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.
Learn the basic watercolor techniques used by botanical artists while painting daisy-like mums—a hardy summer perennial. Flat wash, layering and other techniques will be covered. This online course will offer live demonstrations, videos, and individual feedback.
This intro class teaches you basic botanical illustration techniques to help you make realistic drawings of branches, stems, leaves, and flowers using graphite.
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...
Enhance
the
realism
in
your
botanical
compositions
by
mastering
the
art
of
drawing
the
fine
details.
In
this
class,
you'll
explore
various
graphite
techniques
that
help
to
capture
the
intricate
detailing
of
small,
complex
botanical
subjects
such
as
dried
seedheads,
more...
Pen and ink, among the most versatile and useful media, can be used to create high quality, easily reproducible drawings. Learn how to produce different strokes and how to create tone by using stipple, line, and crosshatch techniques.
The
focus
of
this
course
is
on
color
theory
and
application.
Colored
pencil
line
and
tone
can
be
applied
to
look
like
either
drawing
or
painting,
making
it
a
versatile
medium
for
creating
botanical
artwork.
Learn
a
variety
of
techniques,
more...
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.
Capture
the
textural
variations
of
your
favorite
berries.
Using
PanPastels,
which
are
soft
colors
packed
in
a
unique
cake-like
format,
you'll
create
scaled-up
compositions
that
highlight
the
luscious
colors
and
forms
of
seasonal
berries-such
as
blueberries,
raspberries,
and
more.
Enhance
more...
Learn how the wet-on-wet watercolor technique is used by botanical artists to achieve the groundwork for painting peppers. Additional techniques, such as dry brush for the finishing touches, will also be covered.
In
this
in-depth
study
of
cacti,
explore
how
to
artistically
capture
the
strength
and
resilience
of
this
intriguing
succulent.
With
over
1750
species,
cacti
have
adapted
throughout
time
and
conditions
by
developing
thick
herbaceous
or
woody
chlorophyll-containing
stems
used
to
more...
Butterflies
play
a
crucial
part
in
plant
pollination.
Learn
how
to
use
watercolor
and
colored
pencil
techniques
to
create
brilliantly
colored
patterns
seen
on
the
wings
of
these
vital
insects.
To
ensure
accuracy
and
detail,
you'll
use
real
specimens
and
more...
This intro class teaches you basic botanical illustration techniques to help you make realistic drawings of branches, stems, leaves, and flowers using graphite.
Small
maroon,
light
brown,
and
yellow
potatoes
are
ideal
subjects
for
perfecting
graphite
shading
techniques
such
as
rendering
smooth
tonal
shading.
In
this
class,
you'll
focus
on
achieving
a
seamless
transition
between
tones
to
enhance
form
while
depicting
how
light
more...
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.
Unlock
the
key
to
drawing
realistic
and
descriptive
flowers
by
identifying
the
specific
geometry
and
patterns
that
plants
in
the
same
family
share.
Guided
by
botanical
artist
and
author
of
The
Album
of
Plant
Families,
Wendy
Hollender,
you'll
start
with
more...
Much
like
our
own
family,
plant
families
share
characteristics,
often
in
the
arrangement
of
their
flowers,
leaves,
and
stems.
Acclaimed
botanical
artist
Wendy
Hollender
depicts
twenty-four
plant
families
commonly
encountered
in
the
garden
and
in
the
wild
in
her
newest
more...