Category: Botanical Illustration
-
The Practice of Botanical Drawing: Ideas for Expanding Lessons
Botanical Drawing Lessons are a guide to build on. Expand each lesson with new and different subjects! Watch this Video. Get advice from Wendy. We know that masters aren’t made overnight, and that consistent practice is the key to success. Think of my books as a template. I show you one lesson with one subject, … Continued
-
Understanding Flowers
Check out some of the helpful drawing tips taught in our course, The Practice of Botanical Drawing! If you’ve ever been fascinated by a flower, this post is for you! A flower is the reproductive part of a plant. Its primary purpose? To attract! How do these alluring seed-bearing wonders do it? Let’s examine the … Continued
-
Sketching Summer: Ideas & Botanical Definitions
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 1-2 trees … Continued
-
Verdant Meditations
Thank you to Taliesin Thomas for this lovely feature on dirt-mag.com, aptly titled, “Verdant Meditations.” The piece explores how I became a botanical artist, the philosophy behind the Draw Botanical Method, and a peek into the magic I’ve been making most recently. (See the full feature here.) Plant Partners I work entirely … Continued
-
10 Questions Every Artist Should Ask While Drawing
Whether you’re just getting started with botanical drawing or you’re a seasoned illustrator, make sure you are set for success and ask yourself these 10 questions to produce realistic botanical illustrations. Beginner Artists, Don’t Miss! You can still purchase the recording of this Zoom Drawing Workshop, Start Simple: Draw Botanical Techniques for Beginners. It’s … Continued
-
Embrace Your Style
If you have ever drawn, painted, sculpted, designed, built, written, performed, cooked, snapped a pic, hummed a tune, whistled while you worked, created anything in any way, I have news for you… You are an artist! Embrace Your Style Each of us has our own unique style, something special we can’t help but … Continued
-
Practicing Perspective
The secret to realistic botanical illustrations is accurate measuring from your unique viewpoint! As something tilts away from us, its physical form does not change, but our perception of it does. Catch the recording from our Measuring & Perspective Zoom Drawing Workshop where we study perspective, the most effective way to read a ruler, and how … Continued
-
Practicing Leaves
Have questions about another subject? Check out our online 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 are usually long, strappy leaves that … Continued
-
De-stress Naturally: A Path of Meditation and Self-expression
Article by Wendy Hollender, featured by the American Institute of Stress in their magazine, Contentment (Volume 12, Number 1, Spring 2023). View this magazine issue as pages or spreads. I have been taking my cue from plants for 25 years now. Before the advent of cameras, botanical illustrations were the only method to … Continued
-
4 Tips for Drawing Twists, Rolls, & Folds
To capture 3D forms on a 2D surface, we use light and shadows to create the illusion of depth. This can be tricky, but never fear! We are here to help. 4 Tips on Twists, Rolls, and Folds 1. Practice with simple models. Find out how much fun it can be to … Continued
