Oakland Museum of California

n a recent trip to Rwanda, I realized that I would fill my sketchbook long before returning home. I usually sketch with soft pencil and leave the opposite page blank so that facing pages will not smear each other. To conserve paper, I gave up the pencil and started sketching with a ballpoint pen. Within Read More

A strong composition is the backbone of a successful drawing. In addition, creative composition will open alternative ways of seeing a subject and give you new and exciting avenues to explore in your art. Composition is not hard to master and with a few basic principles under your belt you will see a dramatic improvement in Read More

This workshop will be taught by the wonderful nature journaler and teacher Laurie Wigham. You’ve been working hard to make sense of the underlying structures: why a bird’s leg seems to bend backward in the middle or how to get the proportions right when you foreshorten those flower petals. It’s time to set aside all the careful measuring and Read More

ou do not need a palette of a million colors if you understand the way colors mix. There is a lot of misinformation and dogma that confuses people when they try to mix colors. If you have ever accidentally mixed dull or muddy colors, it is not you. Learn how to create a rainbow of Read More

 Enjoy the beauty of spring wildflowers. Drawing them will help you get to know them better and will help you see aspects of your favorite wildflowers that you have never noticed before. This workshop will teach you: How to draw tight clusters of white flowers (yarrow etc). How to draw curling and twisted petals and Read More

  Enjoy the beauty of spring wildflowers. Drawing them will help you get to know them better and will help you see aspects of your favorite wildflowers that you have never noticed before. This introductory workshop will teach you: How to understand basic flower structure. How to capture the symmetry of wildflowers with simple lines. How Read More

So you want to keep a nature journal or bump your current practice to a higher orbit. Join us for a workshop to help you see the possibilities of what a journal can be and how to move from new years resolutions to a life changing habit. If you already have a journal kit, bring it Read More

Gouache is an opaque water based paint. You can use it as a stand alone method to add color to your nature journal or as a supplement to a watercolor kit. When used on toned paper, it creates bold highlights and a dynamic value range. In this workshop, we will explore field tested techniques to Read More

When I draw, my brain flickers back and forth between two ways of seeing and thinking about my subject. On one had, I analyze the structure and play upon my knowledge of anatomy. On the other, I ignore the structure and attend to what I really see. I break down complex subjects into simple shapes. These Read More

Learn the fundamentals of reptile and amphibian anatomy that are important for field sketching. Discover the features that are critical for identification and how to include them in your drawings. Learn tricks to suggest scales without drawing every one and how to show the moist skin of amphibians.