online course botanical illustration

Like I said in my previous post I wanted to take a course in botanical illustration and finally I found one in England, United kingdom.

I justed signed up and I cannot wait to receive the lessons to start.

Although I have some experience I do not have much experience in botanical drawing and painting so I have to learn a lot. I asked advise which course was best for me: nr I or nr II. The advice given was, because I already had some experience in drawing and painting, to start with nr II. So I did.

I keep you informed about the course and my work and the progress thet I hopefully will make.

botanical painting

I love botanical painting, I always did. But I feel it is so difficult. I bought some DVD's of very famous painters and my most favorite DVD is of Billy Showell. I bought also a lot of books about drawing and painting in a lot of different techniques and subjects. I searched the internet for botanical painting and painters and also for an online course. I found a course, but it costs so much money, too much for me. But then I discovered that one of their students (a professional artist now) put her journey while following the course in a book. It became a beautiful book and also because she shows and tells                                                                                                                                                    

botanical painting

I love botanical painting, I always did. But I feel it is so difficult. I bought some DVD of very famous painters and my most favorite DVD is of Billy Showell.
I bought also a lot of books about drawing and painting in a lot of different techniques and subjects and of course also books about painting flowers.
I searched the internet for botanical painting and painters and also for an online course.
I found a great course with The Society of Botanical Artists, but it costs so much money, too much for me.
But then I discovered that one of their students (a professional artist now) put her journey, while following the course, in a book. It is called Botanical sketchbook by Mary Ann Scott
Here you can read more about the book, the author and the SBA
http://makingamarkreviews.blogspot.com/2010/04/book-review-botanical-sketchbook.html

It became a beautiful book, also because she shows and tells all about the excercises and assignments.
Following the book you can follow the course yourself and I intend to do so.
That's why I started an excercise in drawing pears to start with.

I found another book that concentrate even more on the basics of drawing and painting botanical illustrations.
"Botanical Illustration course with the Eden project" by Rosie Martin and Meriel Thurstan.

I am so happy with these books. And it will take many many months to make all these excercises.
But I feel that when I have done so I will be able to draw and paint better.

some excercises drawing pears

 I felt it was time to do some excercise in drawing.
At the moment it is fall in Holland so a lot of pears are available.
I wanted to explore the form and different light sources and tones and methods to create the rounded form of the pears.
Not an easy subject I discovered.
But I like to start drawing and painting flowers and fruits so I feel that I have to start at the beginning and do a lot of excercises before I will choose an  more complex subject.

selfmade greyscale finder

Today I have made a greyscale finder.

A while ago I already painted a greyscale with acrylicpaint but I wanted to make one that would be more suitable for me to work with. So I used the greyscale I already had painted and put 3 rows of them on a clear sheet of thick plastic.
Because of the transparancy of the sheet I can find the right value far better.
I put a colored piece of paper underneath it so you can see the transparancy of the greyscale finder better.

Not only I can use the gaps or holes in the grey pieces of paper but I can also look at the spaces between the greys and be able to compare them very quick.

I used doubleside tape to attached the pieces of paper to the plastic sheet and put clear tape over them to protect the paper.
I wanted to have 5 or 6 greys to use for the earlier stages of drawing and painting.
The row in the middle has a small hole in them and the other row is at one side and has larger holes.
And for the final stages of my painting I like to see more tones so I added a third row of 10 values at the other end of the plastic piece.

I know, these greyscales are not expensive, but here in Holland I could not find them and I love to make my own things. While making the pieces of grey and the grey scale I had a lot of fun and of course I learned something from it, like always

new oil painting, still life

I started a new still life oil painting. I bought the DVD's of Elizabeth Pruitt and WOW these DVD's are so good! By watching her I learned so much and I am trying to paint the same still life to learn even more. These are the first two stages. I bought the same roses of the still life and took a lot of photos in different stages as a reference to help me.

little girl reading, oil painting, next step

In 2009 I worked at a painting of a little girl and last week I started to work a little bit more at this difficult subject. Of course this large painting is still not finished:-))))
I put three stages of the painting together so you can see the progress.
Click on the picture to see it enlarged.
In real (of course) the painting is longer and the colors are a bit different and lighter.
I get so frustrated about taking photos of my work.
When I scan a painting the result is a bit better, but this painting is far to large to scan it.

snowleopard first layer of fur

I started to paint the first layer of fur, still very roughly.

In the precious layers I used Liquin, so I could paint every day a next layer.

But with this layer I used linseed oil, so I have to wait  till this layer is dry before I can add more layers.

