summer/fall 2013 catalog of courses - Denver Botanic Gardens

SUMMER/FALL 2013 CATALOG OF COURSES

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

For information & 

consultation ABOUT THE 

SCHOOL OF BOTANICAL ART 

& ILLUSTRATION: 

CALL: 720-865-3670 

Email: sbai@botanicgardens.org 

VISIT OUR BLOG AT: 

www.botanicalillustration. 

blogspot.com 

For Information 

about Membership: 

CALL: 720-865-3525 

Email: 

membership@botanicgardens.org 

VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: 

www.botanicgardens.org 

Message from the CEO ........................... page 3 

Course Requirements. ............................ page 4 

Courses at a Glance. ............................ page 6 

Guest Workshops. .............................. page 9 

Introductory Course .............................page 13 

Required Courses ...............................page 13 

Elective Courses. ...............................page 18 

Journaling, Field Documenting ...................page 20 

Nature Observed ...........................page 21 

Bookbinding ..............................page 22 

Drawing Techniques .........................page 23 

Graphite .................................page 24 

Pen & Ink ................................page 26 

Colored Pencil .............................page 27 

Illumination .............................. page 29 

Watercolor Pencil ...........................page 29 

Water Media. .............................page 29 

Registration Information ...........................page 30 

Kathleen Dolan, Colored Pencil 

Photos ©Scott Dressel-Martin 

Cover artwork left to right: 

Boyd Haring, Watercolor 

Susan Rubin, Colored Pencil 

Sharon Henderson, Watercolor

MESSAGE FROM THE CEO 

Constance Sayas, Watercolor 

It is with great pleasure we announce a change in name for the home of botanical illustration at Denver 

Botanic Gardens. To better reflect the rigor and quality teaching within the program, it has been renamed the 

School of Botanical Art & Illustration. Much remains the same, but students pursuing a Certificate in Botanical 

Illustration will now have access to a portfolio preparation class – a capstone to their experience here. Enjoy 

the varied offerings the School of Botanical Art & Illustration has to offer in this session. 

Brian Vogt, Denver Botanic Gardens CEO 

3

Summer/fall 2013 COURSE REQUIREMENTS 

SCHOOL OF BOTANIC ART AND ILLUSTRATION 

The world-renowned School of Botanical Art and Illustration is ideally located at Denver Botanic Gardens, providing students 

and scholars with the opportunity to hone and perfect their skills in this specialized genre. Much has been said about the modern 

need to fuse art and science in order to expand economic development and enlightenment, but few programs are as direct in 

their impact as botanical illustration. The School of Botanical Art and Illustration focuses not only on technique, but also on the 

plants themselves, with courses in botany and microscopy, and lectures from visiting artists. From small, highly interactive classes 

to real-world opportunities for exhibition, sales and publication, the Gardens now has every tool needed to instruct and inspire 

flourishing botanical artists. 

Botanical art and illustration is the well-established tradition of portraying plants for scientific purposes, recording vanishing 

species for historical record or rendering the beauty and inspiration we experience in the flora of the world around us. 

Denver Botanic Gardens School of Botanical Art and Illustration curriculum consists of a comprehensive series of classes in 

botanical illustration, providing participants the drawing and painting skills required to render accurate and useful depictions of 

the plant world, with a focus on detail. This program is for the dedicated illustrator, as well as the devoted amateur. It culminates 

in a foundational certificate or advanced diploma in botanical illustration for some students, and offers an ongoing program of 

botanical classes for others. 

Introductory Course 

Students wishing to learn more about botanical illustration or to 

brush up on their skills before beginning the certificate sequence 

can take Introduction to Botanical Illustration, which is not part of 

the certificate requirements. 

Required Courses 

The following 15 courses are required if you wish to receive a 

Foundational Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration. The 

recommended sequence of courses is listed below. This succession 

is appropriate for both the certificate and the non-certificate 

student. Classes should be taken in the order determined by their 

prerequisites.*Courses consist of exercises, critiques, demonstrations 

and homework assignments. A list of supplies for each course will 

be sent with class confirmation. 

1. Botanical Illustration in Pencil I 

2. Light on Form 

3. Botany for the Botanical Illustrator 

4. Botanical Illustration in Pencil II 

5. Composition for Botanical Illustration 

6. Color Layering for Colored Pencil 

7. Botanical Illustration in Colored Pencil I 

8. Perfecting Perspective 

9. Botanical Illustration in Colored Pencil II 

10. Color Mixing 

11. Botanical Illustration in Pen and Ink I 

12. Botanical Illustration in Pen and Ink II 

13. Botanical Illustration in Watercolor I 

14. Botanical Illustration in Watercolor II 

15. Portfolio Preparation Course 

*Students are responsible for taking note of prerequisites and 

determining if they are eligible for a course. Class sizes are 

limited and seats are meant for those filling course requirements. 

Elective courses 

Elective courses serve a variety of purposes. They are designed 

to increase the student’s knowledge, ability and experience in 

botanical art. In addition to the 15 required courses, students 

must select no fewer than 100 elective hours. The number of 

elective classes offered in any one year may vary. Guest instructor 

workshops may be taken as electives. Please note: To receive 

credit for any course, attendance is required at the first class and 

at 80% of all classes. 

Science and Art Lectures 

Selected lectures at Denver Botanic Gardens can qualify for 

elective credits. Attendance at one lecture gives one elective 

credit hour; students can receive a maximum of 15 credit hours 

from these lectures. Café Botanique is a lecture series open to 

Botanical Art and Illustration students, Gardens members, the 

general public, academia and artists. Pre-registration is required 

for credit. 

DISTANCE LEARNING OPTION 

In addition to our traditional on-site Botanical Illustration curriculum 

we offer an in-class/off-site option that combines classroom 

participation with remote online learning opportunities. The 

courses in the traditional on-site curriculum are interchangeable 

with courses in the distance learning option. 

4

Summer/fall 2013 COURSE REQUIREMENTS 

SCHOOL OF BOTANIC ART AND ILLUSTRATION 

On-Site 

The following required courses are held on-site over three days 

(Friday through Sunday). Work for these classes is completed 

entirely in the classroom. 

• Botanical Illustration in Pencil I (15 hr) 

• Botany for Botanical Illustrator (18 hr) 

• Composition for Botanical Illustration (18 hr) 

• Perfecting Perspective (15 hr) 

• Color Layering for Colored Pencil (15 hr) 

• Light on Form (15 hr) 

• Portfolio Preparation Course (10 hr) 

Online with on-site component 

The following 15-hour required courses are offered through a 

combination of a two-day on-site intensive classroom experience 

and online instruction: 

• Light on Form 

• Botanical Illustration in Pencil II 

• Botanical Illustration in Colored Pencil I 

• Botanical Illustration in Colored Pencil II 

• Color Mixing for Artists 

• Botanical Illustration in Pen and Ink I 

• Botanical Illustration in Pen and Ink II 

• Botanical Illustration in Watercolor I 

• Botanical Illustration in Watercolor II 

Classroom Instruction 

The classroom instruction portion of courses offered with an 

online component cover material in 10 hours spread over two 

consecutive days. During this classroom session the student will 

learn new technique(s) and receive one-on-one tutoring. 

Elective Courses 

In order to become eligible to apply for the portfolio review, 

students must complete a minimum of 100 elective hours in 

addition to the 13 required 15-hour courses. Elective courses 

are designed to increase the student’s knowledge, ability and 

experience in botanical art. Typically an elective course meets 

weekly for three hours over a five-week time period (15 hr), but 

shorter condensed courses are also organized. A selection of 

electives following the in-class/off-site model will also be offered. 

PORTFOLIO REVIEW AND CERTIFICATION 

IN 2013 

The Portfolio Preparation Course is mandatory for graduation. 

The Portfolio Preparation Course for 2013 has been offered in 

March 2013 and application time for 2013 graduation is closed. 

Applications for 2014 Foundational Certificate in Botanical Art 

and Illustration are due in February 2014. 

After the Portfolio Preparation Course, the candidates have the 

opportunity for individual consultation with instructors to refine the 

portfolio pieces prior to the final portfolio drop-off on September 

6, 2013. More detailed information is circulated at the time of 

application approval. 

The complete portfolio will contain five (5) finished botanical 

plates: 

1. Graphite pencil 

2. Colored pencil 

3. Pen and ink 

4. Water media 

5. Artist’s choice: This can be a plate in any of the media 

taught within the program or a combination of them. 

The Off-Site Learning Approach 

Following the two-day concentrated classroom instruction, three 

weekly Internet sessions cover the remaining elements of the 

course. The successful completion of a final artwork (plate) within 

one month (30 days) after the conclusion of the on-site session is 

the culmination of each of the distance learning courses. 

The student must use a scanner or digital camera to record 

weekly achievement and email the high resolution image to the 

instructor and program manager. All student questions, as well 

as the instructor answers, recommendations and suggestions are 

handled by email. The student must send a scan of the final plate 

to the instructor and the program manager in order to receive a 

credit from the course. 

KEY DATES FOR 2013 PORTFOLIO REVIEW: 

Final Portfolio Drop-off: September 6, 2013 

Portfolio Review: October 1, 2013 

GRADUATION CEREMONY FOR 2013 GRADUATES: 

November 17, 2013, 1 - 3 p.m. 

5

COURSES AT A GLANCE 

JULY – AUGUST 

Class/Instructor Day/Times Dates Medium Page 

Watercolor II 

Constance Sayas 

5 Mondays 

9 a.m. – Noon 

July 8, 15, 22, 

July 29, Aug. 5 

Watercolor (R) 

(PI, LoF, CM, WCI, BO) 

18 

New Technique - Effective Layers: Watercolor on Graphite 

Karla Beatty 

5 Mondays 

1 – 4 p.m. 

July 22, 29, Aug. 5 

Aug. 12, 19 


(PI, LoF, CM, WCI; PP rec.) 

23 

Pen and Ink II 

Renee Jorgensen 

5 Mondays 

6 – 9 p.m. 


Aug. 12, 19, 26 

Pen and Ink (R) 

(PI, LoF, PP, P&I, BO) 

16 

Stitches and Sewing Across and Along: Historical and Contemporary 

Sewing Techniques:1. No Support or Continuous Support 

Mervi Hjelmroos-Koski 

2 Tuesdays 


July 23, 30 

Bookbinding (E) 

No prerequisites 

22 

Drawing on Tradition: In the Footsteps of Cyntha Letty 

Susan Rubin 

5 Tuesdays 


August 6, 13, 20, 

Aug. 27, Sept. 3 

Colored Pencil (E) 

(P2, CP2) 

27 

Pen and Ink I 

Marjorie Leggitt 

5 Tuesdays 

1 – 4 p.m. 

