Sarah Morrish - Natural History Illustration in Pen and Ink

NATURAL HISTORY

ILLUSTRATION

in Pen and Ink

Sarah Morrish

NATURAL HISTORY

ILLUSTRATION

in Pen and Ink

First published in 2021 by
The Crowood Press Ltd
Ramsbury, Marlborough
Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2021

Sarah Morrish 2021

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the authors and publishers rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 923 5

Cover design:Sergey Tsvetkov

DEDICATION

For my grandfather, who opened the door to a love of exploration and a passion for books and maps.

For Gretel, friend, tutor and mentor, who opened the door to and nurtured a passion for drawing and botanical and natural history illustration.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

When I started writing this book, little did I know of the challenges unrelated to the book that I would face during this process and then a global pandemic came along. My family, particularly my husband and parents, have been a constant encouragement, providing support every step of the way. Friends, KT, DW and AR, have always been available for creative guidance and friendship, for which I will always be grateful.

Thank you also to the contributing artists for sharing their artistic skills to help make this book what it is; and to those who have lent me subject matter and specimens, helped with photography, and welcomed and aided me in the research, particularly the Etches Collection in Kimmeridge, Dorset, and Andrea Hart and her team at the Natural History Museum Library and Archives in London.

Finally, thank you to my students who are also very supportive and inspiring; and to Lynda and Chris, as well as Katherine and Ted, for providing such beautiful and inspirational places in which to work.

Introduction

T his book has evolved through many years of illustrating elements of the natural world and sharing my passion with others through my art, teaching opportunities and my vocation as a naturalist. Being a great advocate of accurate observational drawing techniques and the processes involved has stood me in good stead to share this with a wider audience. I invite you to join me on this journey as I illustrate numerous subjects from the natural world.

You will find subject-themed chapters, with opportunities to engage in study that endeavours to provide something for all skill levels. This will be through written narrative, step-by-step exercises and case studies. I also include the work of other artists whose work I admire and will interest others.

The natural world has always been depicted in art, from the first representation of animals in cave paintings, through to historic manuscripts and illustrations, and the discoveries of explorers, scientists and naturalists, which have been recorded for posterity and to further the knowledge of species and habitats.

Through time, humans have been inspired to discover. We have a need to discover the natural world around us, not necessarily travelling far from home it can be exploring in our own garden, visiting nature reserves, and enjoying urban green spaces, parks and formal gardens, woodlands, the coast; the list is endless. Through this need to discover, we strengthen our connection to the natural world, learn about its processes, see what we need to do to conserve it and learn about how animals, plants and other natural organisms interact and depend on it.