About
“ I love my job. I love being surrounded by gorgeous countryside and wild flowers. Each day brings a new species to draw and learn about ”
Lizzie Harper is a free-lance natural history and botanical illustrator with a keen love of nature.
Her scientific training as a zoologist helps complement her illustrations.
Please get in touch to Commission Work
She works in watercolour, pencil, and pen. With over 25 years experience as a free-lance illustrator, she has a broad range of clients.
Publishers, environmental charities, postage stamp designers, packaging firms, design companies, and private individuals have all commissioned her illustrations.
“ Lizzie was great to work with! She was enthusiastic and efficient with excellent attention to detail. ”
Recent books illustrated include “A Life on Our Planet” by David Attenborough, “The Hidden Universe” by Alex Antonelli, and “30 Animals that made us Smarter” by Patrick Ayree.
Her tree illustrations feature in “The Treeline” by Ben Rawlence and “The Living Wisdom of Trees” by Fred Hageneder
She’s illustrated The Hedgerow Handbook, The Garden Forager, The Tree Forager, and Foraging with Kids by Adele Nozedar.
Her work is in HarperCollins Flower Guide by Streeter, and The Bumper Book of Nature by Stephen Moss.
Her illustrations appear in National geographic and BBC Countryfile Magazine.
Lizzie’s work pops up on information boards and nature reserves around the country.
For more information on her work, visit her
“ I've used Lizzie's wildlife illustrations in my work for many years. The quality of her illustrations is always superb. ”
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Here`s another of the illustrations I did of Montserrat wildlife. This is the Green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas.
The pattern of the shell is tough to try and capture. Lots of layers of paint, and treating each scute individually.
We saw two of these beauties when we were snorkelling on our visit to Montserrat last year, they looked so elegant as they swam away into the gloom.
#turtle #seaturtle #naturalscienceillustration #sciart #montserrat
I quite often get asked how I got to be a botanical illustrator, and this short film of me talking to camera sets out to explain:
https://youtu.be/KALAt7xaiE8?si=Z9pTRoaA3LrZ_O9r
I cover how I got into being a freelance natural history illustrator as a career, discusses my education and some of my favourite jobs, covers how to work with clients, a bit on copyright and self promotion, and explains why I reckon I`ve got the best job ever.
Hope if you`re keen to do something similar, or even if you just love drawing and painting the natural world, that there might be some useful stuff in amongst.
#naturalscienceillustration #sciart #botanicalillustration #naturalhistoryillustration #illustration
This is the Lettuce seaslug Elysia crispata, found in the Caribbean. Completed sciart illustration for Montserrat national trust, one version in watercolour, one in pen and ink. It`ll be used in educational materials by local schools and by the National trust.
Blue is unusual in nature, so working on such an insanely glorious animal was, of course, a massive treat. The fact that it is also green and spotty, covered in blue frills, and has pink flushed tentacles did nothing to dampen my ardour for this amazing coral reef invertebrate.
#naturalhistoryillustration #sealettuce #seaslug #elysiacrispata #coralreef
Spent the day illustrating this St. Cecelia apple for a commission.
#Apples are some of the toughest things to #illustrate, I struggle with the waxy shine and depth of colour. This time its gone ok.
And now....I can eat them!
This is the Bloody-nosed beetle, Timarcha tenebricosa.
Its not uncommon, and releases a drop of reddish liquid from its mouth when disturbed, which deters predators.
It`s black with a bluish sheen, and distinctive beaded antennae. Unlike most beetles, Timarcha is flightless.
Completed in watercolour for South Devon National Landscapes, for use on Interpretation and information materials.
#sciart #bloodynosedbeetle #beetles #naturalhistoryillustration #timarchatenebricosa
New blog out, this one on Orchids:
https://lizzieharper.co.uk/2026/01/wildflower-families-orchidaceae/
It`s one of a series I`ve been doing on wildflower families. I find orchids quite tricky, not least because their anatomy is rather unusual. Hope the blog helps!
#botanicalart #botanicalillustration #orchids #orchidaceae #wildflowers
This is the Plymouth anole Anolis lividus
I saw one of these lizards scuttle across the path on the walk to Rendezvous beach in Montserrat, and it`s rainbow colours were quite amazing.
It`s another of the animal sciart illustrations completed for Montserrat National Trust and UKOTCF. It`ll be used in colouring books, educational materials, and information and outreach from the National Trust.
I complete the watercolour illustration first, then trace this direct into ink by using a projector, or a light box. Always, the initial illustration rough is done in pencil line, so adjustments can be made quickly and easily in response to client feedback.
#lizard #anole #anolelizard #anolis #anolislividus sciart naturalhistoryillustration naturalscienceillustration wildlife montserrat madebyhand NoToAIGeneratedImages
This is the Narrow-leaved everlasting sweet pea Lathyrus sylvestris, one of a series of plant and insect illustrations completed for South Devon National Landscape.
It`ll be used in a "spotter`s guide" to species you can see along the South Devon coast.
I loved painting this pretty pink pea flower. The tendrils are always a lot of fun, and the winged stems add interest.
It helped that I saw the plant in bloom in the summer, along with its` long-horned bee pollinator. These bees are only abundant in a few UK sites, including near Prawle point, and the SDNL are working to encourage them.
I`ve also included a few details, and the pencil rough which was submitted to their botanists for approval, before the colour was added.
#botanicalart #botanicalillustration #sciart #lathyrus
Exhibitions
Lizzie has recently shown in Exhibitions at the following venues:
Herford Art Week 2019
Association of British Botanical Artists show 2018
Shepherd’s Parlour, Hay on Wye 2018
Booth’s Bookshop, Hay on Wye 2018
Hereford Art Week 2017
Obsidian Gallery, Oxfordshire 2017
Hunt Institute of Botanical Studies, Pittsburgh 2015
Teaching Workshops
“ Lizzie was a wonderful tutor. Dynamic, encouraging, and friendly. ”
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about inspiration, how Lizzie started out, and illustrations vs photographs often come up.
Click here for Frequently Asked Questions (and answers)
Lizzie loves nothing more than spending a day immersed in the beautiful landscape round her home in Wales; where she investigates slugs and mosses, and does sketchbook studies of the wild flowers she finds.
She works from her garden studio in Hay on Wye where she lives very happily with a long-suffering husband and two lively children.
