All flowers hold different meanings, often based on the flower type, the time of year in which they bloom, the flower’s color, or other floral lore that makes them so meaningful to us. This introductory class teaches you fine basic skills in botanical illustration techniques to help you make realistic drawings of branches, stems, leaves, and flowers using graphite, in hopes of articulating the singular and very brief story of your floral specimen. Led by botanical artist Anastasia Traina. 

Anastasia Traina is a writer and artist. Her solo art show, “Anastasia Traina’s Fairytale Botanical World,” graced the Berkshire Botanical Garden Leonhardt Galleries in an exhibition of original botanical art, faeries and inspirational ephemera. Traina illustrated the children’s book Bitsy the Heaviest Butterfly and Raff the Tenderest Reed and is currently writing and illustrating her new children’s book, The Curious Tales of Thymble Tarn. Her new exhibition, “Alchemy and Innocents,” will be on display at BBG’s Leonhardt Galleries May 5 through June 25.

Materials List

Pencils:

•Graphite Pencils: 2 of each - 6B, 2B, HB, 2H, Faber-Castell 9000 (or any good quality brand)

Erasers:

•Tombow Mono Zero Refillable Eraser Round

•White plastic eraser

•Small kneaded eraser

•Tombow Mono Sand eraser (optional)

Pencil Sharpener:

•Any good electric pencil sharpener. 

Paper:

•Strathmore 400 Series Heavyweight Drawing Pad - 11" x 14", 24 sheets

•Tracing paper: Canson Foundation Calque 11” x 14”

•Canson Field Sketch ArtBooks 5” x 7”

Other Useful Items:

•Ruler - Clear plastic, 6 or 12 inch

•Alvin Draftsman Duster or large makeup brush

• Artist's Tape ¾"

• Florist's Frog (to support plants)

•Selizo 5 Pcs Embossing Stylus Set (optional)

Recommended Textbooks: 

Botanical Art Techniques, American Society of Botanical Artists (Woodin and Jess)

Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling, John Muir Laws

The Joy of Botanical Drawing, Wendy Hollender

The Science Behind Flowers, Dick Rauh