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.


August

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...
271BIL315O 08/05 We 10:00am-12:30pm Bijkerk
ONLINE

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...
271BIL464O 08/06 Th 11:00am-2:00pm Reiner
ONLINE

This intro class teaches you basic botanical illustration techniques to help you make realistic drawings of branches, stems, leaves, and flowers using graphite.
271BIL145EO 08/13 Th 6:00pm-9:00pm DeCicco
ONLINE

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...
264BIL378 08/15 Sa 10:00am-3:00pm Wry
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.
271BIL301BO 08/20 Th 5:30pm-8:30pm Rawlins
ONLINE

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...
271BIL460 08/20 Th 1:00pm-7:00pm Hollender
NYBG

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...
271LEC214 08/20 Th 10:30am-11:30am Hollender
MERTZLIBRARY

September

Featuring a myriad of colors ranging from green to red, blue, pink and purple, tomatoes—a kitchen staple—are fascinating subjects for botanical illustration. Learn how to observe the subtle underlying tones as you prepare to draw an heirloom tomato using colored more...
271BIL418O 09/03 Th 6:00pm-9:00pm Shin
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...
271BIL302CO 09/14 Mo 5:30pm-8:30pm Vogel
ONLINE

This comprehensive class covers the basic techniques of botanical watercolor. Learn how to use your brushes to make smooth, underlying washes, as well as to create fine detail. Color theory will teach you how paints interact, and how to select more...
271BIL331BO 09/15 Tu 1:00pm-4:30pm Rossetti
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 more...
271BIL300CO 09/16 We 10:30am-1:00pm Day
ONLINE

If you're looking to transition from drawing to watercolor painting or fine tune your watercolor techniques, this class is for you. You will practice basic techniques such as flat washes, glazing, graded washes, and dry brush for fine details. Dilutions more...
271BIL407O 09/17 Th 11:00am-2:00pm Vogel
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...
271BIL421BO 09/19 Sa 10:00am-3:00pm Rogers-Knox
ONLINE

Learn the basic watercolor techniques used by botanical artists while painting a Japanese anemone from the photograph provided. Demonstrations will show you how to lay a smooth wash and how to shade a form to make it look 3D, among more...
271BIL151O 09/20 Su 11:00am-4:30pm Rossetti
ONLINE

This intro class teaches you basic botanical illustration techniques to help you make realistic drawings of branches, stems, leaves, and flowers using graphite.
271BIL145GO 09/23 We 6:00pm-9:00pm Miller
ONLINE

Focus on the most brilliant and seasonal foliage—the ginkgo leaf. Learn the basic watercolor techniques used by botanical artists while painting these fan-shaped leaves from the photograph provided. Flat wash, layering and other techniques will be covered.
271BIL203O 09/26 Sa 11:00am-1:45pm Vogel
ONLINE

Explore the steps of painting seasonal flowers such as tulips, daisies, lilies, and Gerbera daisies in watercolor. Gain the skills and confidence to create a flat wash, blend the right colors, and practice basic watercolor techniques—allowing you to bring your more...
271BIL230 09/27 Su 11:00am-3:30pm Wry
NYBG

Gain an understanding of how light interacts with multiple botanical subjects in a single composition. Light on form is critical to creating dimension in a botanical illustration; when a composition contains several botanical specimens, additional attention to the placement of more...
271BIL450O 09/28 Mo 10:00am-1:00pm James
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.
271BIL301C 09/30 We 11:00am-2:00pm Wry
NYBG

October

Learn the basic watercolor techniques used by botanical artists while painting miniature ornamental pumpkins. Flat wash, layering and dry brush techniques will be covered. This class will offer demonstrations and individual feedback from the instructor in an enjoyable and supportive more...
272BIL229 10/03 Sa 11:00am-4:30pm Wry
NYBG

Replicate the colors, luminosity, form, and texture of autumn squash using watercolor. You'll begin by learning the importance of selecting interesting specimens from the Cucurbita family to illustrate. From there, you'll practice creating fluid line drawings, transferring them to hot more...
272BIL369O 10/14 We 6:00pm-9:00pm Petrochko
ONLINE

Learn how to mix beautiful shades of gentian blue—a vivid, deep purplish-blue color, to create a stunning depiction of a gentian species of your choosing. Using a visual example of Gentiana autumnalis as a guide, you'll learn how to capture more...
272BIL322O 10/18 Su 10:00am-1:00pm DeCicco
ONLINE

