Oct Half Term - Botanical Illustration - Putney School of Art and Design

Oct Half Term – Botanical Illustration

This Two-day workshop is for students of all levels (excluding absolute beginners: i.e. those that have never drawn anything before or have very little to no training in the accuracy required for botanical illustration / botanical paintings).

What The Course is About:

The course will continue with basic principles of drawing (using Graphite and/or Pen and Ink) and/or water colour painting as applicable and specific to Botanical illustration. Continuing students will benefit from picking up during this and previous semester/s. We will cover: 1. The botanical illustration through line, form and shading using graphite, ink and water colours. 2. Look at the basic forms that makes up the plant world (Leaves, flowers, fruits and nuts as well as bulbs, roots, corms and rhizomes) 3. We will explore these forms in the way light and shade wraps the surface and help define them in a way to make them appear more 3 dimensional as illustrations 4. We will cover where necessary, basic botany to empower the student to draw with confidence

Materials Required:

What to bring to the first session: NOTE: Bring what you have and we can discuss your options on the first day. After that, you can buy what you need from the ONSITE PSAD Art Shop and/or local Art store, Jackson’s Art at nearby Putney Bridge Tube Station. *Denotes requirement for the 1st day of the workshop: Sketch book, Sketch Pad or Note Book for taking notes and making rough sketches, clean soft brush OR large clean feather to brush off impurities during work, * Putty Rubber/Eraser, a magnifying glass if you have one, Mapac plastic carrying portfolio or similar for your work. This is non-essential, but a great and clean way to transport your work to and from class. * Graphite pencils: Bring what you have, do not buy just for this workshop! If you are going to buy, then aim for H4, H2 and an F or a HB as a bare minimum. You will also need a sharpener suitable for your own pencils. * Paper for your chosen medium of work: For Graphite and/or Pen and Ink work: At least 1 Sheet of A3 Bristol board 250 gsm to 280gsm (PSAD shop sell these). For mixed media (graphite, pen and ink & Water Colour) you will need one sheet of A3, 300gsm, smooth surface NOT (cold pressed) water colour paper OR one sheet A3, 300gsm multi media paper. For water colour, you will need at least one sheet A3, smooth surface HP (Hot Pressed) water colour paper. Please choose one as you do not need to bring one of each!

Previous Experience:

All Levels but experience of drawing is essential.

End of course:

What will I achieve? By the end of the two day workshop, you will: 1. Be able to utilise line and shading in drawing/painting. 2. Compose a drawing to illustrate a botanical specimen to desired outcome. 3. Be near completing a graphite OR pen and ink Or water colour medium botanical illustration 4. Become familiar with at least one medium as used in botanical illustration, if not two or three of the course mediums as mentioned appropriate for this course.