Brand New!! To A Greater Extent Than Peak Tips For Winning An Rhs Gilt Medal For Botanical Art

Last twelvemonth I wrote Ten Top Tips for winning an RHS Gold Medal for Botanical Art - which proved rattling pop with botanical artists to a greater extent than or less the world. So this twelvemonth I'm dorsum with to a greater extent than Top Tips from this year's "crop" of Gold Medal Winners

Gold Medal winning Exhibit of Parasitic Plants inwards Situ with the Host Plant past times Lynda de Wet
The epitome instant from left with the ruddy spot was bought for the collection kept at the RHS Lindley Library

Last twelvemonth the tips highlighted were every bit follows

1. Only submit top notch work
2. Find a Helpful Grower
3. Never ever forget that the RHS is a Horticultural Society
4. Get the Botany right - know what to demonstrate in addition to highlight
5. Practice to attain top quality
6. Size your go to gibe the Panels
7. Have a goodness squad behind you
8. Take aid with your presentation
9. Start rattling early!
10. You demand many to a greater extent than line organisation cards than y'all mean value possible!

This twelvemonth nosotros receive got some dissimilar ones. The quotations y'all volition observe inwards each department come upward from either the Guidance or the Regulations relating to the Royal Horticultural Society Botanical Art Show held every twelvemonth inwards the Lindley Hall.

1. Be happy - exercise what y'all love

Işık Güner with her epitome of Gunnera which won

Best Painting inwards RHS Botanical Art Show 2014

This i came from the winner of both a Gold Medal in addition to Best Painting inwards the demonstrate Işık Güner.

She thinks artists tin dismiss go actually long hours on a projection when they genuinely savour what they do. Having the right bailiwick tin dismiss brand for a actually relaxed in addition to meditative fourth dimension in addition to actually brand y'all happy!

I receive got to nation I'm rattling much inwards understanding with this. There has to go an emotional connector betwixt subject, media in addition to creative someone for an creative someone to attain their best work. Plus when tackling a long complex projection it's e'er best if y'all honey your subject!

TIP #1: Truly savour what y'all do

2. Do non rush!

This i is the outcome of diverse comments from dissimilar people. Some of the exhibits had a long gestation menses spell artists collected all the cloth they needed BEFORE they settled downward to paint. They emphasised the existent importance in addition to positive impact of rattling thorough preparation.

EXAMPLE: Isik Guner took 3 years to laid her studies in addition to sketches. Nikki Marks took 2 in addition to one-half years to consummate her projection - because of a relatively brusque flowering period.

The Genus Arisaema - iv works inwards the serial past times Nikki Marks

By the same token I could also regard how somebody who was epitome to a high touchstone suffered because of the relatively brusque timescale available for the projection prior to exhibition. I personally receive got no uncertainty at that spot would receive got been a much ameliorate number if to a greater extent than fourth dimension had been available.

So, in i lawsuit assessed in addition to accepted for exhibition, entirely apply and/or handgrip to exhibit when you're underway in addition to receive got a pretty goodness thought how long each artwork in addition to the staging of them volition take.

Also - exercise non underestimate the fourth dimension it takes to larn the presentation right (see 15 Top Tips for presenting go at an RHS Botanical Art Exhibition)

TIP #2: Don't exhibit also early on - number is to a greater extent than of import than speed.

3. Do your interrogation - enquire experts for help

The importance of rattling thorough interrogation was emphasised past times Gold Medallists in i lawsuit again in addition to again.

Louise Lane recommended that y'all should read in addition to read in addition to read some to a greater extent than - in addition to know everything y'all demand to know close the phytology BEFORE y'all exercise the fieldwork so y'all know what to facial expression for in addition to what y'all are looking at.

Plus to a greater extent than than i Gold Medallist emphasised the importance of getting assist from the experts - earlier y'all start painting. Help tin dismiss come upward inwards diverse ways - but it won't hand unless y'all ask.

