NEW Tutorials | botanicalonline

Tutorials: Building Skills

There are now two types of tutorials:

The longer tutorials (cost £55 plus), these start anytime and work at your own pace - keep access indefinitely and benefit from annual updates to the tutorials.

The new Mini Tutorials (From £20) access is now extended to 12 months or more for all mini tutorials.

Do you want to learn about specific topics and techniques or supplement your learning by developing your skills. If so scroll down the page to see the full range of tutorials available. Botanical Art Online has a new range of affordable tutorials that may be just what you are looking for. These non-assessed tutorials are delivered via dedicated web pages with video tutorials with detailed written instruction.

IMPORTANT: if you purchase a tutorial using a Paypal email address which is different from the email you want the tutorial password delivering to, please send an email to info@botanicalart-online.com providing the correct details. If for some reason the email hasn't arrived within the hour, please check your spam folder in case the email went there because occasionally some email settings block such emails, if you can't find it please contact me using the the same email. Please note the Paypal or card payments will appear on your statement as being made to Picture house.

NEWS

NEW: Step into Spring with a tutorial on 3 different Narcissus flowers and learn about painting yellow flowers. From April 7th Pre book today with discount code: Spring-Yellow25

Payment can be made via Paypal or card via the Payment button, if you can't see the payment buttons, it's likely that you're using an older Safari browser. Perhaps try the mobile site or another browser, such as Google Chrome. Alternatively, you can contact me directly and a I will send a payment request

Available Tutorials

Tutorial 1: Watercolour and Dry Brush Techniques

Available now: Cost £55

Do you struggle with patchy washes, ragged or hard edges, heavy flat paint or 'cauliflowering' effects?

Are you unsure about what dry brush techniques actually are and when and where to use them?

Perhaps you find it difficult to create any form and your painting is flat, lacking depth and saturation and doesn't really pop off the page as you'd like it to?

Maybe you simply want to brush up on your watercolour techniques, learn new ones or to supplement learning?

If any of the above apply to you then this could be just what you are looking for.

This non-assessed comprehensive tutorial provides simple guidance and instruction on the essential watercolour techniques used in botanical art. The same techniques can also be applied to many other natural history subjects too, such as insects and shells. The tutorial has 12 short instructional videos on various watercolour techniques including all of the washes and dry brush techniques as well as troubleshooting problems. In addition the demonstrations include topics such as creating and maintaining highlights, and crisp or soft edges are 2 longer videos showing how to put those techniques into practice by breaking the process down into a simple step-by-step approaches in a painting of small subjects, such as petals, leaves and fruits.

The tutorial can be completed in your own time because there is no assessment
Suitable for all levels from complete beginners.
When you sign up you will receive a password to access the web page on the start date

Once purchased you will receive an automatic reply email with log in details, please check the spam folder if it doesn't arrive. If you have any problems or wish to use a different email than the one used for Paypal, please email info@botanicalart-online.com and we can send the log in information manually.

Don't forget to check email after purchase to receive log in details, also check spam folder

Tutorial 2: Colour Mixing, Using the Primary Palette

cost £55 Available Now

Do you struggle with matching the colours found in nature and with understanding how primary colour mixing works?
Perhaps you find it hard to understand what mixes to use for shade colours?
Maybe you can't understand why you white and yellow flowers look dirty?
Or maybe you just can't achieve the vibrant colours in your reds, purples and other vibrants?
Do your greens look the same or are the just lacklustre and flat?

if you want to gain a better understanding of colour and how to use it in practice this tutorial can help you. Learn about colour theory and colour mixing as well as my own approach and palette choice, using primary colours.

