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.


June

Plein-Air artist Frank Guida covers basic design principles, including focal point, contrast, perspective, line, and gesture, as well as how to choose a subject that translates well on the page. Then, you will go out on grounds to practice what more...
234CRF198 06/08 Th 10:00am-2:00pm Guida
NYBG

Learn the basic watercolor techniques used by botanical artists while painting a perennial hibiscus flower from a provided photograph. A photograph will be provided for reference. Flat wash, layering and dry brush techniques will be covered. This online course will more...
234BIL110O 06/11 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 and colored pencil.
234BIL145CO 06/12 Mo 6:00pm-9:00pm Lyness
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...
234BIL415O 06/13 Tu 6:00pm-9:00pm Reiner
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.
234BIL140AO 06/17 Sa 11:00am-3:30pm Vogel
ONLINE

Illustrators Maria Sybilla and Art Cushman and botanical artists Marianne North and Marc Isaac-Williams accurately depict the complex beauty of insects. To better render these animals so crucial to the life of plants, we'll explore the basics of insect classification, more...
234BIL338O 06/22 Th 11:00am-3:00pm Rawlins
ONLINE

Internationally renowned botanical artist Billy Showell joins us from England for a special 3-day online workshop. A master of the wet-on-wet watercolor technique, Showell will guide you through her methods of washing, lifting, and re-washing to create velvety smooth roses, more...
234BIL446O 06/23 Fr 10:00am-3:30pm Showell
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.
234BIL301DO 06/29 Th 6:00pm-9:00pm Vogel
ONLINE

July

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.
241BIL400O 07/07 Fr 11:00am-2:00pm Morley
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...
241BIL302CO 07/08 Sa 11:00am-2:00pm 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 and colored pencil.
241BIL145DO 07/12 We 6:00pm-9:00pm Lyness
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...
241BIL300CO 07/13 Th 5:30pm-8:00pm Peabody
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.
241BIL303AO 07/13 Th 11:00am-2:00pm Nemergut
ONLINE

Learn the basic watercolor techniques used by botanical artists while painting radishes with leaves from a provided photograph. A photograph will be provided for reference. Flat wash, layering and dry brush techniques will be covered. This online course will offer more...
241BIL177 07/15 Sa 11:00am-4:30pm Wry
NYBG

Learn how toned paper creates dimension and allows for vibrant colors, dramatic light, and dark application—bringing your subject to life. Using colored pencil, watercolor, and gouache, you'll explore a variety of painting techniques as you study the color shifts caused more...
241BIL359O 07/18 Tu 6:00pm-9:00pm Lyness
ONLINE

August

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.
241BIL301EO 08/03 Th 11:00am-2:00pm Fashek
ONLINE

Take your composition skills to the next level and learn how the Golden Ratio, Fibonacci Sequence, Golden Spiral, and Golden Angle can be incorporated into your work. We'll also explore the step-by-step approach to organizing and planning a more complex more...
241BIL288O 08/12 Sa 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...
241BIL302DO 08/15 Tu 6:00pm-9:00pm Grossman
ONLINE

Make composition work for you! In this introductory overview, we will focus on a few key principles that will bring strength, balance, and the "wow" factor to your artwork in any medium. Analyze botanical art images, complete an in-class exercise, more...
241BIL156O 08/18 Fr 10:00am-3:00pm Rogers-Knox
ONLINE

Bring the texture and tones of a mushroom to life on paper using specific watercolor techniques. This workshop will impart the instructor's method of using dry brush watercolor to replicate the colors, form, and texture of this subject. Please note more...
241BIL159O 08/26 Sa 11:00am-4:30pm Saylor
ONLINE

September

How do we show those fine hairs on a kiwi, that mottled pattern on a pear, or the juxtaposition of the hard exterior of a pomegranate with the softness of its seeds? Texture and pattern fall into an area of more...
241BIL424O 09/06 We 10:00am-1:00pm James
ONLINE

Learn the basic watercolor techniques used by botanical artists while painting Japanese chrysanthemums from a provided photograph. A photograph will be provided for reference. Flat wash, layering and dry brush techniques will be covered. This online course will offer live more...
241BIL269O 09/10 Su 11:00am-4:30pm Rossetti
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...
241BIL302E 09/12 Tu 11:00am-2:00pm Wry
NYBG

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...
241BIL300BO 09/13 We 10:00am-12:30pm Rauh
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...
241BIL331BO 09/13 We 5:30pm-8:30pm Sapanara
ONLINE

This intro class teaches you basic botanical illustration techniques to help you make realistic drawings of branches, stems, leaves, and flowers using graphite and colored pencil.
241BIL145EO 09/14 Th 11:00am-2:00pm Rawlins
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.
241BIL301FO 09/14 Th 6:00pm-9:00pm Fashek
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.
241BIL140BO 09/18 Mo 6:00pm-8:50pm Vogel
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...
241BIL302FO 09/21 Th 11:00am-2:00pm Vogel
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.
241BIL303BO 09/21 Th 5:30pm-8:30pm James
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...
241BIL421BO 09/23 Sa 10:00am-3:00pm Rogers-Knox
ONLINE

Bring the texture and tones of acorns to life on paper using specific watercolor techniques. This workshop will impart the instructor's method of using dry brush watercolor to replicate the colors, form, and texture of this subject. Please note that more...
241BIL128O 09/24 Su 11:00am-4:30pm Grossman
ONLINE