An Introduction to Botanical Watercolour

What you'll learn

Botanical painting is all about looking at plants in a traditional but exciting way. Here’s what you’ll be doing…

A close up of the winds of the shacapa painting

History of botanical painting

How the traditional methods of watercolour, pen and ink and graphite have been used for centuries and cannot be replaced by photography alone.

Accurate drawing techniques

We’ll refresh you on accurate line-drawing and tonal shading to make your subject appear three-dimensional, as well as helping you arrange your subject on the paper.

Watercolour technique

Including mixing colours and using watercolour washes to build up a three-dimensional and life-like image.

Previous course participant

“Thank you for your patient guidance and encouragement... We enjoyed every minute, and surprised ourselves with what we were able to achieve.”

In a nutshell

You will have three days to concentrate on drawing, tonal shading and using watercolour, focusing on accuracy – the key to a beautiful painting. Whilst attention to detail is important, botanical painting is a very relaxing and enjoyable art form.

Who it's for

The course is suitable for both beginners and improvers. There will be a maximum of 12 people in this group.

What's included

Three days of expert tuition (10am – 4pm)
Materials*
Lunch and refreshments on each day
Entrance to the Eden Project

*We will provide the paints, sable brushes, watercolour paper and drawing papers, plus tracing paper, etc. We will have drawing equipment to include 2H and HB pencils of professional quality, or preferably mechanical pencils of 0.3mm diameter with 2H and HB leads, a plastic eraser, dividers and rulers to borrow on the day. A notebook may be useful.

How to book

Bookings will open when dates are confirmed.

Previous course participant

“The course was delivered with passion and understanding; it was very clear and informative.”

Further information

Laura Silburn started botanical painting in 2008 after moving to Cornwall, where she was taught botanical watercolour technique by Mally Francis FLS, at Mally's studio in Heligan Gardens. Laura has been contributing to the Eden Project Florilegium Society archive since 2010 and is now a Fellow of the society and an active member of the society's committee. She has attended workshops, and taken inspiration from, many of the visiting lecturers at Eden including Rosie Sanders and Gillian Barlow.

Laura has three times received a prestigious RHS Gold Medal for her botanical artwork, firstly at the RHS London Orchid and Botanical Art Show in 2013, then in 2014 at the RHS Shades of Autumn Show for six paintings of Aristolochia species, which also received the Best in Show award, and most recently in 2018 for her series on ferns. Laura now has work in the RHS Lindley Library and the Shirley Sherwood collection, which shows at the gallery in Kew Gardens, and has had work published in the RHS Plantsman, Cornwall Today and Eden Friends magazines.

In 2014 and 2016 Laura was invited to take part in the prestigious Transylvania Florilegium presently being created under the aegis of the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts to record in a permanent way the flora of Transylvania. Laura travelled with a group of artists to Romania to study the flora there and has since submitted seven paintings which have been accepted into the Transylvania Florilegium.

Laura continues to take inspiration from the diverse flora of Eden and considers herself lucky to have such a botanical treasure trove to work from.

Visit Laura's website .