As well as the basic colour wheel system, with complementary, harmonious and analogous colours etc. I've included practical demonstrations in 12 videos and written this tutorial to include my own favourite colour topics, which specifically relate to botanical painting, including:

Mixing with a primary palette

My green and brown mixing system: using the light value of blue as the predictor colour

Why White isn't really White: soft and high light value colours

Keep it Clean, avoiding the dreaded 'botanical' grey and muddy mixes

Hot and Cold: colour temperature and why it's all relative

Yellow, Orange and Red! How to keep it bright

Rich Purples

The dark side of the values: Black Mixes

Neutral Tint: Painting tints and shades

Seeing colour and tricks of the eye: Using underlying colours

This tutorial includes: two downloadable PDF documents with over 10 exercises and 12 accompanying videos, showing how to make colour charts, wheels and paintings of actual subjects using different colours.

Don't forget to check email after purchase to receive log in details, also check spam folder

Tutorial 3: Graphite: Perspective Drawing and Creating Form

Cost £55 Available Now

Is drawing from life difficult and perspective a mystery to you?

Do you struggle to create believable 3 dimensional drawings using shading?

If so this tutorial provides just what you need as it shows the techniques and process in the videos with written text to support.

Explore materials and equipment that work best for tonal drawing and the differences between them.

Learn to make line drawings of leaves, flowers using perspective, by using a combination of measuring, observation and shapes. From simple line drawing to more complex subjects.

Understand the importance of good lighting on your subjects, learn about tricks of the trade, how to set your subject lighting and about using simple photography methods to help.

Learn about the different shading techniques, where to use them, continuous tone, stipple (in graphite and ink), hatching and cross hatching, with examples.

Create form in your drawings using light and shade with graphite by understanding the approach to layering graphite.

Suitable for all levels. This tutorial has 19 videos and a downloadable 16 page PDF with a range of exercises to carry out.

Don't forget to check email after purchase to receive log in details, also check spam folder

Tutorial 5: Drawing Complex Forms

Cost £55 Available

If you're in a tangle with roots, confused by pine cones and Fibonacci sequences or maybe you just lost your way in a flower centre or multi petalled flower?

This tutorial will help you to break down those complex forms in to achievable subjects. With no complicated math!

You will also learn a variety of tonal drawing techniques through lengthy tutorials which demonstrate the process in detail to help you to achieve smooth tonal values

Examples will include, fungi, lichens, overlapping plant parts, negative space in roots, fibonacci sequence, pine cone, mini pineapple, complex flower centres, soft downy surfaces and how to deal with hairs.

READ THE BLOG FOR MORE INFORMATION

Tutorial 6: Achieving the Depth and Detail

Normal price £55 Available now

This tutorial is ideal if you have already taken the Watercolour Techniques tutorial or have some watercolour experience and want to push your work to the next level by learning more in-depth techniques.

Learn how to:

Paint rich colours, highlights and shadows
Transparency in petals and other parts
Create texture, such as velvety petals
Add surface patterns and markings
How to add hairs
Paint bloom, such as on certain fruits
Negative space, such as roots and flower centres

This tutorial guides you through the process of painting of actual subjects in longer videos, showing the as much of the process as necessary in a painting. Often the first stages are essential in establishing the depth and detail in the latter stages of a painting and multiple challenges may be present in a subject. In this tutorial I will demonstrate my approach to the topics mentioned above from start to finish so that no steps are missed.

The materials are delivered on a dedicated web page, which can be printed as an 18 page PDF along with 8 full videos of subjects, totalling over 9 hours of video, all are mostly in real time with dialogue explaining the process. More videos will be added at a future date, so you will benefit from these too.

Once purchased you may keep access indefinitely and will benefit from future updates to the page. You will receive an email with the password following your purchase, please check your spam folder. If you wish to have the tutorial sent to another email address, please contact us using the contact form or using info@botanicalart-online.com

Don't forget to check email after purchase to receive log in details, also check spam folder

Tutorial 7: Keeping a Sketchbook

Cost £55 Available Now

Do you want to keep a sketchbook but find it daunting and don't know where to start?

This course gets you started with:

Choosing materials
Identifying and describing subjects
Colour matching and notes
Layout and how to decide what to include
Observational drawing and measuring for accuracy
Using different media and approaches from graphite to watercolour
When and how to use photography
Working with limited plant material
Different approaches, e.g. double page spreads, mixed composition pages
Working away from home

There is a 26 page printable document

10 videos

Plus, for the first 4 weeks further step-by-step videos will be added each week showing my latest sketchbook work as it progresses, which reveals the process that I use -

taking you from the ideas stage, to drawing, tonal studies and a complete watercolour sketch pages, complete with dissections and annotation.