Believe it or non people similar beingness asked to assist - especially if it relates to areas they are proficient in. Plus the worst that tin dismiss hand is that they nation 'No'.

This includes non beingness afraid to approach the writer of the authoritative mass on your bailiwick thing to cheque whether your identification of specimens is correct!

TIP #3: Know your plant. Identify the best people - in addition to enquire for help

4. Pay attending to the brief

Gold Medals are entirely awarded to exhibits of outstanding in addition to consistent excellence.

The RHS is rattling precise - inwards the Guidelines in addition to Regulations - every bit to:

what they desire to see
how they assess the exhibit

However I could regard exhibits which did non win Gold which I mean value slightly lost sight of some aspects of the brief. In my persuasion the Gold Medallists are almost invariably people who know the brief backwards in addition to stick to it.

TIP #4: Read the brief 3 times earlier y'all start. Keep reading it every bit y'all progress

5. Selection - avoid the obvious or commonplace

Gold Medals are awarded for all sorts of plants including those which are industrial plant life inwards ordinary domestic gardens in addition to the local nursery.

Higher awards tend to go given to exhibits illustrating a especial theme or industrial plant life family.

However time in addition to fourth dimension in i lawsuit again I regard Gold Medals awarded for plants which are NOT obvious or commonplace.

It reminds me of what I used to go told when doing dissertations for foremost a bird in addition to and then a professional person qualification. It's a LOT to a greater extent than hard to exercise good on a bailiwick which many people receive got done before. The benchmark has been created in addition to y'all e'er receive got to exercise better. On the other hand, y'all tin dismiss go master in addition to innovative when y'all come upward up with something that nobody has ever done earlier before - in addition to automatically y'all are the benchmark!

Innovation tin dismiss go to a greater extent than or less alternative - in addition to it tin dismiss also go to a greater extent than or less how they are presented.

Part of the Best Exhibit inwards Show

Hye Woo Shin (Korea) - Heterotrophic Plants inwards Korea

- such a compassion that the represent the best exhibit inwards the demonstrate was placed inwards expanse where the lite was poor

This twelvemonth nosotros had Gold Medals awarded for:

two dissimilar types of parasitic plants - presented inwards completely dissimilar but advanced ways of documenting their botanical even out (by Hye Woo Shin and Lynda de Wet)
two dissimilar suites of paintings based on plain trips away from abode - to see

plants belonging to the woods in addition to forests of Republic of Chile (by Işık Güner.) and
bee orchids inwards Menorca - based on studies done inwards the plain (by Louise Lane)

a projection which took nearly 3 years to collect the industrial plant life cloth to a greater extent than or less varieties inside the Genus Arisaema (by Nikki Marks)
and sunflowers from Tesco (by Sharon Tingey) - only to test that there's e'er compass for the to a greater extent than accessible but entirely if done to a rattling high standard!

So at that spot y'all are. Your chosen industrial plant life powerfulness go waiting for y'all at Tescos - but it's much to a greater extent than probable that y'all powerfulness receive got to become farther afield in addition to pass a lot to a greater extent than fourth dimension collecting all the industrial plant life cloth y'all demand to brand a atomic number 79 medal exhibit.

TIP #5: Think long in addition to hard earlier selecting your theme in addition to bailiwick matter. Have y'all challenged yourself enough?

6. Tell a story

It's e'er interesting when an exhibit tells a story. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 even out has a beginning, a middle in addition to an halt - pretty much similar the life bike of a plant.

This twelvemonth the RHS bought a epitome for its collection from an creative someone who told the even out of the "The life bike of Castrospernum australe 'Black edible bean tree' or Moreton Bay Chestnut". Not a Gold Medal but surely something that I'm sure silver-gilt medal winner Penny Price is rattling proud of.

