Botanical Drawing in Colour

Explore the art of botanical illustration through the practice of still-life drawing. This short course introduces you to essential techniques for capturing the beauty and structure of flowers and plants with coloured pencils.

Guided step by step, you’ll learn how to move from initial block-in and gesture sketches to a polished, detailed finish. Working from both photographs and live arrangements, you’ll develop observational skills and a deeper understanding of composition.

Throughout the course, we’ll focus on the four foundational elements that bring drawings to life:

Edges – creating crisp contours and soft transitions
Values – mastering light and shadow for depth
Shapes – building accurate proportions and forms
Colours – layering hues for vibrancy and realism

By the end, you’ll have the confidence and practical skills to create expressive botanical drawings that celebrate nature’s intricate details.

Dr Anne Bennett is an experienced visual artist, curator and educator. Anne, whose practice encompasses drawing, printmedia, painting, artists books, and curatorial projects, holds a PhD in Visual Art from Monash University and Master of Art Curatorship from the University of Melbourne.

She has held in excess of 15 solo exhibitions since 1986 including Tolarno Galleries, Pinacotheca, numerous institutional galleries around Australia and an exhibition of large scale monotypes at the Post Office Gallery at Federation University, Ballarat and a performative installation of drawings at The Front, Docklands. She has also participated in excess of 70 group exhibitions, including curated shows at National Gallery of Victoria and galleries in Korea, China, Lithuania and UK.

Materials:

Graphite Pencils: HB, 2B, 4B, 6B

Colour pencils: 12-24 colours

*Prismacolor, Faber Castle Polychromos are excellent

Plastic eraser

Sharpener &/or blade

Paper: Cartridge – either 10-20 loose sheets or drawing pad

Size: A3

Thickness: 90-120 gsm

Surface: smooth

*Alternatively could also bring smooth cotton rag paper 120-250 gsm

Notification of a class cancellation will be advised 48 hours prior to the course commencement date. We advise to purchase your materials once you have received email confirmation that your class is proceeding as scheduled. All efforts are made to ensure that our classes proceed to avoid disappointment.