Botanical Art & Illustration Classes

Contemporary botanical art captures the beauty of the natural world with precision, and our extraordinary instructors share their expertise in this nurturing yet rigorous program. NYBG offered North America's first formal botanical art certificate program and remains a leader in the discipline after more than three decades. This program offers a well-rounded array of courses that can be enjoyed singly, just for fun, or lead to a Certificate.

Click here for an overview of the Certificate Program.


April

Capture the fleeting beauty of northeastern spring ephemerals that bloom from late April to May. In this class, you'll apply your watercolor skills to fascinating and colorful specimens such as bloodroot, trilium, trout lilies, dutchman's breeches, hepatica and mayapple—to name more...
264BIL345O 04/15 We 6:00pm-9:00pm Petrochko
ONLINE

Accurate observation translates into sensitive, realistic drawings and is an essential skill for botanical artists. Using basic shapes, fruit, and leaves, learn contour drawing with an emphasis on proportion, and explore techniques such as foreshortening, perspective, and line weight.
264BIL301DO 04/21 Tu 6:00pm-9:00pm Rawlins
ONLINE

Building on Botanical Drawing I skills, learn to tone fruit, vegetables, leaves, and branches. Focus on concepts of light source, value, and shading to create form. Learn to translate color into black and white, and create the illusion of depth more...
264BIL302AO 04/21 Tu 6:00pm-9:00pm Vogel
ONLINE

Accurate observation translates into sensitive, realistic drawings and is an essential skill for botanical artists. Using basic shapes, fruit, and leaves, learn contour drawing with an emphasis on proportion, and explore techniques such as foreshortening, perspective, and line weight.
264BIL301F 04/25 Sa 10:30am-1:30pm Grossman
NYBG

May

Bumblebees pilot their remarkably un-aerodynamic bodies in and out of our gardens all throughout spring and summer. In this class, you'll take a closer look at their anatomy and learn how to use colored pencil techniques to illustrate the "fuzzy" more...
264BIL396O 05/01 Fr 10:00am-1:00pm Reiner
ONLINE

Forethought and an understanding of basic composition principles are the foundation of any balanced work of art. Through group critiques, discussions and a variety of exercises, we'll experiment with a wide range of principles, including focal point, the rule of more...
264BIL421AO 05/02 Sa 10:00am-3:00pm Rogers-Knox
ONLINE

This intro class teaches you basic botanical illustration techniques to help you make realistic drawings of branches, stems, leaves, and flowers using graphite.
264BIL145B 05/03 Su 11:00am-2:00pm Yount
NYBG

Accurate observation translates into sensitive, realistic drawings and is an essential skill for botanical artists. Using basic shapes, fruit, and leaves, learn contour drawing with an emphasis on proportion, and explore techniques such as foreshortening, perspective, and line weight.
264BIL301AO 05/04 Mo 6:00pm-9:00pm Rawlins
ONLINE

Building on Botanical Drawing I skills, learn to tone fruit, vegetables, leaves, and branches. Focus on concepts of light source, value, and shading to create form. Learn to translate color into black and white, and create the illusion of depth more...
264BIL302B 05/13 We 10:00am-1:00pm Wry
NYBG

Learn the importance of a plant's life cycle in difficult survival conditions as you illustrate species with rhizomes, bulbs, corms, tubers and tap roots-which are perennating, aestivating organs that allow plants to regrow from year to year. You'll also illustrate more...
264BIL372O 05/14 Th 10:00am-2:00pm Leech
ONLINE

This workshop will impart the instructor's method of using dry brush watercolor to replicate the colors, form, and texture of peony petals. The demonstration will include color mixing, working light to dark, layering colors, adding fine detail, using dry brush, more...
264BIL161O 05/16 Sa 10:30am-4:00pm Kluglein
ONLINE

Practice techniques learned in Botanical Watercolor I using live subjects such as leaves, stems, and fruit. Emphasis is on realistic portrayal of botanical subjects and traditional methods of dry brush watercolor painting, with attention to detail and color accuracy. more...
264BIL332O 05/19 Tu 5:30pm-8:30pm James
ONLINE

Apply your understanding of contours, perspective, and tone to drawing three distinct types of flowers. The object is to accurately draw a fully toned flowering plant. Explore compositional possibilities, textures, and details.
264BIL303AO 05/20 We 6:00pm-9:00pm Rawlins
ONLINE

Designed for both inexperienced students and those who wish to improve their skills, this class will allow you to work at your own pace on a variety of pieces. Lectures and demonstrations are enhanced by individual instruction.
264BIL140O 05/21 Th 5:30pm-8:30pm Vogel
ONLINE

Examine the enormous variety of forms and structural adaptations of flowering plants—the world's dominant plant group. Through lectures, demonstrations, and laboratory studies, learn to recognize and draw the many plant parts and growth stages of the most common plant families. more...
264BIL300AO 05/27 We 10:30am-1:00pm Day
ONLINE

Peonies are one of the glories of the spring garden-their layered texture, shape, scent, and color variations make them such stunning subjects to observe and enjoy. Learn to draw out this composition before transferring it to vellum. You'll practice drybrush more...
264BIL307 05/29 Fr 10:00am-3:30pm Woodin
NYBG

Accurate observation translates into sensitive, realistic drawings and is an essential skill for botanical artists. Using basic shapes, fruit, and leaves, learn contour drawing with an emphasis on proportion, and explore techniques such as foreshortening, perspective, and line weight.
264BIL301EO 05/31 Su 11:00am-2:00pm Thompson
ONLINE
Load all classes