Painting the Natural World

Painting the Natural World

360 Online Class | This program is completed

All Levels

1/25/2021-3/22/2021

1:30 PM-4:30 PM PDT on Mon

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$440.00

$396.00

$10.00

Learn the botanical artist’s classic method of dry-brush watercolor to paint all types of natural subjects, from birds to bones to botanicals. Explore the influence of basic dry-brush and wash methods on subjects ranging from winter’s cones and branches to birds, or bugs, shells, or bones. The instructor can provide specimens or you may bring your own (so start collecting!).

  • - Pencils: HB, 2H
  • - Good pencil sharpener
  • - Arches 140 lb Hot Press watercolor paper—about 2.00 per quarter sheet
  • - Drafting tape: any masking/painter’s tape, as long as you don’t apply it within the image area
  • - Erasers--Rubber gum “kneaded” eraser and “Clic” pencil eraser with soft white eraser (Tombow makes a great tiny one, a nice cheap luxury—D.Smith carries them)
  • - 12-inch or longer ruler (or use simple sticks handed out in class) and/or set of drafting dividers
  • - Paint pallets with wells (several of the small round or rectangular ones will work) (see Palettes section below)
  • - ‘Gator board or watercolor board (3/16”, 18 x 24 is a good size—about 13.00) unless you use the Arches watercolor blocks so don’t need to stretch paper. THIS IS NOT THE SAME AS REGULAR FOAM CORE BOARD, WHICH IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH!!
  • - Tracing paper –11 x 14; 25 lb Canson works well for transfers; most others do too
  • - Jars/containers for water (2)
  • - Paper towels
  • - there are many sable brushes out there right now but not all, even if listed as “kolinksky”, are of good enough quality. And although supposedly the long stretch when we couldn’t get most sable brands in-country is supposed to be over, it can still be hard to find them. I like jacksonsart.com, a British company, if you are shopping online;
  • Winsor Newton Series 7 or Da Vinci Maestro 35 for the #3, Winsor Newton Series 7 #1, either regular round or mini- are the small brushes. Isobey or Raphael are also good brands for the 3s; the 0 could also be a synthetic Cotman or Sceptre Gold, or Princeton, although you will be replacing these more often than the sable versions as the tips eventually curl. (If you spring for a sable small brush in one of the above brands, don’t get the Maestro 35 #1, as it’s too long and wimpy at that size; get the Maestro 10 or the Series 7 # 1.) You want a high-quality brush with a sharp point and a full belly; ask to test the brush when you buy it in a store. (Dip in water and try it on the special board they usually have—you should be able to get a very fine line. And dip and then tap it against your wrist to see if it comes to a single point, not a split one.) Another handy brush for lifting and fixing is the Cosmotop Spin #2 flat. And the Princeton #2 liner brushes are excellent for long, graceful lines such as on stems.
  • Paints:
  • Small paint palette of basic colors—(5.00) in lieu of buying separate tubes of paints below with 6-well wash palette
  • Palettes:
  • The little rectangular ones with round wells work for mixing up washes—get 2. Or the round palettes with 8-10 wells. Just be sure you get one with a sufficient number of wells for at least 8 colors. You also want a flat space for mixing and spreading darker washes to form “skins”; a white plate, or some of the larger, flat plastic palettes or enamel “butcher pans” with lots of interior open space will work.
  • • Easel or table top
  • • paper towels
  • • microphone and camera enabled computer
  • • ipad or smart tablet
  • • smart phone (android or IOS)
  • • Strong internet connection
  • Excited Attitude!