Beyond Botanical

Beyond Botanical is not a conventional botanical drawing manual.

Rather than focusing on learning one “right way” to draw plants, the exercises encourage a more attentive way of looking, spending time with the plants around you and letting them influence what happens on the page.

Some exercises will take you outside to observe the plants around you, while others can be done at home with the plants you live with. You’ll draw from direct observation, but also from memory and imagination.

Along the way, the book explores the fundamental elements that make plants recognisable, such as stems, leaves and flowers, alongside ideas of composition, perspective and shading, with space to draw across its pages.

Journaling is also an important part of the book. Alongside the drawing exercises, there are questions that encourage you to consider how you observe, experience and relate to plant life, gradually changing how you see the plants around you and, in turn, how you represent them.

You can work through the book from beginning to end, flick through it, carry it with you on a walk, or return to different exercises over time.

This guide is intended for anyone curious about drawing plants, with exercises that can also challenge experienced artists to look at familiar subjects in new ways.

Published May 2026
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