July 23, 30, 

Aug. 6, 13, 20 

Pen and Ink (E) 

(PI, PP recommended) 

16 

The Wonderful World of Values and Textures in Pen and Ink 


5 Tuesdays 

6 – 9 p.m. 

July 23, 30, 

Aug. 6, 13, 20 

Pen and Ink (E) 

(PI, P&I2) 

26 

Birds in Graphite 

Randy Raak 

5 Wednesdays 


July 17, 24, 31, 

Aug. 7, 14 

Graphite (E) 

(PI, LoF) 

24 

Botany Spotlight: Revealing Nature’s Secret Code 


Wednesday 


July 24 

Botany (E) 

(BO) 

18 

Matting and Floating Artwork 

Susan Rubin 

Wednesday 

1 – 5 p.m. 

July 17 

Technique (E) 


20 

Geometry in Nature – Patterns in Botany 


5 Tuesdays 

1 – 4 p.m. 

July 24, 31 

Aug. 7, 14, 21 

Graphite (E) 

(P1, LoF, BO; PP rec.) 

25 

Light on Form 


5 Wednesdays 

6 – 9 p.m. 

July 17, 24, 31, 

Aug. 7, 14 

Technique (R) 

(PI) 

15 

Mysterious Black in Plants 

Susan DiMarchi 

5 Thursdays 


July 18, 25, Aug. 1 

Aug 8, 15 


(CPI) 

27 

Basic Decorative Techniques in Leather 


3 Thursdays 

1 – 4 p.m. 

July 18, 25, Aug. 1 


(see catalog) 

23 

How to Repair a Cloth Binding 


2 Thursdays 

5 – 9 p.m. 



(see catalog) 

23 

Light on Form 

Susan Rubin 

Fri., Sat. 

9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

July 12, 13 

Technique (R) 

(PI) 

15 

Perfecting Perspective 


Fri., Sat., Sun. 

9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

July 19, 20, 21 

Technique (R) 

(PI) 

16 

Botany for Botanical Illustrator 



9 a.m. – 4 p.m. 

July 26, 27, 28 

Technique (R) 


13 

Introduction to Drawing 

Karla Beatty 


9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

July 26, 27, 28 

Graphite (NC) 


13 

Botanical Zentangele 

Annie Reiser 


9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Aug. 2, 3, 4 

Techniques (E) 


20 

Botanical Illustration in Graphite (Pencil I) 

Randy Raak 

Yampa River Botanic Park – Steamboat Springs 

Fri, Sat., Sun. May 31, June 1, 2 

Graphite (R) 


Field Sketching Along the Yampa River 



9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

July 26, 27, 28 



PLEASE NOTE: If prerequisites are listed, e.g. P&I 2, it means that the prerequisites are PI, LoF, P&I 1, BO and PP; or if there is CP2 it means P1, CL, LoF, CP1, BO, CP2 

[(NC) Non Credit; (R) Required Course; (E) Elective Course; (P) Pencil; (P&I) Pen and Ink; (LoF) Light on Form; (PP) Perfecting Perspective; (BO) Botany; (CA) Calligraphy; (CD) Entry 

Level Carbon Dust; (COM) Composition; (CL) Color Layering for Colored Pencil; (CM) Color Mixing for Artists; (WC) Water Color; (EI) Expressive Ink] 

= Visiting Instructor | = Distance Learning Option | = Off-Site 

6


AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 


Bugs in Carbon Dust II: Pests on Plants 

Karla Beatty 

5 Mondays 


Aug. 12, 19, 26, 

Sept. 9, 16 

Graphite (E) 

(P II, CD) 

25 

Colored Pencil Techniques on Mylar 

Susan Rubin 

2 Tuesdays 

1 – 4 p.m. 



(CP1) 

23 

Sketching in the Museum 

Randy Raak 

Wednesday 

9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Aug. 21 



21 

Sketching in the Gardens 

Randy Raak 

Wednesday 

9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Aug. 28 



21 

Sketching in the Bluff Lake Reserve 

Randy Raak 

Wednesday 

9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Sept. 4 



21 

Sketching in the Zoo 

Randy Raak 

Wednesday 

9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Sept. 18 



21 

Improve your Handwriting 


3 Wednesdays 


Aug. 21, 28, 

Sept. 4 



20 

Beginners Techniques for Botanical Illumination 


5 Thursdays 


Aug. 22, 29, Sept. 5 

Sept. 12, 19 

Technique (E) 

(P1, CM) 

29 

Light on Form 

Susan Rubin 

5 Thursdays 

1 – 4 p.m. 

Aug. 8, 15, 22 

Aug 29, Sept. 5 

Technique (R) 

(P1) 

15 

Leafy Greens in Colored Pencil 

Susan Rubin 

5 Thursdays 

6 – 9 p.m. 

Aug. 8, 15, 22 



(P1, CP1) 

27 

Carbon Dust 

Karla Beatty 

Fri., Sat. 

9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Aug. 9, 10 

Graphite (E) 

(P2) 

25 

Pencil I 

Randy Raak 


9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Aug. 16, 17, 18 

Graphite (R)) 


14 

New Technique- Colored Pencil on Suede Paper 

Libby Kyer 


5 – 8 p.m. 

Aug. 16, 17, 18 

Technique (E) 

(CP1) 

27 

Pencil II 

Karla Beatty 

Fri., Sat. 

9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Aug. 23, 24 

Graphite (R) 

(P1, LoF, BO) 

15 

PORTFOLIO DROP-OFF 

Friday 

9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

September 6 

Hummingbirds 

Randy Raak 

EL CHARCO DEL INGENIO, San Miguel de Allende, GTO, Mexico 

(More detailed 

information coming September 8 – 13 

soon) 

Graphite + Color 

ARTS AND ARCHIVES 2013 TOUR Aug. 22 – Sept. 3 





7


SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER 


History of Temptation – Holiday Spices 

Susan Rubin 

5 Mondays 


Sept. 30, Oct. 7, 

Oct. 14, 21, 28 


(CP2) 

28 

Pencil II 

Karla Beatty 

5 Mondays 

1 – 4 p.m. 

Sept. 9, 16, 30, 

Oct. 7, 14 

Graphite (R) 

(P I, LoF, BO) 

15 

Ravishing Reds 


5 Mondays 

6 – 9 p.m. 

Sept. 9, 16, 23, 

Sept. 30, Oct. 7 

Watercolor (E) 

(P1, LoF, CM, WC1) 

30 

Colored Pencil I 


5 Tuesdays 


Sept. 10, 17, 24, 

Oct. 1, 8 

Colored Pencil (R) 

(P1, LoF, CL) 

17 

Plants that Changed Civilizations 

Karla Beatty 

5 Tuesdays 

1 – 4 p.m. 

Sept. 10, 17, 24, 

Oct. 8, 15 



29 

Pencil I 


5 Tuesdays 

6 – 9 p.m. 

Aug. 27, Sept. 3, 10, 

Sept. 17, Oct. 1 

Graphite (R) 


14 

Aubergines and Artichokes 


5 Wednesdays 


Sept. 11, 18, 25, 

Oct. 2, 9 


(WC2) 

30 

Favoring Flavorful Herbs 


5 Wednesdays 

1 – 4 p.m. 

Sept. 11, 18, 25, 

Oct. 2, 9 



30 

Expressive Ink: Illustrating Colorado Native Trees 

and Large Shrubs with Quill 


5 Wednesdays 

6 – 9 p.m. 

Sept. 11, 18, 25, 

Oct. 2, 9 

Ink (E) 

(P&I 2) 

26 



5 Thursdays 


Sept. 26, Oct. 3, 10 

Oct. 17, 31 

Technique (R) 


13 

Drawing on Tradition: Arcimboldo – Nature and Fantasy 


5 Thursdays 

1 – 4 p.m. 

Sept. 12, 19, 26 

Oct. 3, 10 


(CP2) 

28 

Watercolor I 

Karla Beatty 

5 Thursdays 

6 – 9 p.m. 

Sept. 12, 19, 26 

Oct. 3, 10 


(P1, CM) 

18 

Composition 



9 a.m. – 4 p.m. 

Sept. 6, 7, 8 

Techniques (R) 


14 

Hidden Orchards – Microscopy Course 


Fri., Sat. 

9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Sept. 13, 14 

Botany (E) 

(P1, BO) 

18 

Botany Spotlight: Colorado Native Trees 


1 Sunday 

9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Sept.15 

Botany (E)) 

(BO) 

19 

Edible and Admirable 

Sally Yu Leung 


9 a.m. – 4 p.m. 

Sept. 20, 21, 22 

(Morrison) 

Techniques 


11 

Pushing the Boundaries – Master Class 

Ann Swan 


9 a.m. – 4 p.m. 

Sept. 20, 21, 22 


(Certificate in Botanical illustration) 

11 

Tips and Tricks: Techniques Intense 

Ann Swan 

Monday 

9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Sept. 23 


(CP2) 

11 

Keeping the Traditions Alive 



9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Sept. 27, 28, 29 

(Linnaeus) 



19 

Pencil I 



9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Sept. 27, 28, 29 

Graphite (R) 


14 

Light on Form 

Susan Rubin 

Yampa River Botanic Park – Steamboat Springs 

Fri, Sat., Sun. Sept. 13, 14, 15 


(P1) 





8


OCTOBER – NOVEMBER 


Pen and Ink I 


5 Mondays 


Nov. 4, 11, 18, 

Nov. 25, Dec. 2 

Pen and Ink (R) 

(P1, PP recommended) 

16 

Light on Form 


5 Mondays 

1 – 4 p.m. 

Oct. 21, 28, 

Nov. 4, 18, 25 


(PI) 

15 



5 Mondays 

6 – 9 p.m. 

Oct. 14, 21, 

Nov. 4, 11, 18 


No Prerequisites 

13 

Composition 


5 Tuesdays 


Oct. 29, Nov. 5 

Nov. 12, 19, 26 



14 

Color Mixing 


5 Tuesdays 

1 – 4 p.m. 

Oct. 29, Nov. 5, 

Nov. 12, 19, 26 



17 

Light on Form 


5 Tuesdays 

6 – 9 p.m. 

Oct. 8, 15, 22, 

Oct. 29, Nov. 5 


(P1) 

15 

Realism in Botanical Illustration 

Randy Raak 

5 Wednesdays 


Oct. 16, 23, 30, 

Nov. 6, 13 


(WC1 or CP1) 

24 

Colored Pencil II 

Susan Rubin 

5 Wednesdays 

1 – 4 p.m. 

