A serious botanical drawing is a scientific statement and precision and accuracy are essential.
Some drawings lack sufficient botanical detail, while too much detail detracts from the overall presentation and impact of the main subject.
Judges feel that entries using mechanically printed labels could detract from the archival quality of an entry.
Less successful entries have shown inconsistent and uneven line work, inconsistent styles of shading or excessive stippling used to cover a space rather than to reveal texture or form. In some cases, stippling tended to obscure or confuse the images of the structures.
In general, more satisfactory and clearer results are obtained by using one medium only, rather than a combination (such as ink with pencil), especially with a view to reproduction of the works.