Introduction

As someone who works digitally most of the time, this expertise project was a welcome change to my other current projects. It allowed me to explore techniques I haven’t used in quite a while.

After getting a brief introduction to botany and different styles and artists of botanical illustrations, we did a “warm up” exercise trying out different watercolour techniques.

I also collected various drawings and photos for inspiration and reference.

Exercises

Next, I tested multiple techniques to create botanical illustrations and find a style I like.

Product

Eventually I chose a style combining coloured pencils and black ink outlines for the illustrations I would apply to a product. I decided upon a series of Japanese gins… because I like drinking gin as well as Japanese culture.

The seasons are deeply rooted within Japanese culture so I drew three plants that fit both the season and could be used for making gin: cherry blossoms, yuzu, and juniper berries.

Each of the illustrations got a prominent spot on one label. I used the typefaces Zen Kaku Gothic New and Hiragino Mincho ProN for the typographic elements.

Finally I created one poster showcasing the illustrations and another one displaying the gin bottle designs.

Thanks for watching!
ありがとうございました！