TIP #6: Find plants with an associated even out or demonstrate the consummate life bike of i plant

7. Design the exhibit every bit a whole

This actually relates to some of yesterday's tips and the presentation criteria contained inwards the Regulations

However it was fascinating to regard in addition to listen close how artists had made decisions every bit to where paintings should go placed relative to i some other - in addition to how studies made at the starting fourth dimension in addition to the emerging grand pattern in addition to then influenced the pattern of each paintings in addition to the emphasis of dissimilar parts inwards dissimilar paintings.

TIP #7: Don't pigment private paintings. Plan your entire exhibit in addition to the pattern of paintings inside the pattern of the exhibit from the beginning

8. Think close the construction of the dissimilar elements

B. The next may go regarded every bit positive features inwards assessing an exhibit:

Good draughtsmanship and, when applicable, goodness painterly skills

That the depiction of plants or industrial plant life cloth is botanically accurate

That each epitome demonstrate is good composed

This was a tip which emerged from observation of go past times Gold Medal Winning Artists in addition to comparing to those whose go was rattling goodness but who had missed out on Gold both this twelvemonth (and inwards the past).

Gold Medal winning fine art is invariably coherent inwards price of a theme in addition to actually good organised on the page.

There's a clear in addition to sometimes transparent construction to the layout of the grand pattern in addition to the private pattern of each painting. Examples include:

Lynda de Wet had all her botanical elements lined upward at the bottom of the epitome in addition to grouped according to the multiple used for the scale in addition to magnification.
Louise Lane displayed her sketches in addition to color studies below each epitome to demonstrate:

she had made the studies inwards a specific location
what she had recorded during the infinite of a 2 calendar week plain trip

she in addition to then displayed her paintings at 10 times scale!

I'd non seen sketches displayed inwards this means before. The Judges liked them. There in i lawsuit again they did include the color notes, a detailed measured life size drawing, studies of the industrial plant life from every angle, studies of the anatomical construction in addition to annotations addition the location, date, fourth dimension in addition to GPS location data!

I rather mean value this volition exercise wonders for the evolution of sketches every bit preparatory work....

Orphys Balearica past times Louise Lane

This rattling structured display - inwards dissimilar styles - contrasted with some of the other exhibitors whose botanical dissection studies led a less ordered life. One argent atomic number 79 medal winner discovered during feedback that the RHS entirely likes to regard dissections either vertical or horizontal - definitely non angled at 45 degrees!

I must confess I lean towards the notation indicating the scale multiple every bit opposed to the line in addition to a length. I observe the lines distracting if at that spot are also many of them. They're a flake similar writing - they push clitoris the eye.

TIP #8: Get your 'bits' organised! :) Provide all dissections in addition to studies with a structured design which leads the optic through the painting.

9. Use best character media

In my experience, botanical artists operating at the top bird are e'er rattling fussy in addition to especial close the character of the media they occupation - every bit y'all would expect. After all if there's a goodness jeopardy your go powerfulness halt upward inwards the permanent collection of an of import fine art collector or establishment y'all desire to occupation the best!

For the tape the count this twelvemonth with the Gold Medal winners is every bit follows - in addition to some caveats were expressed close possible falling standards

Paint

M. Graham Watercolors - favoured past times Nikki Myers next the displace of Winsor & Newton industry to French Republic in addition to what she felt was a deterioration inwards the character of the pigment inwards relation to colours she uses. She's non solitary inwards making this observation - I've heard it from other artists elsewhere. I right away enquire artists whether they are using quondam or novel W&N paint. Incidentally, I noted some adverse comments during the twenty-four hours close the novel W&N Professional Watercolours in addition to how hard it is to read the text on the underground due to this beingness silver.
Winsor in addition to Newton Artists Watercolours - favoured past times 4 artists - although they seemed to go working for the most occupation from quondam stock
Other manufacturers who got a lift were Daniel Smith (Bright Yellow), Schminke (Brilliant Blue Violet in addition to greens), Sennelier (Tyrian Rose).

