Through a series of exercises, Catherine and Lesley, Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust illustrators, will take you through the fundamentals of producing the perfect tonal drawing. Covering proportion, perspective, foreshortening, composition and tone, students will learn all the skills required for realistic, precise drawing – essential techniques for all botanical artists.

Includes Morning tea and lunch

This is a four day workshop, concentrating on the different amazing qualities of fungi and toadstools.

Janet will show everyone the different colour pencil techniques she uses to create the variety of textures and effects.
one main image of a toadstool will be drawn over the four days, with each morning doing a study of several types of fungi and toadstools, including transparent, textured and brightly coloured.

Janet teaches with a step by step demonstration and then individual attention.  Workshops are suitable for all levels of expertise and experience.
The Tuesday evening will include a presentation by Janet, as well as a question and answer session, followed by dinner.

For further information or to book in, contact Janet.
Email – janetmpencilart@gmail.com

Janet is well known for her colour pencil drawings and runs workshops and classes from her studio as well as travelling throughout Australia to teach workshops in colour pencil.
Janet’s drawing of Sturt Desert Pea featured in the World Wide Botanical Exhibition and in the Flora of Australia Book (which is available for purchase through BASA)

Join us to paint an exotic avocado – at large scale.  You will be challenged as you make the skin look reptilian, the flesh look creamy and the seed marbled.

You will need to have medium level experience in watercolour, but the results will be amazing! Imagine this on your wall.

Includes Morning tea and lunch

As before, the workshops will be limited to 6 students, ensuring individual attention.

please note the venue for the 2nd workshop is

Bowral District Art Society Studio, 1 Short Street, Bowral, NSW,

As before, the workshops will be limited to 6 students, ensuring individual attention

Papaver somniferum by Vicki Philipson

Many works have been purchased from The Art of Botanical Illustration exhibitions for inclusion in the State Botanical Collection. The State Botanical Collection belongs to the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne and is located in the Herbarium. It is made up of two sections: the first section contains over 1.2 million dried plant specimens which are used in scientific research; and the second section is located in the library and is made up of books, periodicals, collections of maps, letters, manuscripts, photographs and artworks. This material is an invaluable resource to staff and researchers working in areas such as biodiversity, classification, evolution, geography, molecular systematics, conservation and horticulture.

It is important that the works exhibited in The Art of Botanical Illustration are scientifically accurate. Each artwork is carefully selected by a panel which includes a botanist, an artist and the head librarian at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne to ensure that the highest standards are met. The work must adhere to the following criteria: it must provide an accurate representation of the form and botany of the chosen subject; the characteristics of the species or variety must be adequately conveyed; the representation should be an artistically pleasing, balanced and a considered work of art; it must be identified and named accurately according to standard botanical practices; and must have been completed within the previous two years.