Botanical Drawing – Autumn Fruit and Vegetables with Amber Halsall

Ref: S3D40872

Places available

About this course

Learn to give lustre, brilliance and depth to late summer fruit and vegetables using coloured pencils.

Course Description

Study techniques to make a botanical drawing creating the colours for Autumn fruit and vegetables. You will produce some studies and then plan and start a small, seasonal composition.

You will learn how to merge colours and create convincing shadows to create a range of rich autumn colours. The tutor will demonstrate techniques throughout the workshop for your study pieces and guide you through creating an eye-catching composition for your final piece.

This course is about having a go and trying out the techniques which, when mastered, will add depth, realism and interest to your finished colour pencil work and help you attract an audience to your pictures.  You will leave with a page or two of studies, some colour templates and lots of notes, plus the start of a finished project, which you will be able to complete at home with the knowledge you have acquired.

Course Materials

Included

Fruit and vegetables from West Dean Gardens will be provided. Please bring along fruit and vegetables of your choice if you prefer.

What students need to bring

  • Layout paper – thin paper used like tracing paper
  • Good quality, hot pressed watercolour paper 300gsm – good makes are Fabriano Classico 5, Winsor & Newton Aquarelle 100% cotton, Strathmore Bristol Vellum 300 and 400 series, Bockingford watercolour paper, Arches watercolour paper
  • A range of graphite pencils: B, HB, or H, plus 9H if possible
  • A blender pencil - good makes are Lyra Splender Blender, Prismacolor and Caran D’Ache
  • Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils are a good selection for all improvers classes; these are the basics: 168 Earth Green Yellowish, 174 Chromium Green Opaque, 278 Chrome Green Oxide, 170 May Green, 172 Earth Green, 274 Warm Grey V, 230 Cold Grey 1, 139 Light Violet (discontinued but very useful if you have one or similar), 103 Ivory, 102 Cream, 101 White, 194 Red Violet, 193 Burnt Carmine, 135 Light Red Violet Plus a selection of oranges, yellow, red and browns Prismacolor Orange, Poppy Red, Scarlet Lake, Carmine Red, Lime Peel, Black Cherry

Other good makes: Caran D’Ache Luminance, Derwent Lightfast (Forest, Foliage), Caran D’Ache Pablo, Tombow Irojiten (good for fine details, not so lightfast) (Sea Fog, Mulberry, Eggshell)

  • Pencil Sharpener, preferably with a spiral metal sharpening core
  • Eraser – battery and kneadable (soft)
  • Pergamano 0.5 embossing tool or similar fine embossing tool
  • Magnifying Glass

The following are not essential but are very useful and inexpensive to buy online:

  • A small UV LED Torch (Blue light)
  • A small LED torch

Available to buy

Available from shop:

  • The shop holds a range of general purpose art materials, including pencils, sketchbooks, erasers, layout paper and good quality watercolour paper.

Additional information

Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio, this includes stout covered footwear (no sandals or open toes).

Timetable

Arrival day - first date of course
Residential students can arrive from 4pm, non-residential students to arrive by 6.45pm for registration  
Student welcome, followed by dinner: 6.45pm (dinner included)
Teaching session: 8pm-9pm (attendance is essential)

Daily timetable
Course teaching: 9.15am-5pm  
Morning session: 9.15am-12.45pm including coffee/tea break  
Lunch break: 12.45pm-2pm (lunch included)  
Afternoon session: 2pm-5pm including coffee/tea break  
Teaching finishes: 5pm    
Evening working: students may have access to workshops until 9pm, but only with permission from the tutor and provided any health and safety guidelines are observed.

Departure day - last date of course
Course teaching: 9.15am-3pm (lunch included)  
Teaching finishes: 3pm  

Residential students will need to check out of rooms by 10am.
Please note, the tutor may make slight variations to the daily timetable as required.

General Information

Tutors

Amber Halsall

Amber trained at the University of Creative Arts in Canterbury. She then went on to specialise in watercolour and coloured pencil in botanical art. Amber currently works on private commissions and teaches botanical and watercolour classes. Her work is highly detailed with a contemporary style. She is a Fellow Member of the Society of Botanical Artists, exhibits regularly in London and Germany, and has sold work to private collections in the UK, Germany, France and China.

Accommodation

Residential option available. Find out accommodation costs and how to book here.

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Further study options for art craft and design short courses

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