Botanical Illustration as Visual Scientific Communication

In this seminar I will discuss the value of botanical illustration through historical and contemporary artwork, share my own personal history as an artist, address the process of creating an illustration, and show images of my work from the 2025 internship at the California Botanic Garden.

Botanical illustration is a beautiful art form and also a precise, evidence-based form of visual communication. By distilling complex plant structures into clear, accurate images, it enables researchers to document, compare, and share plant knowledge across disciplines and borders. For centuries, botanical illustrators have used technical skill to illuminate information about the structure, growth, and adaptation of plants in a visual way that anyone can understand. In an era of rapid loss of biodiversity, illustration remains a vital tool for conservation as well as science and education.

Emily Franz is a botanical illustrator and freelance artist living in Los Angeles California. She creates scientific illustrations for publication, and artwork on commission. Her custom handmade miniatures have been featured in film and television. Her education includes a BFA, a ten week botanical illustration internship at the California Botanic Garden, and current pursuit of a botanical illustration certificate from the New York Botanical Garden. Emily is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) and the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators (GNSI), and she serves on the board of the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California (BAGSC). https://emilyfranzart.com/