Intro to Botanical Art

1.     Where will it be held? Donna Torres home in Westchester by Tropical Park in Miami.

2.     What are the dates?  March 7 and 14

3.     What are the workshop hours?  10 - 4pm

4.     How many students will there be? A maximum of 8

5.     What about lunch? Bring your lunch/drinks to get as much out of the workshop time as possible.  We will only be taking a quick break for lunch. Coffee/expresso/tea and cookies will be available throughout the day.

6.     What about parking?  Park in front of my home. Carpooling is great if you are coming in company.

7.     What supplies will we need?  I will provide a complete set of handouts, white erasers, backing boards, and HB pencils. See the materials list for complete information.  Plant specimens will be provided, bring your own if preferred.  Smaller plant specimens work best for the intro class.

8.     What if I don't have the art supplies? I can provide a materials kit for a fee of $20. See the materials list for a complete listing. You would get to keep the paints, paper and brush. I dispense tube paints on a plastic plate which you can keep after the workshop. Please let me know by February 21st for the March 7 class, and February 28 for March 14 class, if you will need supplies.

9.     When is the $150 payment due? Payment via Apple Pay, Zelle or check due February 21 for the March 7 class and February 28 for the March 14 class.

10.     What if I must cancel? There will be no refund after February 28 for the March 7 class, and after March 7 for the March 14 class.

Painting and drawing plants

     1. General rules in traditional botanical illustration, review of handouts

     2. Drawing your specimen and determining the simplest geometric shapes forms.

     3.Finding the best composition for your specimen.

     4. Basic instruction in watercolor for painting your plant subject.

     5. Creating shadow colors.

     6. Soft and hard patterns in plant subjects.

If you have any questions about the workshop, please contact me at donnatorres@mac.com. I'll be back in touch again when it gets closer to the date of the workshop with reminders and any other additional new notes.  

Thanks and looking forward to meeting everyone in person and enjoying a great workshop together!

Donna Torres

Materials List for Intro to Botanical Watercolor

2H pencil

2 pieces of 9 x 12 watercolor paper

Watercolor brush: Size 4 (size 2 optional)

Watercolor Paints

List of recommended colors. If you already have a set of watercolors just bring what you have:

Cadmium yellow

Cadmium red

Permanent rose

Violet (your choice)

Ultramarine blue

More colors of your choice

Watercolor palette, plastic clear or white picnic plates work fine

Jar for water

Jar for holding plant specimen

Ruler

Provided:

White plastic eraser

HB pencil and sharpener

Backing board, I will provide tape to affix paper to board

Plant material (if you have a plant you would like to paint, please bring it.)

Optional materials kit includes the following ($20):

2H pencil

9 x 12 watercolor paper

Palette with paints

Round watercolor brush, size 4