a well educated and very experienced natural history illustrator who writes extremely well - and it shows on every one of its pages making it joy to read.
Combine science with art and journey through nature
One of the things which distinguishes this book is it's written by somebody who has
- qualifications in education, science (ecology, conservation) and art (botanical illustration) and
- lots of experience of
- natural history illustration,
- pen and ink as a medium and
- teaching students in class, online and through written materials
Sarah Morrish has created a very informative book on a topic which is not well covered in art instruction literature. It is packed full of very educational content - nothing is vacuous or vague. The quality of the content is matched by it also being a very well structured and designed book with an excellent range of images. Sarah understands very well how to make a complex topic accessible and easy to digest by students looking to learn about or improve their skills and techniques in pen and ink illustration of the natural world
Her skills in this area have been endorsed by the Natural History Museum London which has commissioned her to produce online learning resources on the theme of natural science illustration for their Introduction to British Natural History Studies Training Course in 2021 - which is a super endorsement of her skills in this area.
Her book also usefully includes image contributions from some very impressive artists and illustrators working in this field from around the world who are both experienced and experts in their respective fields within natural history. I knew some but not all of them and I loved being introduced to artists who were new to me.
Her book is, for me, a very refreshing change from my absolute bête noire i.e. art instruction books written by people who don't know their subject as well as they need to if they want to teach others and/or books where the flow of the content is poor and not well written.
What I really liked about the book
At the beginning two things stood out for me. There's a
- useful discussion about the depiction of nature and wild life which explores the parameters of the subject and how it can be represented
- a timeline of the development of illustration using pen and ink which I've not seen before.
- Her very useful summaries of key points in a chapter. It's so easy to lose these when the text is so packed full of information. These
- Her summary checklists of things to think about with respect to different aspects of pen and ink illustration of natural history - e.g. the use of photography - which go from the basic and generic to the particular relevant to the subject matter and its particular challenges.
- Very good discussion of the range of art materials, tools and equipment available to the pen and ink illustrator including:
- Her emphasis on using the right tool for the job and
- her discussion of the very wide variety of both pens and nibs and inks available to the pen and ink illustrator
- an excellent set of illustrations of different examples in relation to both techniques and subject matters
- Her very clear illustrations of the differences between different techniques of contour hatching, cross hatching and stippling.
- Her very clearly annotated pen and ink drawings which explain the use made of different mark-making techniques
- it includes a very useful section on Composition which focuses on how the principles and elements translate into this subject area and media
- The huge diversity of subject matter illustrated in the book demonstrates how fascinating this aspect of art can be for those interested in nature and natural history. It includes specimens which I've never seen included in any art instruction book before.
- The step by step exercises - which do not try to be lowest common denominator exercise for those new to the subject or media and instead clearly indicate a clear aim and scope plus a recommended and precise skill level needed prior to trying the exercise.
- Her tips go way beyond the technical aspects of illustration. Sarah has some really great tips concerning the collection, presentation and storage of specimens found in the field. You just know these have been learned the hard way! The practical tips are in no way sanitised - she warns you when a specimen is going to smell!
- I love the stories behind the development of some of the drawings of how specimens or habitats were encountered and approaches used to collect information for subsequent illustrations.
In conclusion......
- an excellent and comprehensive instruction book which is packed full of quality content that is both well organised and well written
- very practical - with lots of useful information and tips
- packed full of illustrations and images which inform, educate and inspire
- suitable for any committed art students from secondary school to the third age
About Sarah Morrish
Sarah Morrish is a widely-respected artist, illustrator and tutor, with many years of teaching experience. With a working background in ecology and conservation, she aims to raise awareness of the beauty and fragility of nature in all its forms. She is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists, the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, the Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society and a Fellow of the Linnean Society.
You can find out more about Sarah Morrish - and the other methods she uses to teach natural history and botanical illustration in the links below
- her website - Nature's Details
- her tuition site - Illustrating Natures Details
- her Facebook Page - Illustrating Natures Details with Sarah Morrish
- her Facebook Page for the Book - Sarah Morrish: Natural History Illustration in Pen & Ink
- an interview with her -'It's important to find different ways to connect with people' | The Biologist
BOOK SUMMARY:
Publisher : The Crowood Press Ltd
Language : English
Paperback : 208 pages | Dimensions : 22 x 1.27 x 27.99 cm
As an ecologist, I appreciated the section dealing with legalities and best practice when collecting subject material. This is so important, but could have been glossed over so easily.
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