CHAPTER 1
The main function of botanical art and illustration is to inform and educate the viewer about different species in the plant kingdom. Traditionally this was necessary when plants and herbs were used therapeutically, and it was important that accurate depictions of species for such purposes were available in pharmacopoeia and herbals. Prior to illustrations being present, descriptions alone were relied upon for the administration of herbs and plants for ailments. This commonly resulted in fatal or near fatal consequences due to a lack of information detailing precisely which components of plants could safely be used.
Skeletal leaf of magnolia species.
In modern botanical art and illustration, we still use scientific precision and accuracy in drawings and paintings to describe every aspect of our subjects, and this includes studying the botany. As well as carefully describing the anatomy of the flowers, fruits, seeds and so on, the leaves of species are often a major group of structures we need to deal with and which we often find to be amongst the most challenging. Not only are leaves often perceived as being ‘flat’, but their structures can also present even the most accomplished artists with potential challenges. Venation, texture and serrated margins for example all require careful observation and meticulous rendering, and so the artist will require sufficient botanical knowledge and familiarity of their characteristics to draw and paint them with accuracy. This knowledge will be better understood with a sound comprehension of the anatomy of the leaves and their primary function for the plant. Why is the leaf thick and fleshy? Why is it hairy? Why is it smooth or waxy? Such questions should arise as the artist sets to work.
In this chapter we will focus on leaves as botanical structures, their necessity and function for the success of a plant to thrive, and at a fundamental level, their botanical characteristics.
Accurate observational drawings need to include attention to detail of leaf shapes (including the apices, bases and margins), the venation (arrangement of veins) as well as the arrangement of growth patterns and attachments to plants.
Finally, a brief look at the botany of several other types of modified and adapted foliage such as tendrils, spines and needles will be introduced.
THE FUNCTION OF LEAVES
Most species in the plant kingdom include some form of foliage. We are very familiar with the leaves we see in our gardens, parks and woodland but other types of leaves such as modified or adapted ones also exist.
What is the function of leaves?
The primary function of leaves is to sustain the plant to help it thrive and reproduce. The process of photosyn
