Meet The Author of How To Draw A River & How To Draw A Tree!
Alex Boon is an artist and influencer from Devon, England specialising in nature journals and original artwork created in the great outdoors - his main inspiration. We sat down with Alex to discuss his latest books, How To Draw A River & How To Draw A Tree, and how the path to becoming a full time artist led him to some fascinating experiences.
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m Alex Boon, and I am a professional nature journaling educator and artist – one of very few full-time nature journalers in the UK. My passion is being outside and being creative, preferably at the same time! I live in beautiful East Devon by the sea and am captivated by the amazing bird life we have here on our river estuary. I run the first online nature journaling art membership, The Nature Journaling Circle, and teach a lot of in-person classes and retreats, while also making my own journals as content for my YouTube channel. Aside from my work, I am an avid yoga practitioner and enjoy playing jazz piano.
Tell us a bit about How To Draw A River & How To Draw A Tree?
These books are together intended to break the mould of the traditional “copy this photograph” approach to landscape drawing and instead get readers out into the landscape to practice. From cross-hatching to coloured pencil and from abstracting tree bark to sketching moving water, there are lots of different approaches included in each book, to help you identify the method that works best for you.
What was the creative process like as you developed these books?
I became exceptionally well acquainted with my scanner! No, seriously, it was a joyful process. I mainly looked at the range of things I like to do in my nature journaling and art practice, and what I would usually teach in my in-person and online workshops and then thought about translating those things into the instructional book format. It was a lot of work developing the material for both books at the same time, but it was an enjoyable challenge that also pushed my own artistic practice further. There is nothing like teaching for developing your own skills.
What was your main point of inspiration in developing each course?
In both cases, I really wanted to do something that breaks away from the typical “copy this” style of art book. Instead, I wanted to develop something that gives a structure and inspiration for your own project surrounding a beloved tree/woodland or river. I believe that there is more to be gained by being given a suite of ideas and then taking those ideas to somewhere that really matters to you and letting them take wing in your own passion for a place. It was difficult to do this within the structure of an instructional art book, but I like to think I succeeded in building something that can be individualised for every reader.
What is your favourite drawing/project featured in each book?
In How to Draw a Tree, it is the fineliner drawing of the winter tree, which was also picked for the cover! I really enjoy getting into the intricate details of the structure of trees and it was interesting to think about how to break that process down for anybody to try.
In How to Draw a River, it is the section on sketching moving water in pen. Though I also loved doing the coloured pencil urban river scenes too! I chose the early moving water chapter because this is something that many of us struggle with, and I think that is because we so often draw from photographs. This chapter embraces the challenge of drawing water from life or video and really looking at how light and shade play out on the surface of moving streams.
What was your route into art?
Complicated. I actually went to art school and had a really bad experience, dropping out after a few months. I lost my confidence entirely and didn’t draw again for over 5 years! In the meantime, I took an extra science A level to get in to an Environmental Science degree. I then did a doctoral degree and became a researcher and lecturer whilst finding my feet with art again as a hobby. I started my first nature journal in 2016, after we moved to Devon. During the 2020 pandemic, when my freelance scientific work dried up I started taking my art more seriously, sharing my nature journals online and later teaching. In 2024, I took nature journaling and art education full time and have not looked back!
Where do you look for inspiration?
Everything around me. I live in a beautiful place full of woodlands, birds, wildflowers, the rolling hills and wild seas. There are more project ideas born of this place than I could ever hope to do in a lifetime, so I just record as much as I can in my nature journal.
What is the most challenging thing about being an artist?
I’m sure everyone says money, but actually I think it is really time! Running your own business is a lot of work and I probably get to do a bit less painting and drawing than I did when it was my hobby and not my job. There never really seems to be enough time for everything that needs to be done and so carving out creative time among all the teaching and business admin has become exceedingly important.
What makes up for the challenges?
When, during a nice hot summer, I get to spend a several days in a row out painting in hidden pockets of the coastline or in the wilds of the Undercliffs and actually call that part of my job. Or taking groups of people out on nature journaling retreat and seeing them notice things they had previously just walked past, the wonder in their eyes at what may have once been mundane. That feels very much like living the dream!
What do you think the “Next Big Thing” in landscape drawing will be?
Of course, I will say I hope it is going to be nature journaling. Nature journaling has so much to teach any artist, and with the world’s biodiversity in crisis, now is the time to have thousands of people out documenting it and spreading the word through their creativity (art is much more engaging to the public than scientific or political reports!)
Who (dead or alive) would you invite to the perfect art retreat?
Beatrix Potter, Edith Holden (The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady), and Jackie Morris!
What advice would you give to your beginner self?
Go drawing outside more – creatively, you’ll get where you want to be so much quicker from drawing in the real world than you ever will from copying photographs.
In one word, how would you describe these books?
Grounded.
How To Draw A River & How To Draw A Tree are out now! Connect with nature and embark on your own artistic journey by ordering these beautiful books in an exclusive discounted bundle today at the link here.
