8 Free Templates for Drawing Insects and Plants as a Beginner

Practice botanical watercolor illustration and loosen your strokes using these naturalist drawing templates

There’s only one way to know if you are mastering the technique of naturalist illustration: going from theory to action. If you specialize in watercolor, the process begins with a pencil sketch to loosen your hand and get over the fear of the blank page. Then you bring your drawing to life by creating a color palette, playing with shading and volumes, adding textures and highlighting specific areas.

Artist and illustrator Cristina Cilloniz ( @cristina_cilloniz ), specializes in watercolor and shares eight naturalist illustration templates with you. Simply choose your favourite and start practicing in pencil, before adding brush strokes. There are insect templates and other botanical themes for nature lovers like you.

What is naturalist illustration?

The natural sciences have gone hand-in-hand with art for centuries, thanks to naturalist illustration. Since the 16th century, naturalists have taken part in scientific expeditions or investigated nature of their own accord. The preservation of their drawings of their discoveries resulted in the knowledge they obtained becoming the foundations of modern science.

As explained in this article , naturalist illustration emerged as a discipline during a time of great exploration, when the world was lacking basic knowledge about flora and fauna. This type of illustration focused on recording each discovery about nature while thinking carefully about composition, lighting, and other artistic elements.

The purpose of naturalist illustration

When it comes to naturalist illustration, the final artwork doesn't need to be a faithful image of reality–it is not a case of copying but of presenting the observer’s viewpoint.

This is precisely what differentiates naturalist illustration from scientific illustration. In other words, naturalist illustration is based on observation, while scientific illustration is based on the study and investigation of the elements being drawn.

Scientific illustration is always developed for the purpose of a scientific project. Prior research is required to draw a technical concept with rigor and clarity. In naturalist illustration, every detail is to be appreciated, meaning that the artist must not hurry their observation process. This is why most illustrators use soft and gentle shapes that you’d associate with a more leisurely creative rhythm. The colors also transmit this serene atmosphere.

Spend time sketching your naturalist illustration

In this artistic process, careful observation is key. In addition to looking carefully, you must also learn to be patient when working on your sketch. Take your time. Think of sketching as the bridge between observing a three-dimensional object and its representation on a two-dimensional surface. Working on this part of the process will help you get better results and plan the colors you will use.

If you are a beginner, using templates is an excellent idea to avoid getting stuck. Little by little, you will gain confidence and take control of your composition. There are many books full of reference material that you can use. Even the most experienced artists find inspiration and expand their learning by looking through those pages.

The author of this download, Cristina Cilloniz, also finds inspiration in editorial publications. One of the books that has influenced Cristina the most is Botanicum, illustrated and curated by Katie Scott and Kathy Willis. The book is made up of rooms as if it were a museum. In each room, you can find a type of plant.

Thanks to the large size and realistic style of the illustrations, it is very easy to observe and understand how tropical perennials, bulbs, and exotic plants work, and use them as reference material.

Download 8 free naturalist drawing templates

For Cristina, "watercolor is a technique that is full of life but requires subtlety and calm." Due to its versatility, it is perfect for representing the natural world. With these templates, you will work based on outlines, geometries, and other details.

If you are illustrating a botanical element such as leaves, Cristina recommends you print the template and follow these three tips:

1. Take a good look at your reference template and analyze it in terms of shapes, geometries, lines ...

2. Try different types of pencils. She usually uses a mechanical pencil because it is very light and easier on your wrist, but the choice is up to you.

3. Before drawing your illustration, trace the outlines and shapes on the reference template itself. This is a step that can help you not to miss any details along the way.

You can follow the same process if you are working with a reference photograph. Finally, remember to always start with the simplest elements and add to the challenge little by little, to avoid becoming overwhelmed. Be inspired by Cristina's method to find your own drawing process and bring nature to life.

After clicking on the button below, you will find a file in .pdf format in the Downloads folder on your computer containing the 8 Naturalist Drawing Templates for Beginners, by Cristina Cilloniz.

If you are interested in learning more about this subject, you must sign up for the course Naturalist Illustrations with Watercolors: Drawing and Composition, in which Cristina Cilloniz teaches you illustration techniques to bring animals, insects, and botanical elements to life.

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