5th layer snow leopard oilpainting

Again, I worked a bit at this painting. I made it softer. Now I have to begin to paint fur.

snow leopard oilpaint first stages

I added some color to the painting.  I wanted to make the base more solid and to give it more shape and depth that's why I added this layer of color. Far too much color for a snow leapard but I will build up light/white hairs on top of this layer. I also made the spots and the dark colors very dark, again I will put white hairs partly over these black and brown spots. The whole painting will become more softer. This is the first time I paint fur, so this is an experiment, I hope it will work.

snow leopard oilpaint first stages

I started a painting of a snow leapard. It is a study, I never have painted such a subject with oilpaint.
I have a book about drawing and painting animals by Edward Aldrich and this snow leapard is one of his examples. I do not want to make an exact copy, I want to make the painting more loose.
These are the first three stages, still very basic with not much detail yet.


The painting is of an A4 size, approx 20x30 cm and I use MDF as a base. It is 1,6 cm thick.
I put on several layers of gesso and sanded between the layers.
I painted the gesso also on the sides and on the back. Than I put a couple of white layers of acrylpaint on the surface and put the drawing on and sealed the drawing with transparant white acryl.
The first stage is painted with acrylpaint, the other stages I used Liquin as a medium, so I can work in transparant layers. Later on I will use more linseed oil and less Liquin to get a bit more opaque layers.

watercolor portrait of a little girl

I think that the portrait is finished. It is always so difficult to decide when to stop.
This portrait was a real journey for me, I learned so much of painting it. Many, many layers where added. The last layers I used yellow ocre. This color is opaque so I could not use it for the previous layers. Now her hair is a bit blonder and I also put some of the yellow ocre in the face and ears to tone down the red collors a bit and the blue became a bit greenish. Only slightly.
I had a commission of drawing portraits of her and her brother for her grandmothers birthday. And once fnished I decided to also paint a portrait of the little girl with watercolor paint.
The size is A4, 20x30 cm and I used hotpress watercolor paper.

watercolor portrait of a little girl, first stages

For the first time I try to paint a portrait with watercolor paint.
I use very diluted paint, layer on layer, a very slow process of building color.
No details added yet, so I have a lot of work to do.

watercolor horse portrait second stage

I put more layers on the portrait, almost there. I have to paint his ears and of course some detailing is needed. But I am getting there, slowly. I learn a lot by painting this portrait. It is a new way of working with watercolor paint. I have never done something like this. And I am very excited about this process. I like it and I hope you like it too:-))))

watercolor horse portrait - first stage

I have started to paint the head of a horse. This is my first horse head:-))))
So be gentle in your comment.
The photo that I use as a reference is unfortunately not so good. The neck and breast are not shown, they are in the shadow. So I have to use my imagination a bit for that.

Ah well, I see this painting as an excercise, like always. And one day I hope I will be able to say: "I am there, I am satisfied about the result". But I am a perfectionist, so I do not think that this will ever happen.

Already many hours are put in, but I do have to do so much more.
Like the ears, the eye, the mouth and a lot of details have to be added.
But still I think that it is a good start.

Chow Chow acryl finished

Finally the Chow Chow portrait is finished. This is the first time that I worked with acryl.
In future I want to combine different materials such as watercolor and colored pencil and/or acryl paint. And also acrylpaint as a base for a painting with oilpaint. This was a lovely excercise to get familiar with acrylpaint. I hope you like it.

chow acryl soften a bit

It seems that there is not much difference between the middle picture and the third one. But I tried to soften things a bit and I am going to put more detail in concerning the hairs.
Acryl is a total different technique and it is therefor more difficult to show the softness of the hairs.

chow chow acryl next stages

chow chow acryl first stages

Last week I finished a portrait of a Chow Chow in pastel and I want to make another one but this time with acryl plaint. Perhaps I will add also a layer of oilpaint later on but I do not know yet.
These are the first stages. I have to build up many layers of color. I dilute the paint with lots of water, almost like watercolor paint.

oil painting, little girl reading, second color layer

I added some more color to this painting. Of course ....... in real the painting is longer.
I corrected it a bit with Paint Shop but.... Ohhhh, taking good photographs is sooo hard to do and often the results are so disappointing:-))))) If anyone has a good tip for me..... please contact me.

Ah well, I cannot change it. The painting is far to big to put it on the scanner. My previous painting, a pastel portrait of a Chow I did scan it once finished. I still had to scan it though in two parts and had to put the parts together with using Paint Shop Pro. It took a lot of time to do so, but the result is so much better than when I photograph the painting.

