1. Background & Influence

•Who was Ernst Haeckel, and what was his primary profession?

•How did his background as a biologist influence his artistic works?

•What were the major scientific discoveries or movements during his time, and how did they shape his illustrations?

2. Artistic Style & Techniques

•What are the defining characteristics of Haeckel’s artistic style?

•How did he use symmetry, pattern, and repetition in his compositions?

•What materials and techniques did he use to create his botanical and zoological illustrations?

•How did Haeckel achieve such intricate detail and precision in his work?

3. Themes & Subject Matter

• What types of organisms did Haeckel frequently illustrate (e.g., marine life, plants, microscopic creatures)?

• How does his work showcase the beauty and complexity of nature?

• In what ways did he emphasize the connection between art and science?

4. Impact & Legacy

• How did Haeckel’s illustrations contribute to scientific understanding and classification?

• How have his works influenced modern biological illustration and digital generative art?

• Are there contemporary artists or designers who draw inspiration from his work?

5. Personal Reflection & Application

• What aspects of Haeckel’s work resonate with you the most?

• How could you apply Haeckel’s techniques or themes in your own artwork?

• If he had access to modern technology (e.g., digital art, AI, 3D modeling), how might his work have evolved?

a) Artist References (Choose 1)

Research botanical illustrators like

1. Ernst Haeckel - Marine Biologist, Ecologist, Micro Organisms researcher, illustrator.

2.Maria Sibylla Merian -known for: Documentation of butterfly metamorphosis; scientific illustration

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/animals/maria-sibylla-merian-pioneering-artist-flora-and-fauna,

3. Pierre-Joseph Redouté - painter and botanist

Identify how they capture detail, color, and composition in their works.

b) Research and Investigation: https://www.commonwealthsec.moe.edu.sg/imaginative-trailblazers/eco-stewardship/

Students to go around school and find pictures of nature and botanical plants/species around the wetlands and rainforest.

🔍 Study & Document 1️⃣ Research & Observation (Day 1-2)

Choose a botanical subject (e.g., flowers, leaves, herbs, fruits, species, flora fauna, fungi). Observe its shape, structure, textures, and patterns. Take close-up photos or sketch directly from life.

📖 Create a Reference Board Compile sketches,

6 images photos, and inspiration images for your observational skills drawing studies and artistic processes.

Find interesting viewpoints, interesting subject matter with textutes. Refer to shots on Singapore Botanical Garden website.

https://woodlandsbotanicalgarden.com/plant-catalogue/

Upload images on Padlet on ur respective names.

c) Sketching & Composition

✏️ Preliminary Sketches

• Make multiple palm size drawing or 10cm by 10cm sketches exploring different sects/angles of the plants.

• Focus on balance and natural flow (e.g., overlapping leaves, twisting vines).

🔄 Refined Draft

• Create a detailed line drawing, refining proportion and structure.

• Use scientific accuracy or an artistic stylized approach, depending on preference.

  
  

3️⃣ Medium & Techniques (Week 6)

🎨 Choose a Medium:

• Pencil & Ink → For fine detailing and contrast.

• Colored Pencils → For soft gradients and realism delicate, organic shading..

• Mixed Media → Combining eco-printing, collages, or digital enhancements. (optional may do digital drawing)

  
  

🌟 Techniques to Apply:

• Line weight variation → Good close observational drawing for Thin lines for delicate petals, bold lines for focal points.

• Tonal shading → To add depth and realism.

• Color layering → Smooth blending for organic textures.

d) Complete all 5 QUALITY DRAWINGS in your sketchbook by end of Week 6

Scanned all drawing and put up on Canva 3 Slides

Here's a well-structured layout composition for your Botanical Art Presentation slides:

🖼️ Slide 1: Introduction & Theme Exploration

✅ Title: Botanical Harmony: Exploring Nature Through Art
✅ Sections to Include:

1. Theme: A short description of the project theme (e.g., "Botanical Art captures the intricate beauty of plants, emphasizing structure, texture, and organic forms.")