Oct. 23, 30, 

Nov. 6, 13, 20 


(P1, LoF, CL, CP1, BO) 

17 

Pencil II 

Karla Beatty 

5 Wednesdays 

6 – 9 p.m. 

Oct. 16, 23, 30, 

Nov. 6, 13 

Graphite (R) 

(P1, LoF, BO) 

15 

Stitches and Sewing Across and Along: Historical and Contemporary 

Sewing Techniques:1. No Support or Continuous Support 


4 Thursdays 


Nov. 7, 14, 21, 

Dec. 5 



22 

Drawing on Tradition: The Illuminated Calligraphy 

of Irene Wellington 


5 Thursdays 

1 – 4 p.m. 

Oct. 24, 31, 

Nov. 7, 14, 21 

Illumination (E) 

(P1, CM, WCI, CA1) 

29 

Watercolor Pencil I 


5 Thursdays 

6 – 9 p.m. 

Oct. 24, 31, 

Nov. 7, 14, 21 

Watercolor Pencil 

(P1, LoF, CL, CM) 

29 

Painting with Needle – Silk Shading Embroidery 

Sarah Homfray 

Wed - Thurs. 

9 a.m. – 4 p.m. 

Oct. 2, 3 

(Waring House) 



12 

Gardening with Threads of Gold – Silk and Gold Embroidery 

Sarah Homfray 


9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m 

Oct. 4, 5, 6 

(Waring House) 


(Entry level Silk shading) 

12 

Color Layering for Colored Pencil 

Susan Rubin 


9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Oct. 4, 5, 6 



17 

Sketching in the Zoo 

Randy Raak 

Tuesday 

9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

October 15 



21 

Art Materials for the Botanical Illustrator 


Thursday 

1 – 4 p.m. 

October 17 



19 

Into the Dark - Cast Shadows 


Thursday 


October 24 



24 

Color Mixing 


Fri., Sat. 

9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

October 11,12 



17 

Sketching with Quill - Vegetables 


Friday 

9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

October 18 

Technique (E) 

(P&I 2 EI) 

22 

Sketching with Quill - Fruits & Seedpods 


Saturday 

9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

October 19 

Technique (E) 

(P&I 2, EI) 

22 





9


OCTOBER – NOVEMBER 


Sketching with Quill - Flowers & Leaves 


Sunday 

9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

October 20 

Technique (E) 

(P&I 2 EI) 

22 

Framing 

Susan Rubin 

Tuesday 

9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

October 22 

Technique (E) 


20 

Pen and Ink ii 


Fri., Sat. 

9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

October 25, 26 

P&I (R) 

(P1, LoF, PP, P&I 1, BO) 

16 

PORTFOLIO REVIEW 

Tuesday 

1 – 3 p.m. 

Oct. 1 

(Gates Hall) 

Black Backgrounds for CP 

Susan Rubin 

3 Tuesdays 

6 – 9 p.m. 

Nov. 12, 19, 

Nov. 26 


(P1, LoF, CL, CP1) 

28 

Scratchboard 

Randy Raak 


9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Nov. 1, 2, 3 

Technique (E) 

(P1, LoF, PP, P&I 1) 

26 

Shadow and Light – Paper Cuts 

Beatrice Coron 


9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Nov. 8, 9, 10 

(Gates Hall) 



12 

Introduction to Botanical Illustration 



9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Nov. 8, 9, 10 

Techniques (NC) 


13 

Color Layering 

Susan Rubin 


9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Nov. 15, 16, 17 



17 

Cutting Edge Art 

Libby Kyer 


9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Nov. 22, 23, 24 


(P1, CP1) 

28 

Botanical Models Workshop 

Libby Kyer 

Tuesday 

9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Dec. 3 



19 

Giclee Prints 

Susan Rubin 

Wednesday 

9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Nov. 20 



20 

Pencil I 

Randy Raak 


9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Dec. 6, 7, 8 

Graphite (R) 


14 

REGISTER 

(REGISTRATION BEGINS JUNE 11, 9 A.M.) 

Online: www.botanicgardens.org | Phone: 720-865-3580 

Inquiries: 720-865-3670 





10

GUEST WORKSHOPS 

Edible and Admirable: The Art of Chinese Fruit and Flower Painting 

Bring the Chinese garden to you. Learn the techniques of Chinese brush painting during this three-day 

intense workshop returning to Denver Botanic Gardens for its fifth year. Learn to look at and paint 

pumpkins and chrysanthemums in the Chinese way, study their hidden meanings and uncover a possible 

secret message. This class will teach you to create and decipher the meanings and read the secret 

messages in Chinese art. Fee: $350 member, $400 non-member. No Prerequisites. 

No refunds for registration cancellations after August 12 unless your seat can be filled. 

WEEKEND WORKSHOP 

DATE: Fri. – Sun., Sept. 20 – 22 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (18 hours) 

Instructor: Sally Yu Leung, San Francisco, CA 

Sally Yu Leung 

Sally Yu Leung is an author, independent curator of Chinese decorative arts and the cultural ambassador 

of the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. She has been a teacher of Chinese calligraphy and brush 

arts at Pixar University for many years. 

Pushing the Boundaries - Master Class 

Strong composition is essential to creating memorable works of art. This is particularly true in botanical 

art, where good composition can lift a work from the mundane to the sublime. In this master class 

you will learn the elements that go towards making a balanced and harmonious illustration. Individual 

guidance and new techniques get you thinking “outside the box” and develop your own particular style. 

This workshop is suitable for students working in any medium. Fee: $350 member, $400 non-member. 

Prerequisites: Open for all students with the Botanical Art and Illustration Certificate of Completion, and 

counts toward diploma exam requirements. 



DATE: Fri. – Sun., Sept. 20 – 22 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (18 hours) 

Instructor: Ann Swan, U.K. 

Tips and Tricks: Techniques Intense 

Color pencil techniques are constantly evolving as new materials come onto the market and old materials 

are rediscovered for new techniques. Spend a day with Ann Swan trying out her latest techniques for fine 

details, foundation, complex layering and creating vibrant colors. Fee: $140 member, $180 non-member. 

Prerequisites: Pencil I, Light on Form, Color Layering for Colored Pencils, Colored Pencil I, Colored Pencil II. 


DATE: Mon., Sept. 23 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. 

Instructor: Ann Swan, U.K 

Ann Swan works primarily in graphite and colored pencil, and is well known for her exquisitely fine 

detail, vibrant colors and strong contemporary style. She champions the underdog in the plant world, 

drawing our attention to Brussels sprouts or beetroots, feeling they are just as beautiful as the iris or tulip. 

She is passionate about colored pencils, believing they are easy to master, forgiving and accessible so 

that even a complete beginner can quickly produce work of quality. 

Ann Swan began exhibiting in 1990 and now shows her work worldwide. Exhibitions include The 

Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and the Hunt Institute in Pittsburgh. She has won four Gold Medals from 

the Royal Horticulture Society and several awards form UKCPS (Colored Pencil Society of the United 

Ann Swan 

Kingdom) and SBA (Society of Botanical Artists). She is a member of the RHS Picture Committee. Her 

work is represented in the prestigious Shirley Sherwood Collection and features in many private collections around the world. Ann’s recent 

book “Botanical Painting with Coloured Pencils” is already in its second print run and has been very well received both in the United 

Kingdom and in the U.S., where it is published as “Botanical Portraits with Colored Pencils.” 

= Visiting Instructor 

11

GUEST WORKSHOPS 

Painting with the Needle – Silk Shading Embroidery 

Learn the beautiful art of painting with the needle (silk shading) in this two-day class returning to Denver 

for its second year. You will learn the fundamentals of this historic technique, including working long and 

short stitch; how to choose embroidery threads and colors; and how to blend colors together to build up 

simple but beautiful botanical embroidery. This class is suited for both those wishing to brush up their silk 

shading skills and beginners to this technique, although some experience of basic hand embroidery (dress 

making, needlepoint, cross stitch or similar) would be beneficial. Fee: $350 member, $400 non-member. 

No refunds for registration cancellations after September 2 unless your seat can be filled. 

Sarah Homfray 

DATE: Wed. – Thurs. Oct. 2 – 3 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (18 hours) 

Instructor: Sarah Homfray, Royal School of Needlework, Hampton Court, U.K. 

Gardening with Threads of Gold – Silk and Gold Embroidery 

Further your knowledge of silk shading embroidery by adding another beautiful historical technique - 

goldwork. You will learn the fundamentals of this unique and opulent form of metalwork embroidery, how 

to handle the different metal threads and how to combine them with silk shading to create stunning, tactile, 

botanically-inspired pieces. Fee: $350 member, $400 non-member. This class would best suit those who 

already have experience in silk shading, but are new to goldwork. 

No refunds for registration cancellations after September 2 unless your seat can be filled. 

Sarah Homfray 


DATE: Fri. – Sun., Oct. 4 – 6 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (18 hours) 

Instructor: Sarah Homfray, Royal School of Needlework, Hampton Court, U.K. 

Register for both classes and receive a $90 discount ($610 member, $710 non-member). 

After a career as mechanical engineer, Sarah Homfray completed the Royal School of Needlework Apprenticeship in 2006 and currently 

teaches the RSN Apprentices and the Certificate and Diploma students, as well as freelance teaching and commissions. In addition to 

embroidery, Sarah has studied botanical illustration and printmaking. She believes strongly in observation and attention to detail, and her 

particular area of interest is embroidery design. Sarah holds a certificate in education from the University of Greenwich and has taught in 

the U.S. and Cyprus. 

Sarah has been awarded numerous prizes for her embroidery and embroidery designs. She has been published in magazines and is the 

author of “RSN Essential Stitch Guide - Silk Shading” (Search Press 2011). She also was part of the team of embroiderers who created the 

wedding dress, veil and shoes of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (née Middleton) in 2011. 

Shadow and Light – Paper Cuts 

Using historical traditions, we will take a modern, exciting approach to paper cutting. During the 

workshop, specific techniques and methods for paper cutting and stenciling will be covered. 

You will explore different materials to be cut and learn to create paper images, as well as paper 

tools in order to stencil. During this intensive class of serious fun, you will discover the incredible 

variety of the contemporary paper cutting scene and the many possible applications of this art 

form to other domains. Tips, tricks and resources will be provided. Fee: $350 member, $400 nonmember. 

No Prerequisites. 

No refunds for registration cancellations after October 7 unless your seat can be filled. 

