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Brighten the world with your creations
The next time you are finishing up a drawing, put your pencils and paintbrushes down. Admire your page, and take a few deep breaths. Inhale joy, exhale frustration. Inhale peace, exhale stress. Inhale positivity, exhale negativity. Your mind may wonder if you are accurately representing your subject, or notice areas you want to improve. … Continued
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Decolonizing Botanical Art
By Emet Lipson & the Draw Botanical Team Black History is History and should be celebrated always; February being Black History Month is a great excuse to continue the conversation about decolonizing botanical illustration and highlight Black culture and Black excellence within a botanical frame. “If we aim to start a conversation about decolonizing … Continued
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Practicing Composition
Check out some of our helpful drawing tips regarding composition that we teach in our course, The Practice of Botanical Drawing! How do you plan compositions? Wendy sometimes lays the actual elements directly on the page! She will also sometimes pin her subject directly to her drawing board to plan her arrangement. Another … Continued
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Practicing Roots
Check out some of our helpful drawing tips regarding roots that we teach in our course, The Practice of Botanical Drawing! Drawing roots is an important component of botanical drawing. Roots may seem complicated, but when you analyze their characteristics, drawing them becomes a simpler step-by-step process. The patterns in roots are similar … Continued
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Practice Becoming a Beginner (Again)
The wonder and amazement we feel as children stems from discovering the world for the first time. Children are remarkably inquisitive, asking what, why, and how everything works, in an attempt to gain knowledge and understanding of their world. This openness and wonder is often referred to as the “beginner’s mind.” The next time you … Continued
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Practice Sketching Seasons: Winter
The Practice of Botanical Drawing started as a year-long Challenge, prompting students to track a tree or woody shrub of their choice through all its stages for a year. The final product becomes a “Sketchbook of the Seasons,” with color and tonal drawings, herbarium components, and journal documentation from one or two trees and or … Continued
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Listen... with your eyes
As artists, we are all familiar with the feeling of overwhelm that arises upon first look at a subject beside the vastness of a blank page. How will we capture the innate beauty that we see before us? Before you start drawing, take a moment to observe, absorb, and process the sensory information you’re receiving … Continued
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Practicing Leaves
Check out some of our helpful drawing tips regarding leaves that we teach in our course, The Practice of Botanical Drawing! Monocots & Dicots The difference between Monocots & Dicots is found in their cotyledons (first leaves). Monocots have one cotyledon, while Dicots have two! Monocot leaves (Monocotyledons) have parallel veining, which means they … Continued
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Practicing Perspective
Check out some of our helpful drawing tips regarding perspective that we teach in our course, The Practice of Botanical Drawing! Choosing a View Look at a flower from various views and draw some practice rough sketches to choose a view that you will draw. It is good practice to measure and draw three … Continued
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Draw Winter! Botanical inspiration around the globe
Winter has begun! We love following nature all year long and noticing the differences in each season. If winter is cold where you are, it may be difficult to find live subjects. Now is a great time to draw things that will not wilt or decay, like branches, nuts, seeds, and pods. Looking for inspiration? … Continued
