Introduction to Botanical Art in Colored Pencils

Class Overview: 

Discover the wonder of turning nature’s finest details into a vivid work of art! This introductory class, led by botanical artist Scott Stapleton, is perfect for anyone curious about botanical art, whether you’re new to colored pencils or looking to develop your skills in this timeless medium. You’ll learn to create stunning, true-to-life portraits of plant species with precision and artistry.

In the first half of the class, you’ll learn essential colored pencil techniques through a series of engaging blending exercises, designed to help you gradually build confidence. With just a few supplies, you’ll explore how to mix and layer colors to create endless hues, unlocking a world of possibilities. While students are welcome to bring additional materials, the focus will remain on simplicity — using a few colors to achieve depth and realism.

For the second half, you'll draw your own botanical subject, choosing from the lush, inspiring flora around you right here at the Arboretum. Alongside hands-on practice, we’ll explore the history of botanical illustration, learn about renowned artists and discuss the creative process from concept to execution.

In this class you will:

• Become proficient in the use of colored pencils —learning their strengths and weaknesses; how best to employ them and what additional techniques bring out their best qualities.
• Gain some feeling for the kinds of pencils and tools you would like to acquire following this introduction.
• Develop the habits that will ensure your productivity beyond the classroom.
• Gain a sense of what’s at stake when creating a botanical work of art, that is, a work that honors the scientific requirements involved in depicting a species without sacrificing the persuasive power its artistic possibilities can generate.
• Gain an appreciation of the wider world of botanical art and/or art in general and your place in it.

Supplies/Equipment - Each student is expected to bring the following supplies:

Pencils:

• Faber-Castell’s basic Polychromos 12-pencil set
• Faber-Castell Polychromos individual colored pencil Pale Geranium Lake, #121
• Faber-Castell Polychromos individual colored pencil Light Yellow Glaze, #104
• Faber-Castell Polychromos individual colored pencil Middle Phthalo Blue, #152
• Faber-Castell Polychromos individual colored pencil Ultramarine, #120 

Paper:

• Either Strathmore’s Mixed Media 400 Series paper, vellum surface – 6"x8" or 9"x12" 
  OR
   - Stratmore’s Colored Pencil paper – 6"x8" or 9"x12" 
  OR
  -Stonehenge’s Legion Drawing Paper – white 5"x7" or 9" x 12"

Other:

• A good pencil sharpener.  Recommended are either the Carl Angel-5 pencil sharpener or the Dahle 155 Professional Pencil Sharpener
• 1 kneaded eraser
• At least 3 graphite drawing pencils – one hard pencil (2H, or H), one medium grade pencil (F, or HB), and one soft grade pencil (B, or 2B).  There are several perfectly acceptable brands to choose from. The top four picks of noted UK portrait artist, Anna Bregman, are Faber-Castell’s 9000 pencils, Staedler’s Mars Lumograph pencils,  Derwent’s Graphic pencils, and Koh-I-Noor’s Toison d’Or pencils. Buying a set will save you money.
• Some means of taking digital photographs of your specimen. 

Instructor:

Scott Stapleton was a printmaker, an art librarian and a pastor before becoming a botanical artist. He’s a past president of the Great River Chapter of Botanical Artists, and he taught Introduction to Colored Pencil and Colored Pencil II at the Minnesota School of Botanical Art. At the MSBA, he also led a discussion of a helpful book about becoming an artist, Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and the Rewards) of Artmaking.  He’s a regular contributor to The Botanical Artist, the journal of the American Society of Botanical Artists, and every now and then, a maker of carefully crafted works of botanical art.