Béatrice Coron 


DATE: Fri. – Sun., November 8 - 10 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Instructor: Béatrice Coron, New York, NY 

Born in France, Béatrice Coron lived in Egypt, Mexico and China before moving to New York. Coron tells stories in illustrations, book arts, 

fine arts and public art. She adapts her paper cut designs in metal, stone and glass. You can see her work in major collections such as the 

Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Walker Art Center. She also spoke about her creative process at TED. 

= Visiting Instructor 

12

Summer/fall 2013 COURSES 

INTRODUCTORY COURSE 

Introduction to Botanical Illustration 

Are you new to drawing? If you can write with a pencil, you 

can draw with one. Step-by-step, acquire the techniques you 

need to draw what you see. Simple exercises train you to 

observe objectively and draw accurately. A relaxed pace and 

straightforward instruction will open your mind to your own 

creative abilities. Build drawing skills to enter the School of 

Botanical Art & Illustration with confidence. Fee: $225 member, 

$280 non-member. No Prerequisites. Note: If you have had 

some drawing experience, please go directly to Pencil I. 

REQUIRED COURSES 

Botany for the Botanical Illustrator 

What is the difference between a carpel and a pistil? Where can 

I find the stamen? The science of the subjects you draw determines 

what you see! Put away your pencils for this enlightening lab 

class designed specifically for students of botanical illustration. 

Take a close look at plant anatomy and learn to recognize 

botanical details that will make your drawings more accurate and 

realistic. Learn plant morphology through detailed instruction and 

supporting visuals. All of your botanical art will improve when 

you understand the subjects. No Prerequisites. 


DATE: Fri. – Sun., July 26 – 28 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Instructor: Karla Beatty 


DATE: Fri. – Sun., Nov. 8 – 10 | TIME:9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Instructor: Renee Jorgensen 

WEEKEND WORKSHOP (intended mainly for Distance Learning option) 

Fee: $290 member, $345 non-member. 

DATE: Fri. – Sun., July 26 – 28 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (18 hr) 

Instructor: Mervi Hjelmroos-Koski 


DATE: Thu., Sept. 26, Oct. 3, 10, 17, 31 | TIME: 9 a.m. – Noon 



DATE: Mon., Oct. 14, 21, Nov. 4, 11, 18 | TIME: 6 – 9 p.m. 



= Distance Learning Option | = Off-Site 

13


Composition for Botanical 

Illustration 

The arrangement of line, shape and 

color in artwork is an art form in itself. 

The difference between a pleasant 

picture and amazing artwork is often 

found in composition. This course 

begins with a study of recognized 

masters and contemporary illustrators. 

Learn how to use compositional 


elements and principles in your 

botanical illustration. Exercises to create your own thumbnail 

compositions develop insight and expertise to enhance all of your 

future illustrations. No Prerequisites. 

WEEKEND WORKSHOP (intended mainly for Distance Learning option) 


DATE: Fri. – Sun., Sept. 6 – 8 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (18 hr) 

Instructor: Marjorie Leggitt 


DATE: Tue., Oct. 29, Nov. 5, 12, 19, 26 | TIME: 9 a.m. – Noon 


Botanical Illustration in 

Pencil I 

Learn to draw! Begin with a 

brief history and an overview 

of the specific elements 

of botanical illustration. 

Learn the skills of careful 

observation and realistic 

drawing in graphite pencil, 

including line drawing, 

Karla Beatty 

shading and perspective. 

Step-by-step, added techniques help you render accurate 

perspective, texture and detail. This is the entry course for every 

program student and a prerequisite for all required courses to 

follow. You’ll emerge from this class with the tools you need to 

draw anything. No Prerequisites. 

Fee: $350 for member, $400 non-member 

WEEKEND WORKSHOP (Yampa River Botanic Park, Steamboat Springs) 

DATE: Fri. – Sun., May 31 – June 2 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Instructor: Randy Raak 

Fee: $225 member, $280 non-member 


DATE: Fri. – Sun., Aug., 16 – 18 | 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 



DATE: Mon., Aug. 27, Sep. 3, 10, 17 | TIME: Oct. 1, 6 – 9 p.m. 




DATE: Fri. – Sun., Sept. 27 – 29 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Instructor: Susan DiMarchi 



DATE: Fri. – Sun., Dec. 6 – 8 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 



14


Randy Raak 

Botanical Illustration in Pencil II 

Simple and classic, pencil drawing is a timeless art form. 

Expand on the drawing skills you learned in Pencil I as you 

reinforce and refine your knowledge of graphite pencil. Learn 

additional techniques for shading, texture, perspective, depth and 

composition. A good drawing is the basis of botanical illustration 

in any medium. Group instruction and individual attention are 

tailored to help you complete a botanical plate in this subtle and 

striking medium. Prerequisites: Pencil I, Light on Form, Botany for 

the Botanical Illustrator. 

ONLINE WITH ON-SITE COMPONENT 


In-class sessions: 

DATE: Fri. – Sat., Aug. 23 – 24 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

All assignments are to be completed no later than September 30, 2013. 



DATE: Mon., Sept. 9, 16, 30, Oct. 7, 14 | TIME: 1 – 4 p.m. 


Light on Form 

Take your drawings from flat to 

fabulous. The secret to portraying 

light and shadow on your subjects 

lies in understanding the scientific 

method of lighting as it applies 

to different forms. Beginning with 

basic geometric shapes, refine 

your skills in showing light and 

Susan Rubin 

volume on any subject. The class 

will work entirely in graphite pencil, but the principles apply to all 

other media. As you progress to fruits and vegetables, to leaves 

and flowers, and to entire plants with complex shapes, you will 

overcome the obstacles in creating three-dimensional drawings. 

Prerequisite: Pencil I. 



In-class sessions 

DATE: Fri. – Sat., July 12 – 13 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

All assignments are to be completed no later than August 19, 2013. 

Instructor: Susan Rubin 


DATE: Wed., July 17, 24, 31, Aug. 7, 14 | TIME: 6 – 9 p.m. 

Instructor: Constance Sayas 


DATE: Tue., Aug. 8, 15, 22, 29, Sept. 5 | TIME: 1 – 4 p.m. 


Fee: $350 for member, $400 non-member 

WEEKEND WORKSHOP (Yampa River Botanic Park, Steamboat Springs) 




DATE: Wed., Oct. 16, 23, 30, Nov. 6, 13 | TIME: 6 – 9 p.m. 



DATE: Tue., Oct. 8, 15, 22, 29, Nov. 5 | TIME: 6 – 9 p.m. 



DATE: Mon., Oct. 21, 28, Nov. 4, 18, 25 | TIME: 1 – 4 p.m. 



15


Perfecting Perspective 

Do you shy away from complicated plants? Even experienced 

illustrators sometimes struggle with foreshortening and simplify 

their subjects to eliminate difficult elements. Work with botanical 

subjects that demonstrate each aspect of perspective and learn 

techniques for seeing and depicting it accurately. The class will 

work entirely in graphite pencil, but the principles apply to all art 

media. Gain confidence in your drafting skills and improve all 

of your drawings from this class forward. Fee: $225 member, 

$280 non-member. Prerequisite: Pencil I. 





Pen and Ink I 

Pen and ink is at the heart of 

botanical illustration. Expand 

your drawing repertoire as 

you learn techniques to create 

line, form and texture in black 

and white. “Expressive line” 

and “stipple” become part of 

your artistic vocabulary as you 

practice this traditional medium 

with modern and versatile 

technical pens. Step-by-step 


instruction, demonstration and 

practice will give you the foundation you need to draw any botanical 

subject accurately and skillfully. Fee: $225 member, $280 non-member. 

Prerequisite: Pencil I, Perfecting Perspective strongly recommended. 

DATE: Tue., July 23, 30, Aug. 6, 13, 20 | TIME: 1 – 4 p.m. 



Pen and Ink II 

Take your pen and ink 

skills to a new level of 

sophistication. Explore the 

Gardens’ limitless world of 

color, texture and complex 

botany to incorporate this 

information into black and 

white illustrations. Working 

with both technical pen 

and traditional quill, learn 

advanced techniques to 

make strokes mimic the fuzz 

on a fern, the down in a 

milkweed pod or the mottled 

colors of a variegated 


begonia. Learn how to layer 

and manipulate lines and stipples to develop a full range of 

value, texture and atmospheric perspective. Pen techniques take 

on new meaning as you flesh out the final inked illustration of a 

plant of your choice. Fee: $225 member, $280 non-member. 

Prerequisites: Pencil I, Pen and Ink I, Perfecting Perspective, Light 

on Form, Botany for the Botanical Illustrator. 

DATE: Mon., July 29, Aug. 5, 12, 19, 26 | TIME: 6 – 9 p.m. 





DATE: Fri. – Sat., Oct. 25 – 26 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

All assignments are to be completed no later than December 2, 2013. 


DATE: Mon., Nov. 4, 11, 18, 25, Dec. 2 | TIME: 9 a.m. – Noon 



16


Color Layering for 

Colored Pencil 

Colored pencil presents 

a special challenge: 

mixing color directly on 

your drawing! Learn to 

use a simple color mixing 

method adapted to the 

application of colored 

Susan Rubin 

pencils. Two-, three- and 

four-color mixing will get you to the gorgeous greens and luscious 

lilacs you’ve been missing. Learn to determine shadow colors for 

vibrant results. Practice color matching with a variety of plant material 

as you create your own, extensive color workbook to speed color 

selection and application for all future colored pencil drawings. 

Fee: $225 member, $280 non-member. No Prerequisites. 


DATE: Fri. – Sun., Oct. 4 – 6 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 



Colored Pencil II 

Take your colored pencil 

skills to the next level and 

become proficient in this 

fun, versatile medium. Work 

through a step-by-step process 

to create a preparatory 

layered drawing. Learn 

techniques to create texture, 

detail and depth to enhance 

your subject. Experiment with 

different surfaces and solvents 

for blending and shading. 


Add depth with atmospheric 

perspective and learn finishing techniques that will make your 

drawings pop. Individual attention will guide you to create a 

finished botanical plate. Fee: $200 member, $255 non-member. 

Prerequisites: Pencil I, Light on Form, Botany for the Botanical 

Illustrator, Color Layering for Colored Pencil, Colored Pencil I. 


