BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION - COPPICE AGROFORESTRY
Botanical illustration bringing the science of coppice agroforestry to life.
This botanical illustration project for Coppice Agroforestry by Mark Krawczyk was one of the most demanding technical illustration projects I’ve taken on.
Mark had been working on the text for over ten years, and he knew exactly what he wanted to show, even when he didn’t yet know how to show it. He’d send me a list of six illustrations he needed, we’d meet to talk through the possibilities, and I’d rough out a few directions. Once he settled on one, I’d build the final piece, often coming back to tweak details until it matched what he had in his head. Having a background in permaculture and some knowledge of coppicing helped me follow his thinking, but there was still a lot to learn along the way.
Over four months, this back-and-forth repeated across more than 60 technical illustrations, all created to visually represent the book’s core concepts. The challenge: clear, informative artwork, in grayscale and black and white, within a limited size format — capturing the biology of woody plants and the intricacies of coppice agroforestry practices. That meant illustrating elements that hadn’t really been drawn this way before, like branch and stem growth patterns, which required collaborating with other biologists to get right. Working on a tight schedule with the publisher, New Society Publishers, meant staying efficient and communicating clearly within a very limited visual space.
Curious about the book itself? Visit Coppice Agroforestry to learn more. This kind of technical botanical illustration is one part of the illustration and branding services I offer.
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client
mark krawczyk
date
January 2022
categorie
book botancal illustration
Review
"This book would not be what it has become without the remarkable talents of my close friend and colleague William Bode. He is responsible for creating all of this book’s illustrations. I thoroughly enjoyed our back and forth for the last four months of this project. Your ability to turn ideas and concepts into beautiful clear graphics left me proud and deeply impressed. I am so grateful for our friendship and the parallel paths we've followed over the past decade and beyond. I am so astonished by your artistic skill, your patient listening, the open, understanding way you respond to comments and accept feedback, and the beautiful simplicity of the lives you and Corinne lead. I hope this is just another step in many more collaborations and that readers fully appreciate the elegant clarity of the works of art you've contributed."
Questions About This Project
What's involved in illustrating a technical book?
Close, ongoing collaboration with the author — for Coppice Agroforestry, that meant four months of back-and-forth to make sure every illustration was both visually clear and scientifically accurate, sometimes working directly with biologists to get growth patterns right.
Do technical illustrations need to be in color?
Not always — this project required grayscale and black-and-white artwork within a limited size format, since that’s what worked for the book’s print layout and budget.
Can botanical illustration work alongside a publisher's schedule?
Yes — this project was completed on a tight timeline set by New Society Publishers, which meant staying efficient without sacrificing the clarity each illustration needed to carry on its own.