Drawing Botanicals

at Montalvo Art Center

Class:1
Planning and Designing
Thursday, 3/13/08
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Class-1: Planning and Designing

1) Introduction to schedule of topics and materials. Hand out

materials.
2) Topic presentations and exercises:
a) Planning
b) Guidelines.
c) Drawing Plants: Leaves, Stems, Roots, Flowers, Fruit
d) Perspective: Point of view, overlap, line break,
foreshortening, diminishing perspective, parallax and
atmospheric perspective.
e) Composition: Shape, Focal Point, Thirds, Threes,
Grounds, Value, Eye flow.

Planning
Study the Plant specimen for the best
perspective

Choose a format based on your subject

Sketch and fit your design

Framework and
guidelines
Frame your subject: Lightly draw a box into
which your subject will fit.

Frame components and use guidelines:

Lightly draw geometric shapes that would

place and fit the largest component shapes
of your subject.

Compose the shapes of spaces and of your

larger elements. Adjust and erase freely.

Frame the shapes of smaller components.

Frame and Format

Horizontal format of about 1:1.5

Drawing exercise: Frame this specimen.

Notice the space between flower and leaves

Composite frames and guidelines

Perspective
Point of View
Overlap
Diminishing perspective
Foreshortening

Point of View

Find the most recognizable angle of view

Flowers & Botanicals by Diane Cardaci

Perspective and thickness of lines

Scientific Illustration, by Phyllis Wood

LinePerspective:
plus grey value
Line Break
shading

Composition

Spaced shapes V.S. Grouped shapes

Focal paths: The eye follows contrasting

edges or lines as well as similar objects of
diminishing size.

Good spacing: Negative space between

elements create good or bad shapes and
edges.

Focal points: Elements of highest contrast.

Diminishing objects and converging lines
create focal paths.

Eye Flow is the key to understanding design

Japanese ikebana arrangement: Design formulae

Botanical designs have rules for scientific study

A more complicated micro habitat still shows details

Beauty in simplicity

Perspective

Leaf twists and curls: Midrib is key

Drawing branches: Overlap and foreshortening

Vanishing Point: The horizon is key.

Drawing the parts of

the plant
Stems, Roots, Buds, Leaves, Flowers, Fruit

Stems
Nodes, scars

Buds

Leaves

The edge of a leaf

Use the midrib as a guideline

Leaf form

Leaf Venation

Flowers
Regular and Irregular

Flower Geometry

Radial Symmetry

Bi-symmetry

A dense, flat cluster of florets, as in plants of the

composite family, e.g.: Sunflower, Aster or Daisy.

Fruit
Drupe, aggregate fruit, seed pod, naked seed

Roots
Tangle management

Reference

Live plant specimens are best

In-focus macro photographs from several angles are

necessary for accurate illustrations.

Books, or Google images is helpful for identification.

Herbarium collections are useful but it takes a

professional to flesh out a dried, pressed plant.

Dont just copy photographs by others. Alter the image to

avoid copyright infringement.

Composition

Start with Thumbnail sketches

Small thumbnail compositional sketches

A variety of designs based on any one idea.
Change the perspective
Change the placement of elements.
Change the values.
Change the format.

Components of Composition

Editing for comprehension, and eye flow.

Focal point and focal paths.

Balance: Eye flow and stagnation.

Placement of line, shapes and values: Rule of thirds, edges as lines.

Perspective: Point of view, horizon and diminishing elements.

Value Key: Mood.

Light and shadow: Time of day.

Pattern: Repetition of dark shapes.

Action: Dramatic behavior and dynamic diagonals.

Step by step composition

Choose a perspective - for dramatic impact.

Separate areas of value for readability and pattern.

Choose shapes and patterns of value.

Draw thumbnail designs of different formats.
Enhance perspective depth using values and by
editing elements.

Isolate and contrast the subject to create a focal point.

Monotonous shapes and spaces

V.S.
Varied shapes and spaces

Balance of elements and spacing

Balance,
Imbalance,
static balance
dynamic balance.

Triangle theory

Odd numbers of elements are more

pleasing and dynamic than even
numbers.

Variety in size of similar elements is

more pleasing.

Triangular spacing creates pleasing

shapes.

3 of a kind: small, medium, large.

Rule of Thirds

Dividing your page into thirds. Rule of thumb

for placing your focal point, or subject.

A focal point near an edge tends to draw

attention away from the design.

A focal points in the center tends cause

attention to stagnate in the center.

A focal point placed one third of the way into

the image draws attention, creates balance
and creates space for secondary elements.

Rule of thirds: small, bright primary element

Primary element in the center: Static design

Direction of elements and

marks
Eye flow follows the direction of marks and shading
as well as elements.

Eye flow: Rapid or delayed

Focal paths

The viewers eye moves from areas and

elements of highest contrast to areas
and elements of lowest contrast.

These attractive elements are called

focal points.

The viewers eye follows predictable

paths. The artist controls and creates

these paths of interest and eye flow.

Converging lines

Lines that converge create a focal point.

Value: Time and Mood

Key: High key is bright, Middle is balanced and Low

key is dark.

The key and length of shadows tells you the time of

day.

Back lighting and long shadows create dramatic

patterns.

Analogous values create restful mood.

Complementary, or contrasting values create
drama.

Drawing Botanicals
at Montalvo Art Center
Class:2
Drawing with Pencils
Value and Shade
Thursday, 3/20/08
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Choosing the direction and source of light

Direction of light affects the extent of the contour shadow,

drama of the artwork
and the length of the cast shadow

Exercise-1

Still life as practice for shading a variety of shapes

Exercise-2

Reflected light on round objects

Hard edge V.S. soft edge

Shadows on Curves V.S. Facets

Edge enhancement

Exercise-3

Draw and shade these objects

Exercise-4

A bright yellow Daffodil

Exercise-5

For contrast with the background, bright flowers can be drawn dark.

