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Transform the intricate details of live plant subjects from three-dimensional reality into vividly lifelike and precise two-dimensional botanical drawings.
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*Please note that many of the associations listed under ‘CEUs/PDAs’ do not formally pre-approve online courses for credits, and thus require the student to track their own online course hours to submit for approval for their annual CEU/PDA requirements.
Katharine Dickinson is an illustrator and artist-educator in Vancouver, BC. She has exhibited at numerous galleries in Canada, the US and the UK, including the National Portrait Gallery in London. She has a Postgraduate Diploma (HDFA) from the Slade School of Fine Art at University College London, UK, and has worked as a freelance illustrator for publishing companies, magazines, ad campaigns and animation projects, including book covers for Margaret Atwood and Kurt Vonnegut. She currently teaches at Emily Carr University of Art and Design, and VanDusen Botanical Gardens. As an artist-educator, she specializes in observational drawing methods and techniques for botanical illustration and landscape painting. By helping students slow down and experience the meditative effects of focused observational drawing, Katharine helps them learn about nature and further their appreciation of the natural world.
As the world speeds up, many are seeking to slow down and deepen their connection with the rhythms of nature and its flora.
In this course, participants will be guided through a series of step-by-step instructions, learning how to transform any botanical specimen into precise, two-dimensional representations using the fundamental tools and techniques of observational drawing.
Students will acquire the skills necessary to create lifelike depictions of plants that aid in accurate identification while fostering a meditative artistic practice. Through a hands-on approach to visual language, participants will enhance their observational abilities, cultivating a unique expression of nature through drawing.
By employing techniques in both ‘fast and slow looking,’ participants will learn to identify distinctive plant features through mark-making and explore novel ways of perceiving their subjects.
Join this course to delve into the meditative practice of slow looking, and to capture the vitality, character, and essence of live plants in accurate and expressive two-dimensional drawings.
Upon completing this course, students will be proficient in:
*To excel in this course, all you truly need are just a pencil and paper! While there’s a list of recommended tools for those eager to dive deeper, they’re not essential for fully grasping the course content.
Section I | Welcome
1. Introduction
2. Course outline
Section II | Beginning the drawing process
3. Finding the right specimens: How to position & secure in place
4. Gesture drawing: Fast fluid drawing explained
Section III | Slow drawing process
5. Contour line: Slow drawing explained
6. Contour line: Continued
Section IV | Methods of identifying plant structure for accuracy
7. Structure: Lines & angles
8. Measuring: Using a ruler/dividers for accuracy
9. Leaves: A closer look from different perspectives
Section V | Creating form in your drawing
10. Volume & the imagined space
11. Shading: Building the illusion of a solid form
12. Colour: Simple colour mixing
Section VI | Full demonstration & course summary
13. Full demonstration
14. Course summary & conclusion
Enjoy the highest quality online education, from curriculum through to production.
“Katharine was very good at showing us how to simplify the complexities of nature. A very dedicated, detailed and disciplined instructor who obviously has a keen interest and passion for the course materials that are being taught and presented.”
Student - Canada
“Katharine has an incredible style of teaching, she approaches each lecture with an incredible amount of knowledge which she is able to share and communicate effectively.”
Student - Canada
“I was a complete beginner when I began Katharine’s classes, something completely outside my comfort zone. Through her skillful instruction, I have now learned how to draw and paint… a very empowering experience. It gives me great enjoyment and I always feel good about whatever I have completed, whether in class or on my own.”
Student - Canada
“Although I have taken classes before, I always hear something in a new way which has helped me to gain more confidence in my drawing.”
Student - Canada
“I’ve taken a few drawing and painting courses with Katharine and she is a superb teacher with a wonderful way of describing and demonstrating how to capture the plants in a drawing or painting. I’d highly recommend her course to anyone who is studying herbal medicine as a way to deepen your observation and connection with the plants. “
Amanda Howe - Cumberland, Canada