Botanical Drawing

Class | This program is completed

1501 10th Ave East Seattle, WA 98102 United States

TBD

All Levels

9/16/2019-11/18/2019

9:30 AM-12:30 PM PDT on Mon

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$475.00

$427.50

$10.00

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Beginning with measurement techniques, observational skills and the unique requirements of botanical art; learn to use line to accurately portray plant subjects, then move on to understanding light’s effect on form and how to use shading for three-dimensionality. While focusing on plants, the skills you acquire apply to any realistic drawing effort and are an excellent preparation for learning botanical watercolor as well. Intermediate students are welcome and may take on more advanced plant subjects.

  • For first class:
  • Pencils: HB at least
  • Pencil sharpener
  • Kneaded gray eraser
  • Flexible-armed or gooseneck table-top lamp (cheap student light is fine)
  • Paper—can be inexpensive sketch pad or just copy paper
  • For subsequent classes (will be discussed in further detail in first class.)
  • Pencils in range of leads—2H, H, F, HB, 2B (“H” is Hard, and the higher the number the harder--and thus lighter. “B” is soft, and the higher the number, the softer and darker. You don’t need all the numbers available.) Try out different brands—they do differ. If you were to buy just 4 pencils, get an HB, an H, a 2H, and a 2B. Some lighter subjects can call for 4H or so.
  • OR “Lead holder” with same range of hardness/softness AND Lead pointer (sharpener) desk or handheld version
  • Paper: Arches 140 lb hot press watercolor paper is good for final drawings OR sketchbook of good quality paper (non-acid archival is best) Strathmore has them in “smooth”, “vellum”, and “plate” (very smooth) 500 is top, 400 good
  • White “click pen” eraser (I like Papermate Tuff Stuff Clik pens & Tombow Mono Zero)
  • Drafting or masking tape
  • Soft brush or large feather to remove eraser detritus
  • Burnisher –Bone folders or smooth-edged teaspoons work too, as the plastic burnishers are now hard to come by
  • Tracing paper—25 lb. 11 x 14 is a good size
  • Optional:
  • Dividers (U. Book Store, D. Smith, drafting supply stores) Not required but make measuring much easier
  • Drawing board—if you’re using sheets of paper rather than sketchbook, the hard foam boards (“gatorboard”)—at Daniel Smith, U. Book Store are good for watercolor, too; for drawing, any sturdy smooth board will do (18 x 24 is good size; 3/16” or 1/2” ok)
  • Other good drawing papers, such as 500 Series Strathmore Bristol board plate finish or vellum finish, in sheet or tablet; Stonehenge white is also good
  • Mounting putty (Quake-hold or Poster Putty—gray or white not blue) or florist’s frog, florist’s foam, or specimen clamp
  • Magnifying lens of some sort—(8x to 10x if you buy a loupe; any decent magnifying instrument will do)