Of course painting is far from finished, but it has to dry befor I can put another layer of color on.

pastel portrait Chow Chow finished

Finally the painting of the Chow Chow is finished.

pastel portrait Chow Chow next stage

I worked hard at the head and the collar of hairs of the Chow Chow. Now I am going to paint the body and the legs.

pastel portrait Chow Chow second stage

I am trying to build up color and all those layers of hair.
A huge task:-)))) The photo I have as a reference is not so good.
I find it difficult to get depth in the painting. Still a long way to go.

pastel portrait Chow Chow first stage

This is the first stage of a pastel painting of my neighbours dog a Chow Chow. So many hairs to paint:-)))). And there are not many different colors only a lot of tints to play with.

watercolor acrylic stones study

Just a study on painting ordinairy stones. I used watercolor and some acrylic. Not finished yet, I will add some layers of acrylic to give it more "body" and more details.

oil paint still life apples, third stage

At last I worked a little at this still life. Not yet there. The piece of apple at the front I still have to paint and than some details and the finishing touches.

pastel two little ducks in progress

These lovely two young ducks, I just had to paint them in pastel.
I used pastel pencils and Canson MiTeintes, the smooth side of it.
Not yet finished. I have to paint the back and foreground and some details in the ducks.
I made this very difficult for myself because I had choosen green colored paper and it was so hard to mix and add the right colors on it:-)))) This picture was photographed, but I hope that once it is finished and protected I am able to put it on my scanner. In real, of course, the colors are a bit different. (As always)
I have used for this painting sofar Derwent pastel pencils and some Koh-I-Noor, these are a bit softer.
I have ordered 27 colors of even softer pastel pencils: Faber Castell Pitt. Only the colors that I need the most, because these pencils are soo expensive.
I  like to thank Edgar Thissen  for the use of his beautiful photos. You can look at his breathtaking photos at his website:  www.edgarthissen.nl

water color sparrow almost finished

I was not satisfied about the photo I had taken of my little sparrow. So this time I used my scanner. The outcome is a bit better I think.
Right now I am working at a pastel painting of two little ducks. I use pastel pencils.
Previously I only had not much colors and I decided to give myself a present and I ordered at Amazon.co.uk for less than half the prize a wooden box of 90 pastelpencils of Derwent. They are not too soft and that is what I like.

water color sparrow almost finished

Little sparrow almost finished. Some tiny details and his leg and feet I have to paint.

watercolor sparrow work in progress

I just started to paint a little sparrow in watercolor. This is the first time I try to paint a bird. Many hours are already spend and many layers are added. Still a lot of work to do, but I love this little one and I think that I will paint many more birds:-))))

oil paint still life apples, second stage

Next step, a little part of the painting is set up and some color added. But... again I am so disappointed and frustrated about the photos of my work. I know so many have troubles to get good photos. I tried everything but still........................ in real the painting is so much nicer.
Ah well, you can get an impression of what I am doing.

oil paint still life studies peppers and fruit

Just for fun and to experiment with different types of underlayers and to see how it looks when I add a colorlayer on top of it I have made these 2 studies.
One with an umber underlayer and one with an underlayer of grey tones.
In real the painting with the appel, pear and citron the underlayer of grey tones shines beautiful through the very thin color layer. The photo does not give a good impression of this subtible transparancy. I will try to put another thin colorlayer on to see if the transparancy still be there.
I am not so satifies about the underlayer of umber with the peppers. It is a very heavy color and when I added a colorlayer on top of it I have to use a less transparance color layer. I think that this kind of underlayer is more suitable in case of using thicker layers of color on top of it.

oil paint still life apples, first stage

I already tried to paint this still life, but I was not satisfied.
The canvas (a cheap one) was so rough that it was not nice to work on. The paint sunk in immiddiately, the paint did not flow and my precious brushes got ruined.
So I took another canvas, still not so expensive:-)))), and I put a layer of Gesso and an layer of acryl paint on. I mixed Umber and white. And it is a lot better to work on.
Not too slick and still some thooth.
I tried to paint a bit more loose and after adding the brush strokes with color I soften a bit the edges of the brushstrokes and mixed the colors a bit.
I used almost no medium, in case the paint was a bit to stroppy I put a tiny bit of medium at my brush (half terpetine, half standoil)
I have a jar already mixed, ready to use.
I am almost half way now, to night I will try to paint the left side of the table and tomorrow the background.
In real the apples are darker and more volumpteous like real apples.

It is so difficult to take good pictures and to get the right colors.
I took I think 30 pictures to get this one.
The painting is 30x40 cm, I find this a real nice size to work on.
Not too big not to small.

water color still life study nr2

Last night I did another still life study of some fruit and a vase. A shiny vase, so I could practise also the reflection of all the things that surrounded the vase. It was fun to do.
The painting is approx. 13,5 x 11,5 cm.

still life setup and studies

I like to learn how to paint still life so I made a setup in my room with a cardboard box, some cloth, a daylicht lamp and a bowl and apples and such. I made some photos and altered them in Paint Shop to find a suitable size and compositon and I have made a lot of sketches.
And I made a couple of studies with apples and glass objects.

oil painting, little girl reading, first color layer

Finally, I could not wait so I added the first color layer to her face and neck.
That was soooo difficult and of course I am not satisfied.
In real on her forhead there is too much green and her face is too yellow.
So when it is completely dried I have to work on her face again and also her hair has to be more detailed.
But till it is dry I can work on the other parts of the painting and I am alsostudying hard with composition and still life and making sketches and such.
Today I will place a lot of pictures of all my work of the last couple of days.
This picture is large, click on it to see all the details.