How to draw a Forest (video)

Learn how to draw distant evergreen forests and the view from within the woods. Here we explore layering values (from light to dark) and intentionally controlling the values and detail of each layer.

Watercolor Trees with a Flatbrush (video)

Learn how to paint trees in watercolor with a Kuretake Fude Water Brush Pen, Flat Type, 2 Heads (KG205-70). The brush is great for field sketching. It gives a range of effects that suggest foliage. Also learn how to draw tree trunks so that they appear to advance, recede, or bend.

How to draw leaves and Winter Twigs (video)

Take a stand against Twignorance! Fall is a fun time to look closely at leaves. Understanding leaves with a botanical eye will help you see more and draw more accurately. After the leaves fall, each tree species has unique features, leaf scars and buds from which you can identify the plants even without leaves. Say

Constructing an Iris, Shapes and Negative Shapes

Iris flowers are complex, folded, curling masses of twisted petals and sepals. How do you approach drawing something with so many curling and overlapping layers? The secret is to lay out the structure and then use shapes and negative shapes. Close one eye and flatten the 3D image to interlocking 2D shapes. Click on the

Splash and scribble: wet watercolor and aquarelle pencils (video workshop)

Working with wet watercolor and aquarelle will help your journal sketching become more lively and spontaneous. Instead of carefully drawing lines and then coloring them in, we’ll invert the process, splashing down loose watercolor and then drawing into it to define shapes. We’ll also explore some special effects you can get with wet-on-wet watercolor. This approach

How to Draw Mushrooms (video workshop)

Rain is falling? It’s mushroom time! Fungi are a delight to sketch and paint. Learn a simple approach to sketching mushrooms and some of the most common errors that can creep into your fungus sketching. In this workshop, we explore techniques with graphite pencil, watercolor and colored pencils. The Best Mushroom Tricks Ever… There are two

Drawing Trees on Frosted Mylar

Pen and ink drawings on frosted mylar (e.g. Duralene) can be scratched with a sharp tool (such as a scratchboard cutting tool) giving exciting scratchboard or woodcut-like effects. Another advantage of drawing on mylar is that is transparent so you can place the film over a preliminary sketch as a guide. Some pens smear easily on

How to Draw an Oak Leaf on Stipple Paper

Careful stipple (creating shading with fine dots) is a beautiful but time intensive way to add value to pen and ink drawings. A faster approach is to use stipple paper. The surface is textured with fine bumps and divots. If you rub the paper with a black Prismacolor Premier pencil the bumps pick up the

Pen and Ink on Frosted Mylar

Frosted mylar (e.g., Duralene) is an excellent surface for drawing in ink. The plastic sheets are durable and transparent. You can trace over a preliminary drawing or even a photocopy of an object. You can also scratch away highlights or details with a scratchboard cutting tool. Be careful not to get your fingerprints onto the drawing

Drawing Trees with Pen and Ink (video workshop)

Learn how to draw broadleaf and evergreen trees both from a distance and up close details (leaves, acorns, seed pods, and fruit). In addition to studying details of structure, we will explore shortcuts to help you get the form on paper and tricks to suggest dimension and volume. Two advantages of drawing in ink are