Student Sketchbook Coursework

We are now nearing the end of the first presentation of the Creating a Sketchbook Course and another group of students will start the course this week. Students on this course and on the Botanical Illustration Course have produced some beautiful sketchbook work over the last few months and are hopefully now seeing the benefits of working in this way. Here is just a small selection of work which students have kindly given permission for me to include, There will be a second post because we have so much wonderful work to show. It's great to see all of the hard work coming together and I hope that the students have all enjoyed the courses...I know I have!

Lou Bailey's Trumpet Vine sketch page. A beautiful clean drawing and colour study

At the start of the course students begin by creating a personal title page, this is where they get the  opportunity to use their imagination and to draw on their personal interests. Below you can see the work of  Creating a Sketchbook student, Didi Phillips, who used the local woods for inspiration.

Wonderfully designed title page by Didi Phillips and below a detail in graphite and watercolour as students are encouraged to use different mediums.

A second page to accompany the title page from Didi Philips using graphite detail, and watercolour

The process of making sketchbooks is something that really allows students of focus and explore subjects without the same pressure of producing a final art work, it frees the mind up to experiment. It fine tunes our observational skills and gives us a greater understanding of plant form and function. It can be investigative and/or decorative. It allows us to experiment with colour and technique......the only limit is our imagination.  

Another beautifully composed title page illustrating the Lotus flower by Nereide Gilhead. Here she worked from her photographs taken from a time when she lived in Southern USA. The flower, which means 'new beginnings' was a reminder of her old home.  

Annemie Vandersloten also chose Graphite for her  title page in this well balanced double page spread study of flowering Ivy. She also made a beautiful fabric wallet to keep the sketchbook in.

Detailed study and observational drawing is an important skill for the botanical artist and below are a couple of examples of such studies. The early part of the course focuses on such drawing using graphite as well as the collation of important information regarding each subject.

Chris Mossman makes multiple observational drawings of sweet peas from different aspects, as well as making colour studies, taking photographs and making invaluable reference notes. This is great work to fine tune the drawing skills

Sabina Kumschick gets to grips with graphite line drawing with leaf drawings and skeleton drawings of flowers in her sketchbook. Sabina produced many many sketchbook entries as part of the course

Moving on to tonal work, Susan Konkel made beautiful delicate drawings of flowers from different angles

 Detailed subject studies in colour are also completed as part of the course and students are given video demonstrations showing how to create a colour study page. Feedback is given throughout via email and through a dedicated Facebook Group where work is shared for students who wish to participate.

Didi Philips made some wonderful comprehensive colour studies of Lavatera ' Silver Cup' in dissection and bud. Here she experiments with differnt techniques withthe washes and dry brush. She grew the plant in her garden.

Trumpet vine Study page by Kathleen Gordon provides much of the necessary information to complete further work on the subject. This is a very interesting page which is full of detail.

 

Plum study by Deborah Greener, an excellent drawing where you can see how Deborah has worked out the form and colour in relation to light.

Sometimes though just a spontaneous off-the-cuff painting is like a breath of fresh air....there are no strict rules of what you can and can't do in a sketchbook.....after all it's your own personal journal! So simple spontaneous studies are encouraged too.

Full of life! a simple study of rose hips by Sabina Kumschick. Here she creates the shine that typifies the rose hip, I believe that she she completed this work after paying close attention to the video tutorials which dealt with rose hips.

Katerina Rubbo makes a lovely spontaneous study of a turnip in her sketchbook. Note the lovely movement in the stem.

But students are also requested to complete double page spreads which make best use of the space and to complete mixed studies.

Over the course students become more confident in filling the page in a creative way, working with mixed subject matter and media. Here Sabina Kumschick fills the page beautifully in this mixed subject study.

And of course you can take your sketchbook with you wherever yo go, and in the latter part of the course students complete studies away from the comfort of their desk. This can be anywhere, such as on holiday, in a glass house, botanic garden or even in your own garden.

Sabina Kumshick made loose watercolour studies of Magnolia seed pods and stunning blue Morning Glory whilst on holiday in Muralto Ticino, Switzerland.

Beautiful single subject study of a tomato by Kathleen Gordon. Kathleen has completed a number of courses with me, which include  Botanical Illustration and Composition. I particularly like the composition and light and shade in this piece which really brings it to life and the movement of the subject on the page leads the eye over the piece to create interest.

Hopefully some students will pluck up the courage to write a blog post here, about their experiences. They have all worked very hard and are always enthusiastic and deserve to have their work shown to a wider audience. Personally I'm honoured to work with so many talented individuals who come from from all over the globe. As the new courses begin I look forward to working with new students on both Botanical Illustration and the Creating a Sketchbook Courses