Botanical Sketchbooks

01/06/2026

Well! It's been a long time since I posted here. I've been busy writing and illustrating Book No.2, drawing plants and most recently teaching - at the wonderful Transylvania School of Botanical Illustration.
The sketchbooks certainly got a good workout. It was especially satisfying to re-find the Chamaecytisus albus plant which I drew on my first visit there two years ago. I could add fresh drawings to my original sketchbook page!
Looking forward to transforming all of these studies into finished illustrations (and to finish the new book ....)

09/07/2025

The botanical sketchbooks were out for a week and filled with sketches and paint in the Swiss Alps!

09/06/2025

Hi everyone, to save me posting twice, here's an exhibition you might be interested in! My original sketchbooks will be on display, focusing on work I've made about the Ham Lands Oak, a favourite tree of myself and many locals in this green corner of south-west London.
All details of how to get to the exhibition are in the post and photographs. All three artists will be at Ham Library to talk to you on the evening of Monday, June 16th. :-)

02/06/2025

You can see the stages of this drawing and more in my sketchbooks, at my Masterclass/Demonstration this Thursday. Details below.

30/05/2025

Well this certainly filled a few of my sketchbooks!!!

23/05/2025

Join me at The Mall Galleries on June 5th for this drawing masterclass!
Tickets and details below.
I will of course have my sketchbooks there for you to see. 😊

SBA Masterclass: Observational Drawing of Plants with Lucy T. Smith

📅 Thursday, June 5 
🕑 2:00 – 3:30 PM

📍 Mall Galleries, The Mall, London SW1Y 5AS

Great botanical art begins with great observation. In this live masterclass, Lucy T. Smith will demonstrate how drawing plants from life reveals their true structure, character, and beauty. 

With over 30 years' experience, including work for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Lucy will share practical drawing tips that show you've truly understood your subject.

🔸Learn how to observe with precision
🔸Discover drawing techniques that bring plants to life
🔸Gain insights from the author of “Botanical Sketchbooks”

Whether you're just starting out or want to refine your eye, this is a rare opportunity to learn from one of the world’s leading botanical illustrators.

🎟️ Book your place today
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sba-masterclass-observational-drawing-of-plants-with-lucy-t-smith-tickets-1355317955489?aff=odcleoeventsincollection&keep_tld=1

🖌️

18/05/2025

Come say hi!! 🥰

14/05/2025

Flower studies: mine definitely take an analytical approach, as you'll see in Chapter 3 of "Botanical Sketchbooks, An Artist's Guide to Plant Studies!" I guess this is because I have worked as a botanical illustrator for so long, where drawing flowers which you or botanists have dissected is such an important part of plant illustration. ✍️🌿🌸📒

I've just finished teaching my two-day Kew Course of "Flower Drawing and Dissection," where I had the pleasure of watching students discover the joys of dissection and microscopy. 🧐🔬✍️

Here are two flower studies, 1. Foxglove; which appears in the book and 2. Brachychiton male and female flowers, a more recent study made during my visit to Australia earlier in the year.... wouldn't it be nice to return to those two Brachychiton (flame) trees and add colour to the drawings? The beauty of the botanical sketchbook is that it allows you to just that, building up reference over time. ⏰🥰

06/05/2025

Hello everyone, I'm looking forward to celebrating the Worldwide Day of Botanical Art at Kew on Sunday, May 18th. Seven years ago we organised a fantastic event showcasing the work of botanical artists at Kew, and this year it's going to be even bigger with myself, Hazel Wilks, the Curtis's Botanical Magazine and Short Courses teams from Kew, botanical artists from Association of Botanical Artists - ABA, the Bedgebury Pinetum Florilegium Society, JULIA TRICKEY - botanical artist & tutor, Ann Swan and more!
Events will be held in The Nash Conservatory and the Banks Building at Kew, please see the Kew website for all the details.
Hope to see you there!
https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/day-of-botanical-art
Botanical Art Worldwide Kew Gardens


Image by Carmen Lyons Carmen Lyons Art

06/03/2025

Thanks to everyone who made Botanical Sketchbooks' year! It is now on its second reprint. I hope that everyone who has bought a copy has learnt and been inspired by it. Huge thanks 🙏🙏😊🥳

It’s been one year since we published Botanical Sketchbooks by Lucy T Smith. 🌿

This inspirational guide explains how a botanical sketchbook can take many forms and hold different meanings. It shows how a sketchbook can be used as a workbook to study plants through drawing and painting in a variety of media.