DATE: Fri. – Sun., Nov. 15 – 17 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 


Botanical Illustration in Colored Pencil I 

You’ve learned to layer colored pencil, now learn techniques 

to draw effectively in this medium. Apply your drawing skills 

and learn new methods specific to colored pencils. Techniques 

include layering, building and burnishing in color. This versatile, 

portable medium is perfect for sketching on location as well as 

producing studio pieces. Learn through instruction, demonstration 

and practice on small studies of botanical subjects. You’ll be 

ready to produce a finished plate in Colored Pencil II. Fee: $225 

member, $280 non-member. Prerequisites: Pencil I, Light on Form 

alt. Perfecting Perspective, Color Layering for Colored Pencil. 

DATE: Tue., Sept. 10, 17, 24, Oct. 1, 8 | TIME: 9 a.m. - Noon 


DATE: Wed., Oct. 23, 30, Nov. 6, 13, 20 | TIME: 1 – 4 p.m. 


Color Mixing 

The first step to watercolor painting is mixing colors. Learn a 

system for combining colors consistently to eliminate frustrating 

trial and error. Exercises, demonstrations and discussion will 

show you how to achieve the broadest possible spectrum. Learn 

about paint properties and important information about choosing 

pigments. Practice mixing colors to match a variety of plant 

material. You’ll gain confidence and skills to improve all of your 

color work. No Prerequisites. 




DATE: Fri. – Sat., Oct. 11 – 12 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

All assignments are to be completed no later than November 18, 2013. 



DATE: Tue., Oct. 29, Nov. 5, 12, 19, 26 | TIME: 1 – 4 p.m. 



17


Botanical Illustration in Watercolor I 

Become part of the watercolor botanical tradition. Combine 

drawing skills and your knowledge of color mixing as you 

discover the delight of putting brush to paper to learn the specific 

techniques of transparent watercolor. Instruction, demonstration 

and practical exercises will guide you through a variety of 

watercolor techniques: flat and graded washes, highlights 

and drybrush detail. Learn to build washes for depth of tone 

and shading, and how to create soft and hard edges. With 

these foundational skills you’ll be ready to create a finished 

plate in Watercolor II. Fee: $225 member, $280 non-member. 

Prerequisites: Pencil I, Color Mixing. 

DATE: Thu., Sept. 12, 19, 26, Oct. 3, 10 | TIME: 6 – 9 p.m. 



Watercolor II 

Watercolor basics got you 

started, now develop your 

confidence as you work toward 

completing a finished plate 

from a live specimen in this 

most traditional of botanical 

media. The emphasis here 

is on bringing it all together. 


Learn and refine additional 

techniques through instruction, demonstration and practice, with 

special attention given to layering, shading and building form. 

Discover brush techniques and colors that enhance perspective 

and depth. Follow painting steps through completion, from broad 

washes to final detail. Learn how to fix mistakes and understand 

why watercolor is a forgiving medium. Fee: $225 member, $280 

non-member. Prerequisites: Pencil I, Color Mixing, Watercolor I, 

Botany for Botanical Illustrators, Light on Form. 

DATE: Mon., July 8, 15, 22, 29, Aug. 5 | TIME: 9 a.m. – Noon 


ELECTIVE COURSES 

Botany Spotlight: Revealing the Nature’s Secret Code 

Understand the difference between Golden Mean, Phyllotaxy 

and Fibonacci. Why are leaves opposite, whorled or alternate? 

Study different leaf arrangements and the theories regarding the 

cause of such planning. Learn the reason why the seeds are 

packed in tight spirals in seedpods, or why plants grow new cells 

in spirals. Learn how to use this knowledge for your benefit in 

the botanical illustration. This three-hour workshop is particularly 

recommended for students registered for the Patterns in Botany 

class. Fee: $55 member, $85 non-member. Prerequisite: Botany 

for the Botanical Illustrator. 

DATE: Wed., July 24 | TIME: 9 a.m. – Noon 


Hidden Orchards – 

Microscopy Course 

Up close and personal, 

discover the wonder 

and diversity of seeds: 

tiny packages of life, 

gift-wrapped exemplars 

of beauty and function. 

Examine the way that 

Karen Eberhardt 

seeds are arranged in 

their pods. Focus on composition and precision as you study 

the characteristic form and unique surface features for your 

species before documenting and drawing every detail. Consider 

the possibilities for a compositional masterwork in your choice 

of medium. Your finished piece could be the new cover for the 

forthcoming Index Seminum. Class limited to 10 students. Fee: 

$180 member, $205 non-member. Prerequisites: Botany for 

Botanical Illustrators, Pencil I, Light on Form, any entry level color 

media with its Prerequisites. 

DATE: Fri. – Sat., Sept. 13 – 14 | TIME: 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. 



18


Botany Spotlight: Colorado Native Trees 

There are over 40 native trees and shrubs in Colorado. Learn the 

characteristics of your favorite one which you might be illustrating 

in the future class. Learn to use the Gardens Navigator and 

locate the specimens in Denver Botanic Gardens. This workshop 

is particularly recommended if you are registered for Expressive 

Ink: Illustrating Colorado Native Trees and Large Shrubs. Fee: 

$85 member, $110 non-member. Prerequisite: Botany for the 

Botanical Illustrator. 

DATE: Sun., Sept. 15 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 


Keeping the Traditions Alive – Botanical Illustration 

Through Centuries 

From the Paleolithic to Leonardo da Vinci, and from the great 

temple of Tuthmosis to the modern galleries and studios of 

London or New York. Before printed material, images were 

carved or engraved in bones, stone or wood; later, they were 

painted on walls, papyrus, velum or paper. As soon as books 

and manuscripts about plants began to be produced, illustrations 

became desirable and essential. During this intense workshop, 

you will learn about the long history of botanical illustration and 

its importance within medicine, botany and other science fields. 





Botanical Models 

Workshop 

It is December and a live 

penstemon is not a prospect. 

Simple and effective, 

botanical models can 

bridge the gap between 

photographs and reality 

when a living subject is 

Libby Kyer 

not available. Photographs 

provide necessary information, but can seriously impact the threedimensionality 

of the final image. White models allow an artist 

to see the reality of form and function without the interference of 

local color. Learn to make your own quick or permanent models, 

from white paper, white paper clay, film and plastic clay to 

enhance your art. Fee: $85 member, $105 non-member. No 

Prerequisites. 

DATE: Tue., Dec. 3 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Instructor: Libby Kyer 

Art Materials for the Botanical Illustrator 

Take the mystery out of materials. There are ten types of erasers 

- which one is right for the job? What is the difference between 

sable and synthetic? What’s vellum? This information-packed 

class will provide you with detailed information about all of the 

art materials used throughout the Botanical Illustration program. 

From papers to pencils, inks to pens, brushes to paints, you’ll 

learn where and how to find all the right materials and how they 

are used. Save time and money by shopping expertly the first 

time. Fee: $55 member, $85 non-member. No Prerequisites. 

DATE: Thu., Oct. 17 | TIME: 1 – 4 p.m. 



19


Matting and Floating Artwork 

Preparing your work can be fun and affordable if you know the 

tricks and techniques. This one-day workshop covers mat-cutting 

and inexpensive framing options. Start with an overview of 

equipment, materials and measuring. Learn to float your artwork for 

an inexpensive alternative to matting. Demonstrations and handouts 

show you how to measure and cut your own single, double, and 

multi-opening mats. You’ll go home with two pieces ready to frame. 


DATE: Wed., July 17 | TIME: 1 – 5 p.m. 


Framing Botanical Art 

Get your work off the drawing board and onto the wall! This 

one-day workshop covers the options that will help you to present 

your art to its best advantage. Learn the steps to the conservation 

techniques that preserve your pieces in an acid-free environment. 

We’ll cover all the details of framing styles and materials, and 

you’ll frame a small piece to practice. Whether you decide to 

frame it yourself or work with a professional, you’ll be more 

confident in your framing decisions. Fee: $95 member, $135 

non-member. No Prerequisites. 

DATE: Tue., Oct. 22 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 


Giclée Printing Made Easy 

Curious about having prints made, but apprehensive about the 

time and expense involved? In just three hours we’ll introduce you 

to the process of Giclée printing. Starting with an overview of 

different printing processes, you will then learn how to prepare 

your artwork for prints, the advantages of this method of printing, 

and what to do with the prints once you have them. A professional 

printer will address the technical side of the process and bring 

you up-to-date on costs. Once you understand the procedure, you 

can make an educated decision about what and when to print. 


DATE: Wed., Nov. 20 | TIME: 9 a.m. – Noon 


Improve Your 

Handwriting Skills 

Are you writing with your 

fingers or with your forearm? 

Does your handwriting have 

an easy flow or does it look 

tortured? Handwriting is 

becoming a lost art, since the 


personal computer and text 

messaging have become the primary methods for recording our 

ideas. Researchers suggest that developing writing skills will aid 

the visual identification of graphic shapes. During this workshop 

you will learn how to develop and improve your handwriting skills 

while exploring simple methods to improve your signature and 

labeling. With practice, you will be able to make neater writing 

a habit. This workshop gives you the confidence to sign and label 

your next botanical illustration without the help of a word processor. 


DATE: Wed., Aug. 21, 28, Sept. 4 | TIME: 9 a.m. – Noon 


JOURNALING, FIELD DOCUMENTING 

Botanical Zentangle ® 

Based on the worldwide 

doodling craze called 

“Zentangle ® ” started by Rick 

Roberts and Maria Thomas, 

we will learn and practice 

repetitive strokes that form 

intricate decorative botanical 

patterns. Learn to relax and 

focus as you express your style 

through intricate, decorative 

Annie Reiser 

drawings that are simple to 

render, but look amazing and complicated. We will practice strokes 

consciously and deliberately, observe botanicals and mock their 

natural designs to make our own “botangles” or repetitive strokes 

based on plants. Using keen observation and contour drawing 

techniques combined with ability to translate plant forms and 

textures into patterns, you will create your own special botangle. 


DATE: Fri. – Sun., Aug. 2 – 4 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

Instructor: Annie Reiser, CZT 


20


Field Sketching Along the Yampa River 

(Steamboat Springs) 

Focus on a row of trees against a beautiful sky of cumulus clouds 

or concentrate on the view of a bench tucked under a tree. You 

will work in your journal and produce mini landscape drawings 

as you learn how to document and record a landscape. You 

learn to see and limit a landscape so that it is easy to draw. You 

start with a contour drawing, build up three-value thumbnails and 

then proceed step-by-step to a pen and ink or colored sketch. 

Enjoy group instruction and individual guidance as you learn to 

portray some of the Yampa River Botanic Park’s many landscapes. 


Sketching Outside the Classroom – Mix and Match 

or Take Them All: 

1. Sketching in the Museum 

Plants, birds, insects, mammals, skeletons – all patiently holding 

in the exact same position inside museum dioramas. Your subject 

matter is not moving and you can study your specimen for hours. 

