Kew Answers

Gardening Book Illustration

In 2023, I had the pleasure of collaborating with Quarto Publishing on 100 Answers to the Most Common Gardening Questions, a practical non-fiction guide created in association with Kew Gardens.

I contributed hand-drawn illustrations for the book, including the cover artwork and chapter opener illustrations. The visual style was developed to complement the book’s modern, minimal design approach while retaining a hand-crafted, traditional quality.

The illustrations were created using hand-painted ink techniques and later digitized for print, resulting in decorative, expressive visuals that support the instructional nature of the content.

Book cover illustration for Kew Answers gardening guide featuring expressive hand-painted ink artwork and modern minimal design

Decorative ink illustration exploring gardening for wildlife theme for instructional publishing and editorial design

Minimal hand-painted gardening illustration created for a chapter opener in a non-fiction gardening reference book

Stylized hand-painted illustration inspired by common gardening questions, created for a practical gardening manual

Collection of minimal hand-painted gardening illustrations developed for Quarto Publishing and Kew Gardens reference guide

Expressive black ink gardening illustration designed for editorial chapter layout in Kew Answers publication

Project Overview

This project is part of a practical gardening guide published by Quarto Publishing, designed to answer common questions about everyday gardening in a clear, accessible format.

My contribution focused on visual storytelling through hand-crafted illustration, supporting the structure and tone of the book rather than providing strictly botanical or scientific representation.

The artwork was created to enhance readability and guide the reader through different thematic sections of the book, including: Understanding Your Garden, and Gardening for Wildlife.

Each illustration was designed to visually complement these topics while maintaining a cohesive, minimal aesthetic throughout the publication.

Illustration Approach

Behind-the-scenes view of hand-painted ink illustrations in progress for the Kew Answers gardening book published by Quarto Publishing.

The visual language for this project was intentionally simplified and expressive, using hand-painted ink techniques to create decorative and instructional artwork.

Rather than focusing on botanical accuracy, the emphasis was placed on:

clear visual communication
thematic interpretation of gardening topics
supporting instructional content
maintaining a consistent minimal style across chapters

This approach allowed the illustrations to function as visual guides within a practical manual, reinforcing the structure and usability of the book.

Medium & Process

The illustrations were created using traditional ink brush techniques, allowing for organic texture variation and expressive hand-painted linework.

After completion, the artworks were digitized for print production, ensuring consistency across layouts while preserving the handmade quality of the original illustrations.

Interested in Collaborating?

I create traditional and mixed-media illustrations for books, manuals, and non-fiction publishing.

Get in Touch