W3P2: Observational Drawing

The thing that sets observational drawing apart from other forms of drawing and painting is the immense attention to detail that it requires. Natural History Illustrators are responsible for depicting nature as accurately as possible and to do so must use specialized measurement, shading, and observation techniques. It is also important for these artists to understand the context of their illustrations so as to represent subjects in motion or interacting with the environment.

In order to measure subjects, many Natural History Illustrators use bounding boxes. This technique helps to define proportions within the illustration. On top of specialized observational skills, Natural History Illustrators also employ the elements and principles of art as other artists would.