After choosing ‘Stamping Out Disease’ as my first project, I visited Oxford’s Botanic Gardens for more research and another chance to draw from life. The plants within the gardens were split into sections, which made it easier to find specific things than in the Eden Project. Like the Eden Project, there was a Mediterranean and Rainforest style greenhouse, just on a much smaller scale. While I took photos of many plants, I ended up sketching more plants from Asia, such as the Hosta Sieboldiana, and Thalictrum Delavayi, from Japan and China respectively.
Both were done with a fineliner, and then surrounded with watercolour. I took a lot of time drawing the plants to ensure their accuracy, while still aiming for a slightly messy aesthetic. I could incorporate this style into my stamp designs.
Along with those, I used watercolour to paint a pink Begonia. On the right I focused on one section to create a microcosm. I also used black fineliner and a white pen to add more detail, which made it less realistic than the watercolour on the right. Although the paint blended and created stained areas, it still captures the brightness of the flower.
Lastly, I took some acrylic leaf prints to capture the colours and the pattern within the leafs. I think the printing technique is interesting, but it might not fit the theme of stamps as much as I would have to print all the plants I’m using.
Art 