Once purchased you may keep access indefinitely and will benefit from future updates to the page. You will receive an email with the password following your purchase, please check your spam folder. If you wish to have the tutorial sent to another email address, or have any problems please contact us using the contact form or using info@botanicalart-online.com

Don't forget to check email after purchase to receive log in details, also check spam folder

Tutorial 8. Drawing and Painting Leaves.

Full price £110 DISCOUNT cost £95

USE discount code: START25

Note: even more leaves to be added shortly! New information and videos currently being added

If you find leaves the most challenging part of your botanical work, this tutorial could be for you. It's a longer tutorial than others with 20 hours of video demonstrating how to paint leaves .There are also three supporting pdf documents, totalling 30 pages, which is all accessible on a dedicated web page.

Learn about and understand the structure and types of leaves
How to measure and draw
Understand the tonal values and effect of light and shade on leaves
Underlying colours: how to see and interpret them in your painting
How to use photography to assist the process
Leaves in perspective
Colour mixing for leaves
Green leaves, from light to dark,
Autumn and coloured leaves
Variegated and patterned leaves
Blemishes and nibbles
Serrated margins
Natural accurate veins
Surfaces and textures: glossy, matt, hairy...there are many types of leaves etc.

I've tried to include as much of the process as possible in the videos and will be adding more! Once you register, you keep your access for as long as you like, so you can work at your own pace, revisit when it suit to benefit from

updates. You won't find more leaf videos in any other course.

Don't forget to check email after purchase to receive log in details, also check spam folder

Tutorial 9. An Introduction to Painting on Vellum!

Available cost £75

If you love the traditional approach to botanical art, the beautiful translucency of vellum and want to try it but don't know where to start, this is it! This non assessed tutorial will give you a good start as it introduces the basics.

Learn about and understand the different types of vellum
the tools of the trade and suppliers
How to prepare vellum
Learn the specialist watercolour techniques to and how to paint on this beautiful surface
Troubleshooting and repairs
a variety of suitable small subjects are demonstrate in full length videos

I've tried to include as much of the process as possible using many video tutorials on a range of subjects that differ in complexity. Once you register, you keep your access for as long as you like, so you can work at your own pace, revisit when it suit to benefit from updates.

Don't forget to check email after purchase to receive log in details, also check spam folder

Tutorial 10. The World of Flowers

Available, cost £55

Do you want to illustrate flowers and also learn more about them? This Tutorial will not only teach you how to paint flowers but will also introduce you to the many floral arrangements as well as story behind the of flowers. It will also include some work on dissection and will focus on examples from different flower families. So whether you simply want to paint flowers or to learn more about their structures, this tutorial will be invaluable.

In this tutorial you will

Follow video instructions on how to paint a range of flowers from different flower families. More videos will be added over the Summer of 2022 as flowers bloom

Learn about floral structures and reproductive parts

How to dissect and illustrate including scaling

How to illustrate these different flower stages and forms from buds, in their prime - to fading, when the flower has served its purpose

Learn to paint different colours, textures and surfaces within flowers, including the importance of underlying colours.

Includes many hours of video tutorials and information on flowers via the password protected website. Read the blog for more information.

Don't forget to check email after purchase to receive log in details, also check spam folder

Tutorial 11. Botanical Art for Beginners

On offer Available now for £65 usually Cost £75

USE DISCOUNT CODE: FEB-SALE

This is a stand alone non assessed tutorial based on the former taught course, with access to worksheets and numerous videos comprising many hours of footage and subjects.

VIDEO SUBJECTS INCLUDE:

Learn the essential watercolour techniques from washes and dry brush

Fruit/ seed pods

Flowers

Vegetables and fungi

Leaves

You will also learn about materials and the difference between flower painting, botanical art and illustration as well as learning about simple composition, lighting and tonal values as part of the videos and text.

