BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION I: Basic Drawing Techniques (My Experiences)-Part III

This morning went out into the garden and collected a zinnia flower specimen to draw. Once it got it under a magnifying glass light it was amazing the details that you would otherwise not observe. The female reproductive organs were all gathered on the side of the center and the male sex organs were little finger like yellow strands that went all around the center. It was also fun to see how tiny the flower petals began underneath the fluffy center of the flower. I had a surprise visitor, along with the flower came a tiny green spider that was very gracious to pose on one of the larger outside flower petals; decided to include him in the drawing. When I finally got past the flower head and into drawing the leaves, I could see some of the grasshoppers had already had a snack or two with the holes that they left as evidence.
In drawing the flower first with a 2H graphite pencil then started to do some shading with a 2B and 4H. After drawing for about 2-1/2 hours with twenty minutes of drawing and 5 minute breaks, I feel like I didn't get as far as I should have. Maybe I am expecting too much, too soon. Will post a scan of the drawing in the next blog entry, for now am going to take a break and read chapter 1 of my Botanical Illustration book. Still waiting for the optional reading material, the Sierra Club nature sketching book to arrive in the mail, hope it comes soon.