Learn how to create autumn-inspired compositions across a two-page spread. Using ink, watercolor, and a provided template on paper vellum, you'll be able to illustrate and easily transfer your sketches of autumn leaves and other botanical subjects onto a horizontal more...
272BIL125 10/19 Mo 11:00am-1:00pm 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.
272BIL301AO 10/19 Mo 6:00pm-9:00pm Thompson
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.
272BIL140A 10/23 Fr 11:00am-2:00pm Wry
NYBG

Though graphite is generally considered to be most beneficial in producing sketches or "studies" for more complete drawings and paintings, it can also be used to produce finished illustrations suitable for publication in scientific journals. Using pencils of various densities, more...
272BIL370O 10/23 Fr 10:30am-1:30pm Rawlins
ONLINE

This intro class teaches you basic botanical illustration techniques to help you make realistic drawings of branches, stems, leaves, and flowers using graphite.
272BIL145A 10/25 Su 11:00am-2:00pm Yount
NYBG

This comprehensive class covers the basic techniques of botanical watercolor. Learn how to use your brushes to make smooth, underlying washes, as well as to create fine detail. Color theory will teach you how paints interact, and how to select more...
272BIL331AO 10/26 Mo 11:00am-2:00pm Grossman
ONLINE

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.
272BIL400AO 10/26 Mo 10:30am-1:30pm Morley
ONLINE

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...
272BIL415AO 10/28 We 5:30pm-8:30pm Vogel
ONLINE

November

We will focus on using Instagram to showcase and promote your work. You'll define your goals for using social media as a marketing tool, and create a strategy to achieve those goals, as well as discover tips for attracting and more...
272BIL394AO 11/01 Su 11:00am-1:00pm Jamison
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.
272BIL303AO 11/03 Tu 5:30pm-8:30pm James
ONLINE

Capture the resilience and beauty of alpine plants through the precision of graphite, the boldness of pen and ink, and the subtlety of watercolor washes. In this class, you'll explore the unique forms, textures, and adaptations of high-altitude flora—from cushion more...
272BIL316O 11/04 We 10:00am-1:00pm Bijkerk
ONLINE

Learn how to apply the basic watercolor techniques of botanical art as you paint Japanese chrysanthemums, or kiku, with stylistic flair borrowed from the ukiyo-e style—a prominent genre of Japanese art featuring woodblock prints and paintings that flourished from the more...
272BIL361O 11/07 Sa 11:00am-2:00pm Rossetti
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.
272BIL301BO 11/08 Su 10:00am-1:00pm Rawlins
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...
272BIL421AO 11/13 Fr 10:00am-3:00pm Rogers-Knox
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...
272BIL302A 11/16 Mo 11:00am-2:00pm Wry
NYBG

January

This intro class teaches you basic botanical illustration techniques to help you make realistic drawings of branches, stems, leaves, and flowers using graphite.
273BIL145B 01/04 Mo 11:00am-2:00pm Yount
NYBG
273BIL145CO 01/05 Tu 6:00pm-9:00pm Lyness
ONLINE

This comprehensive class covers the basic techniques of botanical watercolor. Learn how to use your brushes to make smooth, underlying washes, as well as to create fine detail. Color theory will teach you how paints interact, and how to select more...
273BIL331BO 01/06 We 5:30pm-8:30pm 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.
273BIL301CO 01/07 Th 10:30am-1:30pm Grossman
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...
273BIL302BO 01/07 Th 5:30pm-8:30pm Vogel
ONLINE

Experience the magic of turning a simple subject into something extraordinary! From their pebbled, inky skins to their luminous green flesh and glossy seed, avocados offer endless opportunities to explore texture, color, and contrast. They are quick to sketch, satisfying more...
273BIL304O 01/07 Th 10:00am-1:00pm Thompson
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 more...
273BIL300AO 01/08 Fr 10:30am-1:00pm Bijkerk
ONLINE

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...
273BIL415BO 01/14 Th 11:00am-2:00pm Fashek
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.
273BIL303BO 01/23 Sa 10:30am-1:30pm Rawlins
ONLINE

We will focus on using Instagram to showcase and promote your work. You'll define your goals for using social media as a marketing tool, and create a strategy to achieve those goals, as well as discover tips for attracting and more...
273BIL394BO 01/23 Sa 10:00am-12:00pm Jamison
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.
273BIL140BO 01/25 Mo 5:30pm-8:30pm 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.
273BIL301DO 01/27 We 6:00pm-9:00pm Rawlins
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...
273BIL421BO 01/30 Sa 10:00am-3:00pm Rogers-Knox
ONLINE