This is an excellent introduction for those of you who want to try out botanical subjects with a view to undertaking further study, such as an assessed course. Or maybe you just want to work through tutorials and make your own paintings for leisure.

These are NOT copy style tutorials with print outs but encourage you to try the same or similar subjects. Although you can copy them out as practice pieces. Colours and techniques are given throughout.

Includes over 12 hours of video tutorials and printable pdfs on 15 subjects plus technique videos. With a few more new ones to be added!

Re booking and payment

If you have any difficultly with the Paypal buttons please email me and I can send a PayPal invoice. Note that you do not need a Paypal account to pay via PayPal and can use a credit or debit card

After payment you will receive and automatic reply to the email used during papyment, this will have your log in details ( please check spam folder). If you are using a different email please email me and I will send the log in details the that email.

Don't forget to check email after purchase to receive log in details, also check spam folder

Painting a Butterfly Mini Tutorial

includes how to Make a Vellum-Like Surface

Cost £20

Learn how to paint a swallowtail butterfly and also how to make a surface using just like vellum

Learn a little butterfly anatomy (Don't worry its only what you need to know) and in a pdf

Learn how to make a surface like vellum or you can paint on paper

How to mix the colours

You will be guided through the drawing and painting process in videos and with written texts on the webpage

Photographic images are provided

NOTE: This mini tutorial will be available to purchase for a limited time.

Once purchased, you will have access to it for 12 months

You will receive an email upon receipt of payment with log in details, check your spam folder if it doesn't arrive within 15 minutes. If you need the tutorial details sending to a different email address than the one used for payment, use the contact form to let me know.

Painting a Nest and Egg on Coloured Paper. NEW Mini Tutorial

Cost £20

In this new mini tutorial you will learn how to paint a birds nest on coloured paper using watercolour and gouache. Areas covered include:

Painting negative space in a complex structure

Using opaque paint and body colour to work on coloured paper

Colour mixing and the colour chart

Painting the smooth rounded form of a birds egg

you will be guided through every stage of the process, from sketching, using watercolour techniques and gouache through to the the finished painting, with videos and a dedicated webpage.

Images are provided.

NOTE: This mini tutorial will be available to purchase for a limited time.

Once purchased, you will have access to it for 12 months

NEW Painting Feathers

Mini Tutorial

Cost £20

Who doesn't want to draw and paint feathers? This shorter tutorial shows to how to achieve realistic feathers on paper and vellum.

Capture the different textures from the shiny irridescent surfaces and those lovely floaty parts

This mini tutorial will teach you about the structure of feathers and will show you how to draw and paint then on paper and vellum with beautiful soft results.

Two feathers are included, the first is a fairly simple Peacock breast feather and the second feather will be added on the 10th March, this will be a beautiful Pheasant upper wing feather

There are videos to guide you through the process from start to finish along with downloadable images, a materials list and a document about feathers.

NOTE: This mini tutorial will be available to purchase for a limited time

Once purchased, you will have access to it for 12 months

Painting a Dandelion Clock on Coloured Paper NEW Mini Tutorial

Cost £20

In this new mini tutorial you will learn how to paint a dandelion clock on coloured paper using watercolour and gouache. Areas covered include:

Drawing a complex structure with a Fibonacci sequence

Using opaque paint and body colour to work on coloured paper

Colour mixing and the colour chart

Painting fine detail of the many pappus on the seedhead and understanding how to plan such a subject in a systematic way

You will be guided through every stage of the process, from drawing, using watercolour techniques and gouache through to the the finished painting, with real time videos shaowing the whole process and a dedicated webpage.

Images are provided.

NOTE: This mini tutorial will be available to purchase at this price for a limited time.

Once purchased, you will have access to it for 12 months

Black and White

Clematis Flower on Black Paper, and a Tonal Study on White

Usual cost Cost £25

The main focus of this tutorial is painting a white Clematis flower on to black paper but you will first learn how to draw and paint the same flower as a tonal study on white paper, using a single colour. This approach will give you a great insight into understanding the tonal values within a pale subject.

