Botanical Drawing and Illustration for Beginners Nottingham Trent University

Overview

Typically, the Botanical Drawing and Illustration for Beginners course will appeal to those who have an interest in the natural world either as a result of hobbies (gardening, horticulture or painting) or through employment (landscape designers, conservationists and botanists).

Surprisingly, botanical illustration courses are few and far between, and finding experienced tutors in this field is limited. So, if you’ve struggled to the find the right course and want to take your art in a new direction, this will be perfect.

What you’ll study

On this course at Nottingham Trent University, you will:

• learn about the history of botanical art and illustration, and the key influencers
• work from natural subjects indoors
• spend short periods in Nottingham’s arboretum (if weather permits)
• practice drawing, colour matching and composition skills
• learn how to represent the illusion of 3D form on a 2D surface
• explore surface pattern and textures
• apply basic colour theory, colour relationships and tonal values
• apply watercolour tonally to achieve perspective
• gain an understanding of the different forms of composition (such as movement, balance and aerial perspective) within the arrangement of your subject matter