The Best Botanical Illustration Book for Your Creative Style
Compare Instructional Art Books & Find Your Perfect Fit
Choosing a botanical illustration book can feel a bit like looking around a lush garden, paralyzed with so many beautiful options, each equally enticing in their own ways. But which option is best for you? Whether you’re brand new to botanical drawing, deepening an existing practice, or looking for inspiration that connects art and plant science, this guide will help you decide which book best supports your goals.
All of our instructional books are rooted in the same core techniques of realistic botanical illustration. The difference lies in how those techniques are taught, which materials are emphasized, and how much depth each book explores. Below, you’ll find a clear breakdown of each title so you can confidently choose the one that’s right for you.
NEW The Album of Plant Families (Pre‑Order)
An Illustrated Exploration of Nature’s Beauty & Bounty
By Wendy Hollender | Publishing May 2026
The Album of Plant Families is unlike any botanical art book Wendy has created before. This stunning, poster-sized volume visually explores the relationships between plant families, helping artists, gardeners, and nature lovers see familiar plants through a deeper botanical lens.
Rather than step-by-step drawing lessons, this book offers a richly illustrated overview of plant family traits, revealing the elegant structures that unite plants we encounter every day. Wendy’s brilliant botanical family portraits share pages with her personal stories in addition to fascinating perspectives from a variety of distinguished guest essay contributors.
Perfect for:
•Gardeners, foragers, and plant enthusiasts curious about plant families
•Educators and students of botany
•Botanical illustrators seeking inspiration and context
•Anyone who loves art, science, and the interconnectedness of nature
Be among the first to experience this expansive new way of seeing plants with a SIGNED copy.
Pre‑order The Album of Plant Families here
Instructional Botanical Illustration Books
All of the books listed below teach foundational botanical drawing skills, including observation, perspective, and realistic rendering. If you’re a true beginner, we suggest starting here.
The Joy of Botanical Drawing
A Step-by-Step Guide to Drawing and Painting Flowers, Leaves, Fruit, and More
By Wendy Hollender (2020)
Our most current and comprehensive instructional book, The Joy of Botanical Drawing is beloved by beginners and experienced artists alike. Named one of the best colored pencil books of all time by Book Authority, it features updated materials, expanded watercolor techniques, and approachable lessons that gently build in complexity.
Bite-size chapters guide you through drawing plants realistically using both colored pencil and watercolor, with richly detailed illustrations supporting every step. If you also want videos to watch alongside the book, you can find individual video lesson companions here.
Explore lessons such as:
•Drawing a red tomato in colored pencil and watercolor
•Mixing bright colors and shadows
•Leaf front and back
•Tubular flowers in perspective
•Advanced root overlaps
•Drawing composite flowers like zinnias
•Plant process pages
Perfect for:
•Artists of all skill levels, beginner to advanced
•Creatives who want guidance in both colored pencil and watercolor techniques
•Anyone looking for a well-rounded botanical illustration book
Start your botanical illustration journey with our most up-to-date and versatile guide.
Buy The Joy of Botanical Drawing
The Practice of Botanical Drawing
Step-by-Step Guidance to Drawing and Painting Nature in All its Seasonal Forms, Patterns and Colors
By Wendy Hollender (2017)
Designed as a printed companion to the videos in The Practice of Botanical Drawing Online Course, this spiral-bound book includes all of the course’s PDF instructions in an easy-to-use, step-by-step format. While enhanced by video lessons, it also works beautifully as a stand-alone resource.
The focus is primarily on colored pencil, with select watercolor techniques woven in. Get all of the videos and lesson PDFs on one handy USB drive here.
Explore lessons such as:
•Drawing an acorn
•Citrus fruit studies
•Drawing a rose
•Drawing outdoors
•Identifying plant families
•Creating a composition
Perfect for:
•Artists who appreciate a structured, step-by-step approach
•Students enrolled in The Practice of Botanical Drawing Online Course
•Learners who enjoy spiral-bound books for studio use
Pair this book with the video course or use it as a reliable studio companion. Find all of the videos and lesson PDFs on one handy USB drive here.
Buy The Practice of Botanical Drawing Book Here
Botanical Drawing: A Beginner’s Guide
A Simple Workbook to Practice One Basic Skill at a Time
By Wendy Hollender (2007)
This classic introduction to botanical illustration is ideal for true beginners and anyone who loves to learn by doing. With a workbook-style format and blank pages built right into the book, you can practice alongside each lesson.
