Illustrating British Butterflies

Open to all adults – the course will cater for beginners to those with previous drawing and painting experience.

Do you love drawing and painting, and find butterflies fascinating? This course will cover the depiction of butterflies in a range of media. Observation techniques and accurate drawing methods employed in illustration will be covered. Capturing patterns on a butterflies wings can be a mesmerising pastime!

The course will include looking at some real specimens and artwork by other artists to understand the amazing variety of British butterflies and learn a little bit more about these beautiful flying insects.

Students will learn how to choose a subject and sketch it loosely and add colour freely with brightly coloured inks. We will then learn how to draw a butterfly more accurately and to scale in pencil. The next step will be to explore using ink and/or watercolour paints to add colour, texture and patterns in an accurate and artistic way. Students may choose to add flowers and plants to their artworks.

– How to sketch a butterfly.
– How to draw a butterfly to scale and capture its markings.
– How to use ink and/or watercolour paints to colour your butterfly

Materials
Materials will be supplied, however if you have your own sketch book and watercolour paints and brushes, please bring them along. You are most welcome to bring any materials that you are accustomed to using.
Students may wish to purchase a set of proportional dividers and a dipping pen, the tutor will advise at the beginning of the course.
Students are most welcome to bring their own reference pictures that they may wish to draw, but the tutor will provide a selection of images.

Tutor
Hazel Wilks, studied Zoology in South Africa and is a professional botanical artist