Learn to Draw
ALL are welcome (and encouraged!) to learn about the art of botanical drawing.
Many people say things like, “I can’t draw to save my life,” and “I could never draw something like that!”, but the truth is…
ANYONE can draw
(Yes, even YOU!)
If you have the desire to learn, and you commit to the time it takes, we can show you how.
The “secret” to “great” art isn’t in technique or supplies, but in joy, practice, and low expectations. Remember – practice makes PROGRESS.
Be curious, not critical. Follow your passions, and let yourself be fully human, flaws and all. We are nature, perfect in our imperfections.
Aspiring artists, begin with basics here.
We all learn in different ways, so we offer different options to view our content in whichever ways feel accessible to you!
Scroll through this post for details, or click on a section below to learn more:
Blog – Free Tips & Techniques
– Botanical Illustration: Informative Lessons
– Inspirational Motivation: Wendy’s Wisdom
– Plant Families
– Subjects by Season
– Art Supplies
– Miscellaneous
Course Subscriptions
– The Practice of Botanical Drawing
– Botanical Basics
– Community
Workshops
– In-Person Workshops
– Live Zoom Workshops
– Recordings of Past Zoom Workshops
Books
– The Joy of Botanical Drawing
– The Practice of Botanical Drawing
– Botanical Drawing: A Beginner’s Guide
– Botanical Drawing in Color
– Nature Journaling in a Nutshell Quick Guide
Videos
– USB Drive with Entire Course Library
– Individual Video Lessons
Blog – Free Tips & Techniques
EVERYONE deserves to learn! We are opening gates that have been kept shut and sharing the “secrets” behind realistic, three-dimensional drawing and painting.
Aspiring artists, begin with free basics here.
If finances are what’s standing between you and honing your creative craft, the FREE tips on our blog are a great place to start.
Search for something specific (in search box, top right corner), or explore these categories:
Botanical Illustration – Tips & Techniques
Dip your toe in with free tips and techniques before you dive deeper! Get a taste for lessons from our workshops and online courses, full of info that will encourage you and improve your botanical drawing skills.
– 5 Warm-Up Exercises to Stretch your Drawing Muscles
– Perspective & Measuring: Illusions Revealed
– Texture: The key to realistic botanical art
– 10 Questions Every Artist Should Ask While Drawing
– The Art of Erasing: When and How to Use Essential Erasers
– Leaves
– Draw a Leaf in 9 Simple Steps
– Roots
– 4 Tips to Elevate your Composition
– How to draw a Tulip in 12 Easy Steps
– How to draw a realistic three-dimensional Rose
– 20 Steps to Stunning Strawberries
– Peaches
– Apples
– The Practice of Botanical Drawing: Ideas for Expanding Lessons
– Creating Compositions: Holiday Cards
– 4 Tips for Drawing Twists, Rolls, & Folds
– 4 “Tricks” to Fool the Eye: Trompe L’oeil
See Botanical Illustration Posts
Wendy’s Wisdom – Inspirational Motivation
Motivational content to inspire you to pick up your pencils and get creative! Check out themes including:
– Don’t be Afraid to be “Wrong”
– Turning Passion into Preservation
– The Great Book of Nature is Always Open
– Brighten the World with your Creations
See Motivational Posts
Plant Families
Encourage plant awareness and learn about how plants are related to one another. Explore Wendy’s Plant Family Portraits, a series of larger paintings (you can get as fine art prints!) showcasing the similarities and differences between plants in the same families.
1. Onion Family (Alliaceae, sub family of Liliaceae)
2. Nightshade Family (Solanaceae)
3. Citrus Family (Rutaceae)
4. Coffee Family (Rubiaceae)
5. Tulip Family (Tulipa, sub family of Liliacea)
6. Mustard Family (Brassicaceae)
7. Mushrooms of New York April thru July 2023 (Fungi Kingdom)
8. Rose Family (Rosaceae)
9. Magnolia Family (Magnoliaceae)
See Plant Families Posts
Subjects by Season
Not sure what to draw this season? Check these blog posts for inspiration to creatively capture the season around you.