Draw and make careful observations without any stress factor 

involved. Fee: $105 member and non-member (including entry 

fees). No Prerequisites. 

DATE: Wed., Aug. 21 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 




NATURE OBSERVED: 

Randy Raak 

Personal drawing books that 

belonged to the old masters, 

like Ehret and Bauer Brothers, 

are now preserved in the 

Natural History Museum in 

London. They are personal 

notebooks with a wealth of 

striking, well-preserved 

studies of the form and nature 

of plants. Journals with informative handwritten notes allow us 

experience the moment of making as if it was today. Nature 

Observed is a series of workshops that covers the basics of field 

sketching and documentation. It introduces the process of quickly 

capturing accurate renderings of any object. Individual help and 

group critique guides you to see and record correctly while 

simplifying the complex subject matter. You will most likely work 

with graphite and/or water-soluble pencils and water brush if 

outside the classroom; in the classroom you will use quill and ink. 

No matter what media you use, your personal sketchbook will be 

filled with pages of valuable information for future remembrance 

and record. Fees: One session: $105. Set of four Outside the 

Classroom/set of three Sketching with Quill: $225 member, 

$280 non-member. Prerequisites can vary. 

2. Sketching in the Gardens 

Learn how to tackle different views in garden setting as you 

document natural areas, formal plantings, individual plants, 

parts of plants and perhaps an occasional pollinator. Fee: $105 

member and non-member. No Prerequisites. 

DATE: Wed., Aug. 28 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 


3. Sketching in the Bluff Lake Reserve 

You will be moving to the next level in sketching difficulty: wildlife, 

plants and parts of plants, moving and stationary objects. Spend 

the day sketching and drawing landscapes and different views of 

natural areas, both wide angle and close up observations. Fee: 

$105 member and non-member. No Prerequisites. 

DATE: Wed., Sept. 4 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 


4. Sketching in the Zoo 

You will be introduced to both slow 

and fast, continuously moving objects. 

Observing live birds and other animals 

allows you to apply the skills honed in 

the previous sessions. Study first-hand 

the changing gestures, shape, posture 

Randy Raak 

and physical characteristics of a living 

animal. Fee: $105 member and nonmember 

(including entry fees). No Prerequisites. 

DATE: Wed., Sept. 18 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 



21


Sketching with Quill and Ink– 

Mix and Match or Take Them All 

It is difficult to find an ink tool that can 

produce a line that equals the delicacy 

and fluidity of a quill. The earliest 

metal nibs were excavated at Pompeii, 

and we know other instances of their 


Roman use. Joseph Gillott started to 

manufacture steel pens in 1825 and 

Gillott crow quills are still in general use today. In this guided 

workshop, gain confidence using a quill to quickly render the 

various specimens using combinations of lines, marks and stipple 

to suggest color, values and textures. You will work at stations, 

in 30-minute intervals, producing at least 10 - 12 pages to fill 

an archival booklet especially made for this class. All materials 

provided. 

1. Sketching Vegetables 

Carrots, beets, beans, tomatoes and eight other vegetables are 

waiting for you to be sketched expressively in quill. You will learn 

to document the form, color and textures quickly with guidance. 

Fee: $115 member, $145 non-member (all materials included). 

Prerequisites: Pencil I, Light on Form, Pen and Ink I, Pen and Ink II. 

DATE: Fri., Oct. 18 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 


2. Sketching Fruits and Seedpods 

One step more complicated, see the beauty of seedpods such 

as yucca or milkweed. Learn to document more complex fruits, 

like the texture of the fuzzy kiwi or the fine details of an orange. 

Fee: $115 member, $145 non-member (all materials included). 

Prerequisites: Pencil I, Light on Form, Pen and Ink I, Pen and Ink II. 

DATE: Sat., Oct. 19 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 


3. Sketching Flowers and Leaves 

You are getting more confident and in 30 minutes you can 

expressively sketch with a quill the displayed flower or the 

complicated leaf with ease and move to the next. Fee: $115 

member, $145 non-member (all materials included). Prerequisites: 

Pencil I, Light on Form, Pen and Ink I, Pen and Ink II. 

DATE: Sun., Oct. 20 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 


BOOKBINDING 

Stitches and Sewing 

Across and Along: 

Historical and 

Contemporary 

Sewing Techniques 

Stitch through the history 

of books sewn without 

Kitty Meryatt 

supports or on supports of 

slit thongs, raised cords and linen tapes. Explore the different 

methods, techniques and styles mainly from the western European 

tradition. Many of these sewing patterns were hidden behind 

the covers; today they are commonly exposed as a decorative 

element for the book. Learn about gathering folds together by 

attaching them to each other, to common support, or to both. 

Learn about attaching stitches and joining stitches, along and 

across the spine. You will sew your sample cards for future 

reference and assemble several complete books from the patterns 

you have learned. Register for both courses and save $80 ($260 

member, $340 non-member, including materials). 

1. Along or Across the Spine – Sewing with No Support or 

Continuous Support 

During this workshop you learn and practice some 40 different 

ways to sew signatures together. You will bind two complete books. 

Fee: $110 member, $145 non-member (including materials). 

No Prerequisites. 

DATE: Tue., July 23, 30 | TIME: 9 a.m. – Noon 


2. Along the Spine and with 

Continuous Support 

Learn how to sew flat and raised, 

double raised and recessed supports 

and make sample cards with 30 

different patterns. You will complete 


at least two books with decorative, 

functional binding. Fee: $230 member, $275 non-member 

(including materials). No Prerequisites. Some sewing experience will 

be beneficial. 

DATE: Thu., Nov. 7, 14, 21, Dec. 5 | TIME: 9 a.m. – Noon 



22


Basic Decorative 

Techniques in Leather 

Across the world and 

throughout history, leather has 

provided a wonderful medium 

for surface decoration. This 

course introduces students 

to a range of decorative 

K. Hammer 

techniques including tooling 

(stamping), inlay/onlay, embossing, abstract sanded leather 

collages (Lacunose), various inlay techniques, sculptural boards, 

transfer of computer-printed onlay shapes from paper to leather, 

and laser printing on leather – you will learn a plethora of different 

techniques that can also be applied to cloth or paper. During this 

workshop you will create at least three goatskin plaquettes with 

your own special designs for your future reference. Fee: $170 

member, $215 non-member (including leather and board). Basic 

bookbinding skills required. 

DATE: Thu., July 18, 25, Aug 1 | TIME: 1 – 4 p.m. 


How to Repair a 

Cloth Binding 

This workshop will teach 

you how to repair torn and 

damaged cloth bindings. 

You will learn how to take 

apart damaged covers 


properly, replace linings, 

save or salvage endpapers, 

and otherwise repair bindings. During the workshop you should 

have at least two repairs completed. Fee: $90 member, $115 

non-member. Intermediate bookbinding skills required. 

DATE: Thu., July 25, Aug 1 | TIME: 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. 


DRAWING TECHNIQUES 

New Technique - 

Effective Layers: 

Watercolor on 

Graphite 

Learn a new technique! 

Challenge your drawing skills 

and merge them with your 

watercolor expertise. Your 

favorite flowers and botanical 

Karla Beatty 

subjects will be analyzed for 

the best approach to drawing 

strategies. Focus on developing a delicate hand with smooth 

graphite tone. You will start with a pale pencil under drawing, 

or grisaille, which will allow you to tackle a watercolor painting 

with confidence. You’ll achieve continuous tone both in your 

graphite and watercolor washes. Demonstrations and individual 

help will guide you toward a finished work as you discover a set 

of new skills and tricks ready to use in your future illustrations. 

Fee: $225 member, $285 non-member. Prerequisites: Pencil I, 

Color Mixing, Water Color I, (Light on Form and Perspective 

strongly recommended). 

DATE: Mon., July 22, 29, Aug. 5, 12, 19 | TIME: 1 – 4 p.m. 


Colored Pencil Techniques on Mylar 

Beauty is in the details. Fuzzy, thorny, rough, smooth; it’s all form 

on a small scale. Learn to see texture in a new way that allows 

you to create realistic textures using a variety of colored pencil 

techniques specific to Mylar film, including pencil application and 

layering techniques; how to make the back of the surface enhance 

the front; and how to erase colored pencil from Mylar. Through 

guided exercise and practice, assemble a collection of texture 

technique studies that you can reference for all future work. Fee: 

$95 member, $135 non-member. Prerequisites: Pencil I, Color 

Layering for Colored Pencils, Light on Form, Colored Pencil I, 

Colored Pencil II. 

DATE: Tue., Aug. 27, Sept. 3 | TIME: 1 – 4 p.m. 



23


Realism in Botanical 

Illustration 

Bridge the gap between 

abstract theory and practical 

knowledge through skillful 

instruction. You will be 

introduced to James Gurney’s 

“Color and Light” and learn 

to apply its principals to 

botanical illustration. Learn the 

theory of color as it applies to 

James Curney 

creating a realistic image. You 

will get plenty of individual guidance and will learn how to work 

both in the grey scale and color mediums while creating your 

final piece, a convincing realistic illustration similar to those in 

Gurney’s “Color and Light.” A copy of the book, which James 

Gurney has signed specially for you, is included in the course 

price. Fee: $235 member, $275 non-member. Prerequisites: 

Pencil I, Light on Form, Color mixing and Watercolor I or Color 

Layering for Colored Pencils and Colored Pencil I. 

DATE: Wed., Oct. 16, 23, 30, Nov. 6, 13 | TIME: 9 a.m. – Noon 


Into the Dark - Cast Shadows 

Why do cast shadows do what they do? Through lecture, 

observation, class demonstrations and lots of hands-on exercises 

this three-hour class offers advice, inspiration and permission to 

add cast shadows to botanical illustration. Start with geometric 

models moving gradually through real botanical subject matter to 

hypothetical compositional scenarios in which the shadows must 

be created from intuition. This new and fun graphite class provides 

additional insight for creating confident and accurate botanical 

plates. Fee: $55 member, $75 non-member. Prerequisites: 

Pencil I. 

DATE: Thu., Oct 24 | TIME: 9 a.m. – Noon 


GRAPHITE 

Randy Raak 

Birds in Graphite 

Learn the common approaches to illustrate birds and discover 

the challenging proportions and perspective of bird illustration. 

