SCIENTIFIC WATERCOLOUR ANATOMICAL

VISUAL STYLE: Scientific watercolour illustration in the tradition of Audubon, Ernst Haeckel, and the great natural history illustrators. The combination of observational accuracy and artistic skill that existed before photography — when painting was the only way to record the natural world for science.

COLOUR PALETTE: The specific colours of natural history illustration — warm ivory (#FFFFF0) paper ground showing through. Deep botanical greens (#2D5A1B, #4A7C59) for plant material. Vivid bird and insect colours: cobalt blue (#003380), vermilion (#CC2200), cadmium yellow (#FFD700). Sepia ink (#8B4513) for detail work and annotation.

ACCURACY: The illustration serves understanding first and beauty second — but both are served. The structure of a wing feather. The venation of a leaf. The arrangement of scales on a fish. Every detail observed and recorded correctly.

COMPOSITION: The object sits on a plain ground — cream or white paper. Multiple views of the same object may appear on one plate: dorsal, ventral, lateral. Scale bars appear. Latin names annotated in a precise italic hand.

WATERCOLOUR TECHNIQUE: Transparent washes building up depth in shadow areas. The specific quality of watercolour applied to smooth illustration board. Dry brush for fine textures. Wet into wet for soft tonal transitions.

No photographs. No digital precision. No decorative background. Only the observed specimen, the transparent watercolour, and the annotation of a world precisely seen throughout.