You tin dismiss read to a greater extent than close Watercolour Paints on my spider web log in addition to website - see:

Paper

It was interesting that heavyweight newspaper was favoured past times at to the lowest degree 2 of the Gold Medal winners

2 x Fabriano Artistico 300 lb / 640gsm extra white (no stretching required)
2 x Fabriano five 300 gsm (I had comments from artists close the variability inwards standards of recent batches of paper)
1 x Arches HP 300gsm

TIP #9: Don't bring less than the best - proceed an optic on character command re. the media y'all use.

PLUS If you've non all the same tried Fabriano Artistico 300lb, now's the fourth dimension to give it a try. You tin dismiss read to a greater extent than close Fabriano inwards Fine Art Paper in addition to Vellum for Artists

10. Make to a greater extent than than y'all demand to

You entirely demand to demonstrate vi artworks - downward from the ix required inwards the past. Whatever number y'all programme to demonstrate y'all definitely demand to mean value rattling seriously close creating to a greater extent than so y'all tin dismiss bring the best paintings y'all produced.

Pictures are judged every bit a consummate exhibit so that if i or 2 works are of a lower touchstone than the others with which they are shown, the bird of abide by volition go affected.

This is because the exhibit volition go judged every bit a whole in addition to the focus volition go on the weakest only every bit much every bit on the best. Thus the weakest epitome may lose y'all a Gold Medal.

Sharon Tingey in addition to her 3 of her Gold Medal winning exhibit of Helianthus

Sharon Tingey recommends beingness totally ruthless in addition to pruning out whatever which don't regard Gold Medal touchstone earlier hanging your exhibit. She had i which she felt was weaker in addition to she didn't desire to allow it to allow downward her display - so she left it at abode in addition to won a Gold Medal instead!

This signal also relates to yesterday's TIP seven - occupation an independent someone to review. Just because a epitome has taken y'all a calendar month to exercise doesn't hateful it has earned its passage to the Lindley Hall. It's easier sometimes to bring this is the illustration if y'all larn an independent proficient to facial expression at your go earlier y'all move to London from both a botanical in addition to artistic perspective.

TIP #10: Maintain high standards right to the halt - in addition to eliminate all paintings non upward to standard

More close Botanical Art

These are links to previous spider web log posts in addition to my resources for botanical artists websites.

Ten Top Tips for winning an RHS Gold Medal for Botanical Art 14 Apr 2013 - Have y'all ever wondered whether your artwork is goodness plenty to submit to the RHS Botanical Art Exhibition; Have y'all got the phase where you've started to wonder close the logistics of what's involved inwards submitting an entry?
Interviews with RHS Botanical Art Gold Medal Winners 18 Apr 2013 - Interviews with 8 botanical artists who won Gold Medals at the RHS Botanical Art Show inwards Apr 2013.

RHS Botanical Art Show 2013 - Selected artists 09 Mar 2013 - List of thirty botanical artists from 10 countries selected for The RHS Botanical Art Show 2013 inwards London inwards April.
7 Gold Medal Winners at RHS Botanical Art 2012 17 Mar 2012
RHS Botanical Art Show & Five Gold Medal Winners 21 Mar 2011
How to go inwards the RHS Botanical Art Show 22 Mar 2011
RHS Gold Medal Botanical Art 23 February 2007

You tin dismiss observe to a greater extent than resources close Botanical Art inwards my resources for artists websites:

Botanical Art - Resources for Artists This site shares information close botanical fine art - societies, collections, books in addition to other resources which back upward the evolution of botanical art. It also links to leading botanical artists inwards the past times in addition to present..
The Best Botanical Art Instruction Books Learn close the best botanical fine art pedagogy books.
The Best Books close Botanical Artists & Illustrators
Botany for Botanical Artists
A History of Botanical Art
Makingamark's Botanical Art Compendium This is a compendium of all the sites close botanical artists in addition to botanical fine art every bit resources for both artists in addition to botanical fine art lovers.