Festive Botanical Watercolour with Laura Silburn
Course Description
This course is led by award-winning botanical artist Laura Silburn, who is a three time RHS gold medal winner.
Laura will teach you to study the detail of natural objects and guide you through the process of creating a small but perfectly formed piece of festive botanical art – perfect for printing as Christmas cards! She will explain just how and why botanical illustration has been so important historically in documenting plants, and why it remains such a vibrant art form today. This course aims to introduce you to techniques you can use or adapt in your own work and is suitable for beginners, improvers looking to ‘tighten up’ or those wishing to enjoy some festive fun.
Laura is a three times RHS Gold Medal winner (2013, 2014 and 2018) as well as Best in Show and Best Botanical Painting Awards (2014, 2018). She has work in the RHS Lindley Library, Shirley Sherwood Collection, Hunt Institute of Botanical Documentation, the Florilegium at the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney and the Eden Project Florilegium. Laura has also travelled to Romania to participate in the prestigious Transylvania Florilegium, which holds seven of her paintings in the collection. She tutors at the Eden Project where she also contributes regularly to their Florilegium Society archive, and has also taught at RHS Rosemoor and Mally Francis’ Sawpit Studio at Heligan.
Course Information
Ability level
All abilities welcome
Medium
Useful Links
• At least one or two small watercolour brushes, sizes 1 – 3.
(Winsor and Newton series 7 are the best, but if you prefer a synthetic brush make sure you get one with a good point.)
• A selection of artists quality watercolour paints including the following colours:
(If you don’t already have a set just these 3 primary colours are enough to get started.)
o Ultramarine,
o Cadmium Lemon
o Permanent Rose
• A cartridge paper or sketch book
• A small amount of hot-pressed (smooth) watercolour paper
(Preferably Fabriano, Arches or Saunders Waterford.)
• A palette or white plate
• Kitchen towel or a cloth to wipe brushes
Materials provided for students (you do not need to bring)
• A selection of colours, brushes, and paper to complement your own materials.
• Kits containing pencils (HB ad 2H, and a 0.3 propelling pencil), dividers, eraser, propelling eraser and blender.
• Plant/fruit/vegetable material to paint.
• Drawing boards & water jars.
Laura Silburn
Laura learned watercolour with Mally Francis FLS at Heligan Gardens. Laura has three RHS gold medals (London 2013, London 2014 and London 2018) and Best in Show and Best Botanical Painting awards (2014, 2018).
Find Out MoreOur courses usually begin at 10am and end at 4:30pm, with a half an hour lunch break at around 1pm. There will also be brief morning and afternoon breaks, with free tea and coffee available in the kitchen area. At Lunch time you can make things nice and easy by pre-ordering a freshly prepared Coach House Lunch. Alternatively, you’re very welcome to bring along a packed lunch and any other refreshments you like.
On sunny days students and tutors are invited to enjoy breaktimes outside in the leafy courtyard or gardens surrounded by birdsong.
Course Details
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Cancellations
Cancellations must be made in writing/email more than 4 weeks prior to the course start date to guarantee a refund. Read our full policy on the Course Terms & Conditions page.
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