Annie Davidson — Naïve Botanical Illustrator, Melbourne

Australian illustrator Annie Davidson creates naïve and quirky drawings – filled with meticulous patterns and fine touches of detail – that have caught the eye of clients worldwide. With instinctive line work, atmospheric colour palettes and inspiring ideas, Annie’s skills will raise the creativity of any project she collaborates on.

Japanese woodblock prints by artists like Hiroshi Yoshida, old botanical sketches by Ernst Haeckel and humorous kids' books have all influenced the style of this Melbourne-based artist. She loves underwater scenes, surf beaches, crazy plants, and going to exhibitions by esoteric artists, as well as adrenaline sports. Annie has a Bachelor degree in Visual Communication from Monash University in Australia.

Approach

After extensively researching her references, when she’s settled on a composition Annie draws over her sketches with a fineliner and adds texture and detail. Colouring is done in Photoshop using layers, where it’s tweaked to bring balance to her palette before the image is complete.

Key Software

Photoshop

Style

Annie’s style is based around a naïve, hand-drawn look and feel. Her subjects are usually quite whimsical, and her drawings offer viewers an escape into another world. Sometimes, a dash of watercolour comes into play. Annie also makes paper dioramas for certain projects. This involves hand painting the key elements, cutting them out, then assembling them into a scene to be photographed.

Client list

Annie’s client list includes Lonely Planet, Converse, Talbots, The Melbourne Museum, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Yarra Trams, British Vogue, Jetstar, Target, Adairs, Stylist Magazine, Medibank and many more.

People having a picnic at the botanical garden