Start with a field trip to Denver Zoo or City Parks (depending 

on the weather) and study the moving subject matter while 

sketching them both at rest and in flight. In the classroom you 

will learn bird anatomy and physical characteristics through 

group instruction and individual attention. Using provided props, 

your reference sketches and /or photos, you will then create a 

sophisticated bird portrait ready to be framed, submitted to an 

exhibit or included in your portfolio. Fee: $225 member, $280 

non-member. Prerequisites: Pencil I, Light on Form, Perfecting 

Perspective strongly recommended. 

DATE: Wed., July 17, 24, 31, Aug. 7, 14, 9 a.m. – Noon 


Hummingbirds in El Charco del Ingenio 

Botanical Garden 

In connection of the Festival International del Colibrí, 

Sept. 6 - 8, 2013, in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico [More 

detailed information later]. 

DATE: Sun. – Fri., Sept. 8 – 13 


Note: Registration through El Charco del Ingenio, San Miguel de Allende, 

GTO, Mexico 


24


Geometry in Nature – Patterns 

in Botany 

Discover the beauty of mathematics – 

Golden Ratio, Phyllotaxy and Fibonacci 

sequence - in botanical subject matter. 

Leaves, petals, seeds and other organs 

in plants are not arranged randomly; 

rather, they follow well-defined rules. 


After learning about and observing these 

patterns, hands-on instruction provides the tools for illustrating 

inherent botanical patterns. You will focus on unusual viewpoints, 

perspective and composition. You will start with a skeleton 

drawing that you flesh out to generate an accurate final plate 

from a live specimen. Individual instruction helps you to enhance 

your full-value graphite techniques that are applicable to your 

future illustrations created in any other media. Fee: $225 member, 

$280 non-member. Prerequisites: Pencil I, Light on Form, Botany, 

Perfecting Perspective strongly recommended. 

Bugs in Carbon Dust II: Pests 

on Plants 

Take a second look at the unexpected 

subject matter and learn about plant 

pests while rendering them in carbon 

Wiki-photo 

dust. As an introduction you learn 

about pests on plants from a specialist. You will be using pinned 

museum specimens or insects that you have collected yourself 

for your subject matter. Focus on smooth, continuous tone, 

range of values and precise details as you pay close attention 

to composition, scale and view. Your final plate in carbon dust 

might become a part of a publication about bugs, beetles, 

spiders or other insects harming both garden and wild plants. 


Light on form, Pencil II, entry level carbon dust. 

DATE: Mon., Aug. 12, 19, 26, Sept. 9, 16 | TIME : 9 a.m. – Noon 


DATE: Tue., July 24, 31, Aug. 7, 14, 21 | TIME : 1 – 4 p.m. 


Carbon Dust 

Push your drawing skills into a new realm. Carbon dust has 

been a mainstay medium for medical and scientific illustrators 

for more than 75 years. Using a combination of pencil lines 

and dust “washes” applied with brushes, this medium produces 

rich, tonal renderings with the value range of charcoal and the 

precision of watercolor. You’ll be introduced to the various tools 

associated with carbon dust, including carbon pencils, dust, 

brushes, blenders and fixative. Choose a subject well suited to 

the technique and learn to use methodical layering to create a 

flawless continuous tone. Complete the finer details with pencil 

for a finished carbon-dust rendering. 




DATE: Fri. – Sat., Aug. 9 – 10 | 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 

All assignments are to be completed no later than September 16, 2013. 


Karla Beatty 


25


PEN & INK 

The Wonderful World of 

Values and Textures in Pen 

and Ink 

Take your pen and ink skills to a new 

level of sophistication! Explore the 

Gardens’ limitless world of colors, 

textures and complex botany and 

incorporate this information into your 


black and white illustration. Working 

with both technical pen and quill, learn advanced techniques 

to make strokes mimic the fuzz of rose champion, the spiky 

seed head of an echinacea, and the variegated leaves of hostas 

and coralbells. Learn how to layer and manipulate lines and 

stipples to develop a full range of value, texture and atmospheric 

perspective. Pen techniques take on a new meaning as you 

develop a final inked illustration from a plant of your choice. 

Fee: $225 member, $280 non-member. Prerequisites: Pencil 

I, Pen and Ink I, Light on Form, Pen and Ink II, Botany for the 

Botanical Illustrator. 

DATE: Tue., July 23, 30, Aug. 6, 13, 20 | TIME : 6 – 9 p.m. 


Randy Raak 

Scratchboard for fine details 

Pen and ink on clayboard surface is one of the most adaptable 

and forgiving combinations of pigment medium and surface. All 

fear of using ink is gone! Discover the excitement of clayboard 

where contrasts in textures and values produce dramatic and 

luminous effects. Choose your favorite subject matter and create 

a composition. Learn the techniques to convey form, shading, 

textures and spatial perspective of the elements in your composition. 

Work toward completing one or several final illustrations. Fee: 

$225 member, $280 non-member. Prerequisites: Pencil I, Pen 

and Ink I, Perspective, Light on Form. 


DATE: Fri. – Sun., Nov. 1 – 3 | TIME : 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 


Expressive Ink: Illustrating 

Colorado Native Trees and Large 

Shrubs with Quill 

Take your pen and ink skills to the next level 

and render one of Colorado’s many native 

trees or large shrubs. A garden specialist 

will guide you through the specimens we 

have onsite and describe their special 


features. Use the style from the early 20th 

century forestry handbooks with exquisite ink drawings as your 

guide as you learn to control the flexible quill pen. With individual 

guidance you learn to master the use of quill on Mylar or paper 

and record not only the accutrate rendering of your specimen, 

but also the sensory qualities to your mark making. Fee: $225 

member, $280 non-member. Prerequisites: Pencil I, Pen and Ink I, 

Light on Form, Expressive Ink, Pen and Ink II. 

DATE: Wed., Sept. 11, 18, 25, Oct. 2, 9 | TIME : 6 – 9 p.m. 



26


COLORED PENCIL 

Mysterious Black in Plants 

If the unusual strikes your fantasy, 

follow us to the “dark side” of the 

plant world. Be amazed: black is not 

black – black does not even exist. 

Learn to solve the mystery and intrigue 

of the rich, deepest colors in plants. 

You will select the subject matter for 

your final plate from a list of relevant 


species that will be provided at the 

registration of this class. We arrange the plant for you and you 

will decode its dark hues. With classroom instruction, explore 

the deepest colors of the plant world and create a hauntingly 

beautiful final plate that emphasizes your new advanced color 

layering techniques and composition. Fee: $225 member, $280 

non-member. Prerequisites: Pencil I, Light on Form, Color Layering 

for Colored Pencil, Colored Pencil I. 

DATE: Thu., July 18, 25, Aug. 1, 8, 15 | TIME : 9 a.m. – Noon 

Instructor: Susan Dimarchi 

Drawing on Tradition: On the 

Footsteps of Cythna Letty 

Cythna Letty (1895-1985) is best 

remembered for her exquisite illustrations 

in “Wild Flowers of the Transvaal” (1962). 

She was a prolific and passionate botanist 

and botanical illustrator and her works of 

art have made her a household name 

Cythna Letty 

in South Africa. During her career, Letty 

published four books of her own and 

illustrated numerous other books on botany, including 730 plates 

for “Flowering Plants of South Africa.” The Gardens’ South African 

Plaza showcases an excellent collection of specimens. Enjoy a 

virtual voyage to South Africa as you learn about the collection 

from a Gardens expert and select a subject for your own careful 

study. Working in colored pencil and graphite, design a plate in 

the scientific style of Letty, using color for the central subject and 

graphite to show scaled botanical details that fill the page. Fee: 

$225 member, $285 non-member. Prerequisites: Pencil I, Light 

on Form, Pencil II, Colored Pencil II with its Prerequisites. 

Leafy Greens in Colored 

Pencil 

Focus on foliage! The greens of 

summer are just as beautiful as 

the blooms. Start with a study of 

nuanced shades of green, and 

Susan Rubin 

then add techniques and tricks 

for rendering margins, surface texture and venation. Tackle the 

tough ones, including variegated, highly textured and translucent 

leaves. Create a series of studies that show your understanding 

of leaves and greens. Your new skills for depicting leaf form and 

color will improve all your future illustrations. Fee: $225 member, 

$285 non-member. Prerequisites: Pencil I, Light on Form, Color 

layering for Colored Pencils, Colored Pencil I. 

DATE: Thu., Aug. 8, 15, 22, 29, Sept. 5 | TIME: 6 – 9 p.m. 


New Technique - 

Colored Pencil on Suede 

Paper 

Colored pencil is a versatile 

medium for applying pigment 

to varied surfaces, allowing 

the artist to enhance an artwork 

by choosing the best ground. 

Sueded paper is a new product 

that provides practically 

Libby Kyer 

limitless tooth, allowing deep 

layered colors, rich dry and powder mixing and fine detail. Learn 

to use this surface to full advantage, employing the color of the 

paper as an integral part of your image. Fee: $225 member, 

$285 non-member. Prerequisites: Pencil I, Light on Form, Color 

layering for Colored Pencils, Colored Pencil I. 


DATE: Fri. – Sun., Aug. 16 – 18 | TIME: 5 – 8 p.m. 


DATE: Tue., Aug. 6, 13, 20, 27, Sept. 3 | TIME : 9 a.m. – Noon 



27


Drawing on Tradition: 

Archimboldo – Nature and 

Fantasy 

The amusing and imaginative 

paintings of Italian artist Giuseppe 

Archimboldo (1526 – 1593) 

captivated the courts of Europe in the 

16th century. He was appointed court 

painter and portraitist to Emperors 

Maximillian II and Rudolf II, and is 

Giuseppe Archimboldo 

considered to be an instrumental 

figure in the origins of still life painting. He combined vegetables, 

fruits, flowers and other life forms to create his imaginative portrait 

paintings. Drawing from these portraits, you will create a colored 

pencil painting using your own composition of live specimens. We 

will put emphasis on drawing the portrait, accurately achieving 

the right perspective and color selections for your composition, 

enabling you to create the look of Archimboldo’s witty but botanically 

accurate portraits. A fun twist on your botanical illustration journey! 


Light on Form, Color layering for Colored Pencils, Perspective, 

Colored Pencil I, Colored Pencil II. 

DATE: Thu., Sept. 12, 19, 26, Oct. 3, 10 | TIME: 1 – 4 p.m. 


History of Temptation – 

Holiday Spices in Colored 

Pencil 

When we think of holiday spices, 

we can almost taste them! Learn 

about the history of the spice trade 

and how these humble plants came 

to dominate the world economy. 

