Tag: Workshops
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Apples: Realistic Botanical Drawings in 8 Steps
Apples are as satisfying to draw as they are to eat! Curl up with your hot mug of apple cider, and create an apple portrait to warm your heart year-round! Learn techniques combining colored pencil and watercolor to render a realistic fruit (that will make a delightful snack when you’re done!). Practice creating beautiful … Continued
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Understanding Flowers
If you’ve ever been fascinated by a flower, this post is for YOU! Check out some of the helpful drawing tips taught in our course, The Practice of Botanical Drawing! 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 … Continued
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Texture: The Key to Realistic Botanical Art
Transform Your Botanical Art with Texture Ever wonder how to make your botanical drawings leap off the page? The secret lies in texture. By infusing your forms with texture, you can transform a basic sphere into a ripe orange, a geometric cylinder into a weathered branch, and a cup shape into a delicately petaled tulip … Continued
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Draw a Leaf in 9 Simple Steps
When you create a botanical illustration showcasing a plant’s important parts, you are likely to face the challenge of drawing realistic green leaves. Though there are many different kinds of leaves, this tutorial focuses on how to draw a leaf with net veining (ex. rose, hibiscus, oak, hydrangea). If you want to draw … Continued
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20 Steps to Stunning Strawberries
Strawberries are as fascinating as they are sweet. (Did you know that each tiny “seed” on a strawberry’s surface is technically its own fruit?!) Whether you’re attracted to their vibrant red color, their mighty green crown, or their cute white flowers, we’re here to help you create your own stunning strawberry illustration. Watch … Continued
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4 Tricks to Fool the Eye: Trompe L'oeil
Have you ever seen a drawing so realistic that it fools you into believing it’s a three-dimensional object? “Trompe L’oeil” is a French term meaning “Fool the Eye”. Learn (from Wendy!) how to incorporate these fun techniques on kraft paper and tell a story by choosing related or symbolic elements to draw. Lesson … Continued
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Practicing Watercolor Techniques
If patience were an art supply, we think it would be watercolor! Why? Because in order to produce the watercolor painting of your dreams, you need to wait for it to dry completely between layers. Keep reading for more helpful watercolor tips from our instructors. Go with the flow “Working in watercolor requires … Continued
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Fall in Love with Winter Magic
As the days grow too dark and cold to hang around outdoors, we need to keep ourselves occupied and our spirits up. Just because we’re not able to comfortably enjoy much time outside doesn’t mean we can’t still spend our time connecting with nature. I want to share with you my favorite botanical subjects to … Continued
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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
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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
