So You Want to Make a Plant Guide?

Pinus aristata (bristlecone pine) illustration 

ABOUT THE SPECIES

Pinus aristata is one of the longest living tree species in the world. In Colorado, where the Rocky Mountain bristlecone grows, they have been known to live for over 2,000 years. The Great Basin bristlecone pines in California can exceed 5,000 years. Debate exists between scientists on whether these are two different species. Currently, the Rocky Mountain bristlecone variety is called Pinus aristata, while the Great Basin variety is called Pinus longaeva. Both these species are white pines, their needles grow in bundles of 5. The Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine needles often have white resin dots on them, while the Great Basin bristlecones do not. Both species grow slowly, and form twisted, warped trunks. This is usually due to the harsh environments they thrive in. The cones have thick scales that are armed with bristles. Regardless of the ones you can find, these trees are certainly a sight to be seen! 

SO YOU WANT TO MAKE A PLANT GUIDE?

This year I have been afforded a unique and wonderful opportunity by the University department I am studying under along with the research lab I work for. I have spent the past year honing my botanical illustration skills, and finally I have the opportunity to create and illustrate a book of my own. To say that I'm excited would be an understatement. Having a scientifically backed book of illustrations will be a wonderful step towards a career in illustrating plants. Now that I've been working on this book for a few weeks, it seems that the bulk of my time will not be spent drawing, as I had envisioned, but on gathering information to put with the drawings. There are always things to consider, even when making things as seemingly specific as a plant guide for Colorado. 

The audience has to be defined, surprisingly or not, there is a wide range of people who use plant guides. From the casual observer, to a professionally trained botanist, the book either of these groups will chooses to use could not be more different. But I want my book to be easily read by anyone who is interested, so maybe leaving out some of the more wordy details will be beneficial. After choosing an audience, defining a list of species is the next crucial task. The state of Colorado alone has over 3,000 plant species, so coming up with an area to use and a meaningful way to prioritize what should be included takes up a big chunk of time. Then the question becomes, what sort of written material would be useful for people to know about the plants? When they flower? Where they grow? What animals use them? The list goes on. Finally, after determining these things, a set of illustrations can be made confidently, and then more time is spent formatting the book and sending it to print (Things which I haven't begun to consider at this point in the process).

Despite the complexities of figuring out the finer details (and larger pieces) for this project, I am incredibly grateful that an opportunity like this has been presented to me. Art and nature are my two greatest passions, so the thought of combining the two into something meaningful is incredibly exciting to me. I can't wait to see where this process takes me. And look forward to providing updates and bits of advice along the way.