The full length demonstrations for both approaches is a clematis flower but I will also discuss and show several other subjects on black paper as well as discussing which subjects are most suited to being painted on black backgrounds.

For best effects, when painting white flowers on black, dramatic lighting is needed on the subject, so you will also learn about how to light and photograph using the features on a mobile phone to increase the drama. This is a technique that I use to create ethereal effects in the subject and which brings out features such as transparency.

You will be guided through every stage of the process, from the materials, the drawing, the tonal painting with black as well as using watercolour techniques and white gouache and the various other colours and shadow colours used in the process, right through to the finished painting, with mostly real time videos showing the whole process from start to finish.

Several reference images are provided.

Once purchased, you will have access to this tutorial for 12 months

You will receive an email upon receipt of payment with log in details, check your spam folder if it doesn't arrive within 15 minutes, log in is available from the 17th June. If you need the tutorial details sending to a different email address than the one used for payment, use the contact form to let me know.

Drawing and Painting an Autumnal Oak Leaf

Cost £20

You will be guided through every stage of the process of drawing and painting a beautiful autumnal oak leaf, so if you want to try a leaf out before deciding to do a longer tutorial, this is a great starting point.

First of all learn a a little about the process from understanding the leaf and its structure

You will be provided with the materials list, followed by instruction on how to draw such a leaf, outlines and images will also be provided

Next you will learn about colour mixing, underlying colour, and the watercolour techniques used in such a leaf. From washes to various dry brush methods. Also shade colours and where to use them, and importantly, how to paint those veins.

Join me to learn to paint one of my favourite subjects - with over 3 hours of video instruction and downloadable pdf's

Once purchased, you will have access to this tutorial for 12 months from the purchase date (or start date if you pre book).

You will receive an email upon receipt of payment with log in details, check your spam folder if it doesn't arrive within 15 minutes.

If you need the tutorial details sending to a different email address than the one used for payment, use the contact form to let me know.

Autumnal Rumex (Dock) Leaf Tutorial

Not currently available to buy - only as part of the leaf tutorial

You will be guided through every stage of the process of painting a colourful autumnal dock leaf using my own techniques.

You will be provided with the materials list, followed by instruction on how to paint these beautiful colours and shine

plus the colour mixing, underlying colours, and the watercolour techniques used in such a leaf.

From washes to various dry brush methods. Also shade colours and where to use them.

Approximately 3 hours of video instruction, plus downloadable pdf's and original photo for you personal to use and with no restrictions on sharing.

Once purchased, you will have access to this tutorial for 12 months from the purchase date (or start date if you pre book).

You will receive an email upon receipt of payment with log in details, check your spam folder if it doesn't arrive within 15 minutes.

If you need the tutorial details sending to a different email address than the one used for payment, use the contact form to let me know.

Amanita muscaria 'Fly Agaric' Tutorial

Available NOW

Price £25

This is one occasion where using masking fluid is the perfect solution for those raised spots on the cap of this fungi.And it includes the habitat too.

You will be provided with the materials list, images of several fungi to choose from followed by instruction on how to paint these beautiful colours and shine with two different mushrooms at different stages of development.The first video is a simple single mushroom and the second a more complex composition with two mushrooms at different stages of development.

(Note that the first short video is also included in the Beginners Tutorial, however this tutorial has additional material and videos with the longer part of mushrooms content).

From applying the fluid, to washes and dry brush methods is include, it also include painting the surrounding habitat.

Over 2 hours of video instruction is included, plus downloadable pdf's and original copyright free photos for you personal to use and with no restrictions on sharing your images.

Once purchased, you will have access to this tutorial for 12 months from the purchase date (or start date if you pre book).

You will receive an email upon receipt of payment with log in details, check your spam folder if it doesn't arrive within 15 minutes.

If you need the tutorial details sending to a different email address than the one used for payment, use the contact form to let me know.