Value Contrast

Cactus blossom: Hard v.s. soft edges and light v.s. dark value

Sketching your favorite subject in Pen and Ink by Claudia Nice.

Red is a dark value

Lighten the background for better contrast

Exercise-6

Shading and texture of a leaf

Leaf veins and shading

Exercise-5, Building layers of dark value

Shade that pops!

Contrasting value

Backlighting

Drawing Botanicals
at Montalvo Art Center
Class:3
Pen and Ink
Thursday, 3/27/08
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Benefits of Ink

Convenient: You can easily carry all the materials you

need to create an ink drawing.

Attractive and Professional: Inked drawings are

aesthetically pleasing as artwork, mementos and gifts.

Fidelity: Does not loose detail when copied.

Affordable to publish: Black and white Line Drawings

are less expensive to publish than color images,
because it requires only one color of ink.

Outline with minimal shading

for clarity and ease of identification

Bi-symmetry

Exercise:1, Stipple shade

Choice of shading technique

Exercise:2, Line shade

Shading with Pen and Ink

Line drawing: Drawing with ink, using a single undiluted
color.

Line shade:

Drawing closely spaced lines, dashes, or

dots to create the illusion of shades of grey.

Types of line: Un-weighted line, Weighted line, Straight

lines, Contour line, Wavy line, Dashed line, Stipple,
Crosshatch, Criss-cross and Scribble.

Pen and Ink Technique

Illusion of depth: Diminishing line

weight, diminishing value of shade.

Other perspective techniques: Line

break, overlap, converging lines,
baselines.

Illusion of volume: Shadows follow

contour, weighted line.

Illusion of texture: Crosshatch, or

variable stipple shading technique
and rough, variable weight outline.

Brush pen grip

Vertical and Horizontal: Press, roll, pull and lift.

Exercise:3, Brush pen strokes

Exercise 4: Brush pen strokes

Chinese painting Techniques by Alison Stilwell Cameron

Brush pen: Line

Exercise:5, Variable line shade

Exercise:6, Line shade

Exercise: 7, Art pen line shade

Correcting the cactus pattern

Texture contrast: Hard edge and soft edge

Exercise:8, Art pens

E.Rooks

Exercise:9, Stipple

Texture pattern

Value contrast with background

Buds

Regular
Actinomorphic Flower
Radial Symmetry
unweighted Line,
simplified shading,

Radial Symmetry

Bi-symmetry

Bi-symmetrical

Reference books used in Edward Rooks

presentation on Drawing Botanicals
Books on Botanical Art:
1) Botanical Illustration in Watercolor by Eleanor B. Wunderlich
2) "How to Draw Plants: The Techniques of Botanical Illustration" by Keith West
3) Flowers & Botanicals by Diane Cardaci
4) "The Art of Botanical Painting" by Margaret Stevens
5) The Guild Handbook of Scientific illustrators Edited by Elaine R.S. Hodges
6) Scientific Illustration, by Phyllis Wood

Other Reference Books:

1) Sketching your Favorite Subjects in Pen & Ink by Claudia Nice.
2) The Book of Botanical Prints by Basilius Besler
3) Native Shrubs of the San Francisco Bay Region by Roxanne S. Ferris
4) A Guide to Field Identification: Trees of North America by C. F. Brockman

Drawing Botanicals
at Montalvo Art Center
Class:4
Ink Wash
Thursday, 4/3/08
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Scientific Illustration, by Phyllis Wood

Run back

Difficulty with wet in wet technique

Wet in wet produces beautiful gradation in value

Outline of grape leaves

E.C.Rooks

Add light grey wash and let it dry before adding darker values

E.C.Rooks

Ink wash without an outline

First place the larger geometric shapes

The original artwork

Use spiral guides for bud

Use oval guides to shape and place bud scales, leaves and petals

Use negative shapes as guides

Erase guidelines and prepare your ink and brushes

Notice the dark and light value design

The original artwork

Apply a light, dark-grey wash

to the stems, leaves & gonads

Apply light, light-grey wash

to the petals

Apply a dark, dark-grey details to

the shadow side of the leaves, stems
and gonads. Lightly shade petals.

Apply a dark-grey wash to the stems

and a dark, light-grey wash to the petals

Books used in Edward Rooks presentation on Drawing

Botanicals
Books on Botanical Art
* 1) Botanical Illustration in Watercolor by Eleanor B. Wunderlich
2) "How to Draw Plants: The Techniques of Botanical Illustration" by Keith West
3) Flowers & Botanicals by Diane Cardaci
4) "The Art of Botanical Painting" by Margaret Stevens
5) The Guild Handbook of Scientific illustrators Edited by Elaine R.S. Hodges
6) Scientific Illustration, by Phyllis Wood
Other Reference Books:
1) Sketching your Favorite Subjects in Pen & Ink by Claudia Nice.
2) The Book of Botanical Prints by Basilius Besler
3) Native Shrubs of the San Francisco Bay Region by Roxanne S. Ferris
4) A Guide to Field Identification: Trees of North America by C. F. Brockman
5) The Watercolorists Essential Notebook by Gordon MacKenzie
6) Chinese Painting Techniques by Alison Stilwell Cameron

Drawing Botanicals
at Montalvo Art Center
Class:5
Scratchboard
Thursday, 4/10/08
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

The New Scratchboard. Clay Surface Techniques and Materials for Todays Artists by Charles Ewing