2. Artist Reference: Mention Ernst Haeckel, Maria Sibylla Merian, or Pierre-Joseph Redouté, with a small image of their work and key characteristics.

3. Botanic Art in CWSS: Showcase school-based botanical inspirations (photos of campus flora, gardens, or wetlands).

4. Your Artist Statement:

   • What does the theme mean to you?

   • How does nature inspire your artistic approach?

   • What techniques do you plan to explore?

💡 Design Tip: Use a clean grid layout, soft green/nature tones, and a balance of text and images.

🎨 Slide 2: Observational Studies

✅ Title: Observing Nature: Studies & Inspirations
✅ Layout:
🔹 6 High-Quality Images – Reference images of leaves, flowers, vines, fungi, or plants.
🔹 6 Botanical Drawings – Well-detailed, clean sketches or ink studies based on observations. Shading, pen drawing, colour pencils variations

💡 Design Tip: Use a 3x2 grid layout (3 images on top, 3 drawings below) or side-by-side pairings (reference photo + corresponding drawing). Keep backgrounds clean for clarity.

🖌️ Slide 3: Final Layout Composition

✅ Task : Design Botanical Artwork Composition for a school calendar/ mural on the wall (product design).

Theme: "Botanical Metamorphosis: Anatomical Heart Botanical, Heart of Ecologist.

https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=heart%20anatomy%20drawings%20flora%20fauna&rs=typed

https://www.botanicalartsocietysingapore.com/artists/gallery

https://woodlandsbotanicalgarden.com/

• 1 Final Layout Sketch – The planned arrangement of botanical elements (vines, leaves, flowers, insects)

  
  

• Artist Statement:

  • How the piece reflects the cycle of transformation in nature.

  • Connection to artist inspirations.

  • Personal interpretation of botanical metamorphosis.

• Composition Notes: Explain placement choices (e.g., balance, movement, layering).

• Media & Techniques: Mention if you’ll use ink, watercolor, colored pencils, or mixed media.

💡 Design Tip: Keep this slide minimal and focused—one strong layout drawing with a brief explanation of how the elements connect.

e) Final Artwork & Presentation (Week 7)

🖼️ Complete the Artwork

• Ensure fine details, refined lines, and color balance.

• Consider adding a scientific label or handwritten botanical name.

📜 Artist Statement (Short Reflection)

• Describe the botanical subject and why it was chosen.

• Explain how the medium and techniques enhance the artwork.

• Reflect on the process and new insights about botanical illustration.

📢 Mini Exhibition

• Slides on Canva.

• Display artworks in a online class gallery walk.

• Students to present their ideas and slides to class provide peer feedback and personal reflections.

🎯 Learning Outcomes:

✅ Develop observational drawing skills in botanical art.
✅ Understand botanical structures and natural compositions.
✅ Enhance technical skills in line work, shading, and color blending.
✅ Gain confidence in analyzing and presenting their artistic process.

🌿 Let nature inspire your creativity! ✨

Before there was photography, hand-drawn botanical illustrations were the only way of visually recording and documenting the world’s many plant species. The illustrations were used by physicians, pharmacists, botanical scientists, and gardeners for identification, analysis, and classification.

Today, we define botanical illustration as accurately drawn illustrations that portray a plant and are used as an aid in plant identification. The illustrators work closely with botanists and the illustrations made are often published in scientific journals. They are usually black ink line drawings and include detailed dissections. Even with today's advances in photography, drawings can show details about plants in a 3D representation that photographs cannot.

Botanical art is made more for aesthetic purposes. The artists have more leeway in portraying the plant in a modern composition and style. However, the plant depiction must still be true to the plant and botanically accurate. The most common medium used is watercolour, but graphite, acrylic, oil and coloured pencils are also commonly used.