New for 2024

Fritillaria meleagris, the Snakehead Fritillary Flower and Bud Tutorial

Available now

Cost £20

This is an all time favourite flower of mine, in fact I sketch or paint it almost every year! how could I not make a tutorial about it.

Learn about this popular little flower and how to draw that difficult shape before moving on to the colour palette, and techniques involved in painting the beautiful chequerboard pattern with a study page of petals. Then create you own painting of this Spring favourite, both in flower and in bud.

Includes downloadable pdf with step by step images, photographs and 3 hours of video in real time showing the process of the process of painting the flower and bud

Once purchased, you will have access to this tutorial for 12 months from the purchase date (or start date if you pre book).

You will receive an email upon receipt of payment with log in details, check your spam folder if it doesn't arrive within 15 minutes.

If you need the tutorial details sending to a different email address than the one used for payment, use the contact form to let me know.

New

The Opium Poppy: Papaver somniferum Sketch page

Available, Cost £25

Start your sketchbook journey today and learn some new techniques too!

I am often asked how I create a sketchbook page, in this tutorial I demonstrate the whole process by recreating a page by giving you insights to the whole process from start to finish. But this tutorial isn't just about a sketchbook page and includes some difficult to deal with areas of a subject... Read on for content.

Learn about initial layout ideas and the preliminary sketch and planning process - how to fill a page creativel

The colour mixing method, including my annotations.

The drawing and painting approaches and various techniques used are shown, wet and dry watercolour techniques.

How to deal with a complex flower center in a painting

Those tricky crumpled and creased petals

A dissection and detail drawing

and more

Includes images, photographs and almost 3 hours of video in real time showing the process of the process of painting the flower and bud

Once purchased, you will have access to this tutorial for 12 months from the purchase date

You will receive an email upon receipt of payment with log in details, check your spam folder if it doesn't arrive within 15 minutes.

If you need the tutorial details sending to a different email address than the one used for payment, use the contact form to let me know.

New for 7th January 2025

LICHEN TUTORIAL:Cost £40

If you have always wanted to paint lichens but have been deterred by the complexity of their structure and unusual colours, this tutorial simplifies the approach so that you can paint several different types of lichen.

Learn

How to draw and paint intricate lichens, exploring a variety of different types and shapes.

The colours used and mixing strategies.

Explore the various watercolour techniques used to create the textures

Negative painting and other approaches used in successfully painting these beautiful structures

Includes printable information about lichens to introduce the different types and terminology, reference photographs and 4 hours of video in real time showing the process of the painting several different types of lichen.

Once purchased, you will have access to this tutorial indefinitely.

You will receive an email upon receipt of payment with log in details, check your spam folder if it doesn't arrive within 15 minutes. Note that payment will be made to Picturehouse via Paypal.

If you need the tutorial details sending to a different email address than the one used for payment, use the contact form to let me know.

New for 2025

Narcissus Flowers and Mixing Yellows

Available, Cost £55 available to pre book for £43 until April 6th 2025

Discount Code: Spring-Yellow25

Yellow flowers are often the most difficult to paint and none more so than the Narcissi, which also have a difficult shape to draw. In this tutorial you will:

Learn how to draw and paint 3 different types of Narcissus flowers

Learn my colour mixing method, for yellows

Learn about different watercolour techniques used to paint the flowers, including optical mixing, shadow colours, washes and dry brush, and this also includes some work on leaves and buds too.

The tutorial will be added to over the course of April with new flowers as they emerge, finishing with the Poeticus

Includes images, photographs and hours of video for each subject in real time, showing the process of drawing and painting the flower plus a detailed video on a yellow mixing chart

Once purchased, you will have access to this tutorial for 2 years.

You will receive an email upon receipt of payment with log in details, check your spam folder if it doesn't arrive within 15 minutes. The tutorial begins April 7th 2025

If you need the tutorial details sending to a different email address than the one used for payment, use the contact form to let me know.

......making learning at a distance easier

Botanical Art Online Dianne Sutherland

Tutorials: Building Skills

Available Tutorials