Choose your favorites and compose 

a piece that tells a story about the 

spice, the flavor and the current 

uses. Working in colored pencil 

on paper or Mylar, you’ll create a 

work that’s perfect for a holiday 

card or a special gift. Fee: $225 

Susan Rubin 

member, $285 non-member. Prerequisites: Pencil I, Light on 

Form, Pencil II, Colored Pencil II with its Prerequisites. 

Cutting Edge Art 

Create art with visual punch and 

create a glass cutting board, just 

in time for the holidays. Learn 

how to design an artwork that 

multitasks: it hangs on a wall and 

looks beautiful, and also sits on 

the table serving your delicious 

hors d’ouvres. Working with 

Libby Kyer 

colored pencils, you will focus 

on effective specimen selection, 

composition and saturated color rendering to provide art that 

is beautiful, fits the shape of your chosen board (round, oval, 

rectangular), and is bold enough to read well even when working 

under tempered, textured glass. Glass professionals will make 

your finished work into a beautiful, functional cutting board ready 

to use or gift-wrap for a present. Fee: $225 member, $285 nonmember. 

Prerequisites: Pencil I, Light on Form, Color layering for 

Colored Pencils, Colored Pencil I. 


DATE: Fri. – Sun., Nov. 22 – 24 | TIME: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 


Black Backgrounds for 

Colored Pencil 

A new twist on colored pencil! Using 

black paper creates a vibrant result 

with varied possibilities. Examples, 

discussion, demonstrations and 

practice will help you learn the basic 

skills you’ll need to work in reverse; 

grisaille in white, adding highlights 

Susan Rubin 

while saving darks, and achieving 

pale or brilliant color. This threesession 

workshop will get you started with a toolbox of techniques 

and several small works to help you start your next big project. Fee: 

$160 member, $185 non-member. Prerequisites: Pencil I, Light on 

Form, Color layering for Colored Pencils, Colored Pencil I. 

DATE: Tue., Nov. 12, 19, 26 | TIME: 6 – 9 p.m. 


DATE: Mon., Sept. 30, Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28 | TIME: 9 a.m. – Noon 



28


ILLUMINATION 

Beginners Techniques for 

Botanical Illumination 

The earliest confirmed examples of 

illuminated manuscripts in existence 

today originated over 2,000 years 

ago. While some of the oldest ones 

were made of papyrus, calf, goat 

or sheep parchment was used for 


writing and illumination. Throughout 

history the floral decorative elements along margins, around 

capital letters or in images have been an important informative 

element of the narrative. Explore the symbolism and traditional 

design components of this ancient design form. Learn to mix the 

traditional manuscript colors and practice the application of a 

variety of gold media. Through step-by-step instruction you will 

design a personal one-of-a-kind illumination with floral elements 

in the traditional style. Fee: $225 member, $280 non-member. 

Prerequisites: Pencil I, Color Mixing. 

DATE: Thu., Aug. 22, 29, Sept. 5, 12, 19 | TIME: 9 a.m. – Noon 


Drawing on Tradition: The 

Illuminated Calligraphy of Irene 

Wellington 

Irene Wellington (1904-1984) is 

widely acknowledged as one of the 

most renowned and influential people 

in the development of 20th century 

calligraphy. She had an important role 

in the transformation of calligraphy from 

a medieval craft to a modern art form. 

Irene Wellington 

You will first analyze Ms. Wellington’s 

calligraphy styles and her design elements based on Victorian 

illustrations. Learn then to combine calligraphic lettering with 

botanical illustration as you work with colored inks and gouache 

or watercolor. You will design and complete a composition using 

italic or copperplate calligraphic writing as a compliment to your 

favorite botanical subject matter. Fee: $225 member, $280 nonmember. 

Prerequisites: Pencil I, Color Mixing, Watercolor I or 

gouache, entry level calligraphy (italic or copperplate). 

DATE: Thu., Oct. 24, 31, Nov. 7, 14, 21 | TIME: 1 – 4 p.m. 


WATERCOLOR PENCIL 

Watercolor Pencils I 

It’s dry, it’s wet, it’s mixed media 

in a single pencil! Discover the 

versatility of watercolor pencils. 

Start with color studies to explore 

the qualities of watercolor pencils 


as they translate into watercolor. 

Experiment with graphite pencil and 

ink as embellishments as you develop and work on sketches from 

your journal, then put your new skills to use to create a finished 

botanical plate in this fresh and fluid medium. Fee: $225 member, 

$280 non-member. Prerequisites: Pencil I, Color Layering for 

Colored Pencil, Color Mixing. 

DATE: Thu., Oct. 24, 31, Nov. 7, 14, 21 | TIME: 6 – 9 p.m. 


WATER MEDIA 

Plants that Changed 

Civilizations 

How did black pepper lead to the 

creation of the world’s first banking 

system in Venice? How did the 

sunflower save lives from the sinking 

Titanic in 1912? And how did the 

discovery of pineapple in the New 

World inspire the invention of the 

greenhouse in Europe? If you are keen 

Bill Laws 

to find out about our interrelatedness 

to various plants, this workshop is for you. You will focus on 

the history and sociology of plants in different regions of the 

world. Select your favorite plant and create a finished plate in 

watercolor centering your attention on graded washes, color 

choice and interesting composition. Bill Laws’ recently published 

and beautifully illustrated book “50 Plants the Changed the 

Course of History” will be included in your course Fee. Fee: 


on Form, Color Mixing for Artists, Watercolor I. 

DATE: Tue., Sept. 10, 17, 24, Oct. 8, 15 | TIME: 1 – 4 p.m. 



29


Ravishing Reds in Watercolor 

More orange in the sunlight; violet in the shadows; pink at the 

edge? Capturing the “right” red is an interesting challenge for the 

illustrator. Build on your watercolor skills as you learn to mix the 

red hues you need and effectively apply color to create value and 

form. Viewing examples of artworks representing successful use 

of red tones, instructor demonstrations, and practical exercises 

with a variety of red botanical material will prepare you to 

complete a finished plate from a red-blossomed specimen. Fee: 


on Form, Color Mixing for Artists, Watercolor I. 

DATE: Mon., Sept. 9, 16, 23, 30, Oct. 7 | TIME: 6 – 9 p.m. 


Aubergines and Artichokes 

While contrasting, they are compatible and complementary; they 

look good alone and great together. Using their color, texture and 

form you will explore different watercolor techniques and learn 

to select the appropriate to each subject. Learn to apply light 

on form and convey and contrast the smooth, shiny and fleshy 

eggplants versus the textured striations of the artichokes’ bracts. 

Group demonstrations and individual guidance will direct you to 

complete a bold yet delicate watercolor plate in striking colors. 


Light on Form, Color Mixing for Artists, Watercolor I, Watercolor II. 

Favoring Flavorful Herbs 

From minty greens to hairy 

horehounds, from basil basics to 

delightful dills, you will explore 

ways to portray our different culinary 

plants with the emphasis on painting 

different leaf types. Learn first about 

the historical importance of herbals 

for botanical illustration and review 

historical and contemporary samples 

of herbal paintings. Then learn to 


design wisely by using contrast in 

value, color, shape and texture in your composition to add drama 

to your complex plant portrait. Enhance your color mixing skills 

and practice mixing the wide variety of greens that these leafy 

subjects possess. Create your own watercolor plate in the spirit of 

old herbals or in your own contemporary style. On the final day 

of this course you will have the possibility to listen to Amy Stewart 

presenting her book “The Drunken Botanist.” A signed copy of 

this book is included in your course Fee. Fee: $245 member, 

$285 non-member (Including lecture and signed book by Amy 

Stewart). Prerequisites: Pencil I, Light on Form, Color Mixing for 

Artists, Watercolor I. 

DATE: Wed., Sept. 11, 18, 25, Oct. 2, 9 | TIME: 1 – 4 p.m. 


DATE: Wed., Sept. 11, 18, 25, Oct. 2, 9 | TIME: 9 a.m. – Noon 




30

REGISTRATION INFORMATION 

Five Easy Ways to Enroll 

1. By Telephone: 720-865-3580 

2. By Fax: 720-865-3685 (24 HOURS) 

3. In Person: Visit the Education Office at Denver Botanic Gardens, 

1007 York Street 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday – Friday 

4. By Mail: Attention: Registrar 909 York Street, Denver, CO 80206 

5. Online: www.botanicgardens.org 

Accessibility: 

Denver Botanic Gardens and 

its classrooms are accessible 

for people with disabilities. 

Classrooms are located in 

Boettcher Memorial Center and 

Marnie’s Pavilion. 

Map of the Gardens 

Inquiries and Consultation: 720-865-3680 or sbai@botanicgardens.org 

Visit the Botanical Illustration blog at www.botanicalillustration.blogspot.com and 

find us on Facebook. 

Refund and Cancellation Policy: 

Cancellations more than one week prior to a class are subject to a 15% cancellation 

fee. Cancellations with less than one-week notice are non-refundable. 

After Course has Commenced: 

Instructors have no authority to grant or promise refunds or exceptions from course 

policies. In the event of a family emergency or because of inclement weather 

circumstances, the student can later complete the course by taking the missed single 

classes from the same instructor and notifying the school manager two weeks before 

the course starts. If more than 20% of the course is missed because of the family 

emergency or the inclement weather circumstances, the course can be re-taken free 

during the same year from any instructor in that medium if space is available. 

These policies apply to all registrations in the School of Botanical Art and Illustration 

program. Selected courses have additional cancellation and refund requirements 

Parking: 

Parking is available for free in 

our parking lot directly across 

from the main entrance to the 

Gardens on the east side of 

York Street, between York and 

Josephine Streets. Street parking 

is available; please pay attention 

to street signs and parking 

restrictions. 

Helpful Information: 

Denver international Airport 

Denver B cycle (rentable bicycles) 

RTD (public transportation) 

LODGING: 

Staybridge Suites Cherry Creek 

JW Marriott Denver Cherry Creek 

Hilton Garden Inn Cherry Creek 

printed with the course description. Denver Botanic Gardens regrets that it cannot 

make exceptions. 

Requirements for Individual Courses: 

Attendance is required at the first class for all courses. In order to receive credit, 

80% of a course must be attended (at least 12 hours of a 15-hour course). 

31

Susan Curnutte, Watercolor 

For information & consultation: 720-865-3670 

Email: sbai@botanicgardens.org 

Visit Botanical Illustration’s blog at www.botanicalillustration.blogspot.com 

Stay connected to the Gardens! 

www.botanicgardens.org 

1007 York Street | Denver, Colorado 80206 | www.botanicgardens.org

summer/fall 2013 catalog of courses - Denver Botanic Gardens

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