The Art of Botanical & Bird Illustration by Mindy Lighthipe

Leaf Identification

To say that leaves come in many shapes and sizes would be an understatement! The variety is endless. For a species to be properly identified, it’s highly important to render your drawing accurately. The tiniest detail could mean the difference between one species and another. Isn’t that amazing?

Here are some questions to ask about the characteristics when identifying and drawing leaves.

Question: What is the overall outside shape of the leaf?

Leaf Margin Shapes

a. linear

b. elliptic

c. oblong

d. ovate

e. obovate

f. lanceolate

g. oblanceolate

h. spatulate

i. rhomboid

j. hastate

k. cordate

l. orbicular

m. reniform

n. deltoid ...