– Fall in love with Winter Magic
– Creating Compositions: Holiday Cards
– Sketching Summer: Ideas & Botanical Definitions
See Seasonal Posts
Art Supplies
The Draw Botanical Method relies on some essential art supplies. Find the simple set of supplies we recommend at drawbotanical.com/art-supplies/.
See our Suggested Supplies List Here
Some of our workshops use Kraft paper, a joy to work on and a forgiving medium.
See our Favorite Things about Kraft Paper Here
If you’re interested in art supplies beyond colored pencil and watercolor, check out our Ultimate Guide to Art Mediums.
See our Ultimate Guide to Art Mediums Here
We can also help you unearth the perfect gift for a nature-enthusiast in your life at drawbotanical.com/gift-guide/.
See our Gift Guide Here
Miscellaneous
Some of our blog posts don’t quite fall into the categories above, but they still have a lot of helpful info! Check these out:
– What You Need To Know Before, During, & After Foraging
– Why botanical illustration matters
– The Art of Scientific Botanical Illustration
– The Meditative Spiritual Practice of Botanical Art
– Plant Pride: Celebrating Diversity
– How you can monetize your botanical art
See All Blog Posts
Course Subscriptions
We offer 3 unique subscriptions so you can get everything you need to succeed (and nothing you don’t!). Try your FIRST WEEK FREE. Cancel any time with no hidden fees.
All 3 subscription options include the following Community perks:
– share photos of your work, both finished and in process, on the Art Feed – our image-focused forum, open only to our vibrant community of Subscribers (artists like you from around the globe)
– receive compliments and constructive feedback in a timely manner (so you can finish your drawing before your subject wilts!)
– online personal Portfolio (with a link to share with fans!)
– live conversation with knowledgeable instructors about your artwork at our monthly Webinar
– access to recordings of past Webinars to watch anytime
– learn from others’ “mistakes” (and let them learn from yours!). You can learn a LOT about how to improve your own work by listening to instructors’ suggestions for other artists.
– build community, make new friends with similar interests
– have a lot of fun!
Read more about the advantages of taking a botanical illustration course online.
The Practice of Botanical Drawing
Perfect for those who want to practice drawing techniques with detailed lessons following the seasons year-round. This course subscription encourages an ongoing practice that advances at your own pace, one skill at a time.
The Practice of Botanical Drawing Course Subscription provides step-by-step guidance for using colored pencil and watercolor pencil to capture nature’s seasonal forms, patterns and colors, plus access to our motivational community and the Botanical Basics library.
Skill Level: ALL, aspiring to advanced
What’s included in The Practice of Botanical Drawing Complete Course?
– learn to draw on your schedule
– learn in small chunks, one skill at a time
– 43 full-length video lessons, focusing on different techniques and subjects (Find full list of lessons here.)
– downloadable lesson PDFs from Wendy’s book, The Practice of Botanical Drawing (Purchase printed lessons here)
– expand these lessons to various subjects!
– year-long challenge to follow a tree throughout all its seasons
– advanced lessons in scale and decorative design
– also includes all Botanical Basics video lessons
– all Community perks listed above
The Practice of Botanical Drawing Course Subscription is for you if you learn best at your own pace (asynchronous learning) AND desire constructive feedback from instructors on your work to help your skills improve.
Learn more about The Practice of Botanical Drawing Course Subscription
Botanical Basics
Perfect for those taking the first steps in their artistic journey. This course subscription lays the foundation for the detailed techniques taught in The Practice of Botanical Drawing.
Botanical Basics Course Subscription is a series of instructional meditations designed to build confidence in your core drawing skills, increase your set of techniques and encourage relaxing time to create.