The focus is entirely on colored pencil, helping you understand how to create convincing three-dimensional forms on a two-dimensional surface. For a taste, check out this free flower lesson.
Explore lessons such as:
•Making a circle look like a sphere
•Turning circles into apples
•Transforming a cup shape into a tulip
•Drawing tulip petals with colored pencils
Perfect for:
•Absolute beginners
•Self-guided learners
•Artists who like to draw directly in their books
Build a strong foundation in botanical drawing, one simple exercise at a time.
Buy A Beginner’s Guide Here
Botanical Drawing in Color
A Basic Guide to Mastering Realistic Form and Naturalistic Color
By Wendy Hollender (2010)
If you’ve completed A Beginner’s Guide and want to continue developing your colored pencil skills, Botanical Drawing in Color is a natural next step. This book goes deeper into observation, color theory, and composition while remaining accessible and encouraging.
Explore lessons such as:
•Measuring in perspective
•Drawing three views of a daisy
•Basic color theory
•Studying a plant throughout the seasons
•Observing and drawing under magnification
•Planning a composition
Perfect for:
•Artists ready to move beyond the basics
•Colored pencil enthusiasts
•Students seeking more depth without jumping into watercolor
Strengthen your skills and see plants more clearly through careful observation.
Nature Journaling in a Nutshell: Quick Guide Booklet
Draw Botanical’s Quick Guide to Jumpstart Your Exploration
Written and Illustrated by Abby Goldfarb & Wendy Hollender (2023)
This light, portable booklet is an inviting entry point into nature journaling—a looser, more expressive way of observing the natural world. Designed to be taken into the field, it offers just enough structure to get you started without feeling overwhelming.
Inside, you’ll find guidance on materials, page layouts, and simple drawing techniques, along with plenty of ideas to help you make your journal uniquely yours.
Explore lessons such as:
•Making an accordion journal
•Page layout ideas
•Observational drawing skills
•Color theory
•Patterns and textures
•Moving creatures
•Landscapes
Perfect for:
•All ages and experience levels
•Outdoor sketchers and explorers
•Anyone curious about nature
Slip this booklet into your bag and start documenting the natural world around you. Create your nature journal as a love letter to the universe.
Buy Nature Journaling in a Nutshell Here (or PDF here)
Foraging & Feasting
A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook
By Dina Falconi, Illustrated by Wendy Hollender (2017)
Foraging & Feasting bridges botanical illustration, plant identification, and the timeless pleasure of cooking with what the land provides. Part field guide, part wild food cookbook, this beautifully crafted hardcover celebrates the often-overlooked art of turning locally gathered plants into nourishing, delicious meals.
The recipes are designed as adaptable templates, meaning they work just as well with cultivated fruits and vegetables. They also support a wide range of dietary needs, including gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, casein-free, and sugar-free approaches. Helpful reference charts throughout the book make it easy to connect plants to their culinary uses at a glance.
Explore:
•Botanical identification of common wild edible plants
•Harvesting guidance rooted in seasonal awareness
•Over 100 master recipes with countless variations
•Flexible cooking techniques for wild or cultivated ingredients
•Clear reference charts for easy field and kitchen use
Perfect for:
•Foragers and wild food enthusiasts
•Gardeners and plant lovers curious about edible landscapes
•Cooks interested in seasonal, local, and ancestral foodways
•Artists and readers who appreciate botanical illustration paired with practical knowledge
Discover how art, botany, and the kitchen come together. Bring wild plants from field to table with confidence. Here’s what you need to know before, during, and after foraging.
Buy Foraging & Feasting Here
Still Not Sure Where to Begin?
If you’re feeling drawn to more than one book, you’re not alone. Many artists enjoy building a small library that supports different moods and stages of learning, from structured studio practice to loose, outdoor journaling.
Quick Recommendations
Brand new to botanical illustration? Start with Botanical Drawing: A Beginner’s Guide or The Joy of Botanical Drawing.
Want the most comprehensive, up-to-date instruction? Choose The Joy of Botanical Drawing.
Looking for a relaxed, portable creative practice? Pick up Nature Journaling in a Nutshell.
Prefer reading digitally? The Practice of Botanical Drawing PDF and Nature Journaling in a Nutshell PDF are for you.
Interested in plant families and botanical context? Pre‑order The Album of Plant Families.
Explore our books, follow your curiosity, and let your connection to plants grow, one joyful drawing at a time.
Shop All Books Here