Get up close and personal on plant buds in winter. Learn how to identify and illustrate the bite-size beginnings of native trees, vines, and flowers. You'll use plant specimens and colored pencil to bring these buds to life on paper.
273BIL119 01/31 Su 10:00am-1:00pm Yount
NYBG

February

The medium of silverpoint has been employed by artists for centuries, dating back to the Renaissance. Silverpoint drawings are created by "stroking" the surface of a specially prepared ground with sterling silver wire. In this class, you'll learn the basics more...
273BIL313 02/02 Tu 11:00am-2:00pm White-Pultz
NYBG

This intro class teaches you basic botanical illustration techniques to help you make realistic drawings of branches, stems, leaves, and flowers using graphite.
273BIL145DO 02/03 We 6:00pm-9:00pm Lyness
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.
273BIL301EO 02/16 Tu 5:30pm-8:30pm Vogel
ONLINE

Bring your watercolor skills to the next level of proficiency. Learn how to employ atmospheric perspective to achieve a greater sense of dimension when painting botanicals. A focus on color variations, groups of value range, and degrees of detail development, more...
273BIL348O 02/16 Tu 10:00am-1:00pm James
ONLINE

As a developing artist, you need personalized, supportive evaluation to improve your techniques. This is your chance to bring your finished art and work-in-progress for respectful, careful feedback via group discussion and teacher-led demos. We'll pay special attention to your more...
273BIL208O 02/25 Th 10:00am-3:30pm Woodin
ONLINE

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.
273BIL400BO 02/27 Sa 10:30am-1:30pm Morley
ONLINE

This intro class teaches you basic botanical illustration techniques to help you make realistic drawings of branches, stems, leaves, and flowers using graphite.
273BIL145EO 02/28 Su 10:00am-1:00pm DeCicco
ONLINE

March

Discover the remarkable women artists of the 17th and 18th centuries who transformed botanical art by blending traditional artistic training with the emerging scientific ideas of the Enlightenment Era—a period characterized by rapid and monumental societal changes that were fueled more...
273BIL170 03/02 Tu 10:30am-12:30pm Camp
NYBG

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.
273BIL140CO 03/03 We 5:30pm-8:30pm Vogel
ONLINE

This intro class teaches you basic botanical illustration techniques to help you make realistic drawings of branches, stems, leaves, and flowers using graphite.
273BIL145F 03/04 Th 11:00am-2:00pm Wry
NYBG

Whether or not you decide to pursue botanical art as a business, knowing standard practices will be useful. Over the course of this class, you'll learn the basics of dealing with galleries and artists' reps, including; pricing, contracts and sales more...
273BIL392O 03/04 Th 10:30am-1:00pm Yu
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.
273BIL301F 03/06 Sa 10:30am-1:30pm Wry
NYBG

A professional website can be a great way to market and archive your work. In this hands-on class, you will build a simple website (no coding required!) to showcase your portfolio using squarespace.com, a free and easy-to-use platform, which allows more...
273BIL395O 03/06 Sa 11:00am-1:30pm Marcheschi
ONLINE

Black and white stipple technique can produce smooth gradated tones, add texture and value, and suggest color. Learn the skills and procedures to master the method of using sized pens and ink or fine point markers such as Copic multiliners more...
273BIL458O 03/08 Mo 11:00am-2:30pm Jess
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...
273BIL302CO 03/09 Tu 10:30am-1:30pm Grossman
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.
273BIL303CO 03/10 We 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...
273BIL302DO 03/14 Su 10:30am-1:30pm Rawlins
ONLINE

This comprehensive class covers the basic techniques of botanical watercolor. Learn how to use your brushes to make smooth, underlying washes, as well as to create fine detail. Color theory will teach you how paints interact, and how to select more...
273BIL331CO 03/18 Th 10:00am-1:00pm James
ONLINE

Learn how to render the diverse surface textures of fruits, from the smooth, matte, and speckled skins of apples to the waxy, silvery bloom of grapes and plums, to the thick, dimpled rind of oranges and limes.
273BIL352O 03/18 Th 6:00pm-9:00pm Shin
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 more...
273BIL300BO 03/31 We 10:30am-1:00pm Day
ONLINE