Skill Level: Beginners (and ALL who practice their beginners mindset)
What’s included in the Botanical Basics Course?
-learn to draw on your schedule with helpful video lessons
-learn in small chunks, one skill at a time (perfect for busy bees!)
-40 short videos, focusing on warm ups and basic drawing skills (Find full list of lessons here.)
-all Community perks listed above
Botanical Basics Course Subscription is for you if you want to start with building fundamental drawing skills at the beginning your artistic journey, learn best at your own pace (asynchronous learning), AND desire constructive feedback from instructors on your work to help your skills improve.
Learn more about the Botanical Basics Course Subscription
Community
Perfect for those who have completed all of the lessons in Botanical Basics and The Practice of Botanical Drawing (or bought the USB), and still want to post to the Art Feed, join monthly Webinars, and maintain your online Portfolio.
Skill Level: Advanced
Note: Community Subscription does NOT include any Courses or Lessons. It is solely for access to community perks – Art Feed, Portfolio, and Webinars.
Learn more about the Community subscription
Workshops
If you are looking for live instruction to motivate you to sit down at your drawing table, our Workshops could be perfect for you.
Skill Level: ALL, aspiring to advanced (varies by workshop)
In-Person Workshops
If you enjoy learning in community with other passionate artists and love to explore gorgeous places, local and abroad, you’ll love our in-person workshops.
Our instructors teach botanical drawing techniques around the globe, most often in Hawaii, Spain, and New York’s Catskill Mountains. To get a taste of the immersive in-person workshop experience, watch this video and read about past in-person workshops here.
See Upcoming Workshops
Live Zoom Workshops
If you have an interest in a particular subject or technique and enjoy learning via live calls on Zoom from the comfort of your home, check out our popular Zoom Workshops.
Our friendly instructors kick things off with live demos on day one, setting the stage for your botanical masterpiece. Day two brings confidence-boosting, constructive critiques and even more live demonstrations to fine-tune your skills.
At our workshops, collaboration and community are key. Your curiosity fuels the creative fire for all of us. We foster a safe space where questions and participation are not just welcome but encouraged! Class size is usually limited to fewer than 40 people.
After the workshop is over, you will still have access to the recordings to reference anytime.
Why Join Live?
Real Time
Nature is imperfect, so our artwork must be too! We give you the real-time play-by-play so you can see our whole process, not just the highlight reel of how to get it right the first time. We show you how to make “mistakes” and learn from them.
Show up on day one, watch detailed instructor demonstrations to learn the techniques, try them out, and ask questions as they come up for you.
Flexibility
Learn from the comfort of home, or join from anywhere with internet. Keep your camera on or off, however you are comfortable. Draw along with the lesson, or watch first and draw later. We don’t hand out grades or take attendance. There’s NO pressure, just learning and fun!
Confidence & Polishing Skills
Day two is all about boosting your confidence and polishing your skills. We’re talking constructive critiques, extra live demos, and a whole lotta virtual high-fives. You’ll receive personalised feedback aimed at elevating your work to the next level. Not only is it interesting to see how each artist interprets the same subject differently, but also you get so much more when you learn from everyone’s “mistakes,” not just your own.
Accountability
For those who need a reason to show up to their drawing tables, live workshops provide just enough structure. You have a few days to rewatch the first session’s recording and work on your drawing before sending in photos of your progress for discussion on day two.
Fun!
The most important part of the Draw Botanical Technique is to ENJOY the act of creating, so our workshops are always a joy! Our friendly instructors love to draw and love to teach, so they truly delight in demonstrating techniques and answering your questions to help improve your artwork.
See Upcoming Workshops
Recordings of Past Zoom Workshops
If you prefer asynchronous online learning about a specific topic, subject, or technique, you won’t want to miss our archive of recordings from previous Zoom Workshops. After a live zoom workshop ends, you can still purchase the recording to watch anytime, anywhere.
Benefits of Workshop Recordings
In addition to pre-recorded videos for you to watch as you prepare for class, as well as recordings of each workshop session (with demonstrations on the first day and constructive critiques on the second day), here are the other perks of purchasing a Zoom Workshop Recording:
Real Time “Mistakes”
Nature is imperfect, so our artwork must be too! Our lessons give you the real-time play-by-play so you can see our whole process, not just the highlight reel of how to get it right the first time. We show you how to make “mistakes” and learn from them.
Watch the recording from day two for constructive critiques of live participants’ work and extra live demos. Not only is it interesting to see how each artist interprets the same subject differently, but also you get so much more when you learn from everyone’s “mistakes,” not just your own.
Pause, Play, Rewind, Fast-Forward
With recordings, you can pause, play, rewind, and fast-forward at any time. Whether you want to watch part of a lesson again, pause to switch the laundry, or skip introductions at the beginning, you can do whatever you need to do, whenever you need to do it.
Flexibility
Learn from the comfort of home, or anywhere with internet. Draw along with the lesson and pause when you want, or watch first and draw later. We don’t hand out grades or take attendance. There’s NO pressure, just learning and fun!
Confidence & Polishing Skills
Submit photos (at any stage throughout your process!) and get quality feedback from our instructors that will improve your drawings and boost your confidence.
Though you can’t ask live, we encourage you to watch the recording from day one, try your own drawing, and send photos of your progress along with any questions to info+images@drawbotanical.com to receive personalised feedback aimed at boosting your confidence and elevating your work to the next level.
Fun!
The most important part of the Draw Botanical Technique is to ENJOY the act of creating, so our workshops are always a joy! Our friendly instructors love to draw and love to teach, so they truly delight in demonstrating techniques and answering questions to help improve your artwork.
See Available Zoom Workshop Recordings
Books
Sometimes you just want to curl up with a good book. We’ve got you covered! Wendy’s botanical drawing books provide thorough instruction of her colored pencil and watercolor methods and techniques. Each book has different drawing subjects and is unique in its approach to bring nature to life on the page.
Which book is best for YOU? Find out here!
The Joy of Botanical Drawing
The Practice of Botanical Drawing
Botanical Drawing: A Beginner’s Guide
Botanical Drawing in Color
Nature Journaling in a Nutshell Quick Guide
Learn more about Books
Videos
USB Drive with Entire Course Library
Every video lesson and downloadable pdf from The Practice of Botanical Drawing and Botanical Basics, all on one compact USB drive you’ll be able to access on any computer at any time. No internet necessary!
83 total videos (.mp4 files) and 28 total lessons (.pdf files) are loaded on a 128GB USB Flash Drive, for use on Mac and PC computers with a standard USB 2.0 port.
NOTE: This does not include other features of The Practice of Botanical Drawing Online Course such as the Art Feed, Portfolio, or monthly Webinars. If you’d like access to these features, please consider joining our courses or Community!
Learn more about the USB Drive
Individual Video Lessons
These individual video lessons are designed as companions to the book, The Joy of Botanical Drawing. Follow along with author and illustrator, Wendy Hollender, as she draws various subjects.
Price ranges $20-30, depending on topic and video length.
After purchasing a Joy of Botanical Drawing Video Companion, you will receive an email with a link to access the video. If you login to drawbotanical.com, you can also find all your purchased videos in the “My Supplies” tab.
You will have unlimited access to the video, so you can watch it as many times as you like.
These are NOT downloadable products. You will need an internet connection to view these streaming videos.
If you would like to receive feedback on your drawing from this lesson, consider joining our Online Community to post your work and get feedback from Draw Botanical instructors.
Video topics include:
See Full List of Individual Video Lessons
If you’re looking for more video lessons, check out our course subscriptions and past Zoom workshop recordings.
Questions?
The answer might be closer than you think! View our FAQ Page where we’ve organized and compiled the answers to the questions that we are asked most often.