SBA Botanical Illustration Courses at Greystoke Cycle Cafe North Cumbria, The Lake District

We are pleased to welcome again several well known Botanical Artists to the Cycle Café ...all of them are distance learning tutors for the SBA .

Each tutor is coming in the knowledge that some students may be able to attend only one of their days, thus courses will be structured in such a way

We have endeavoured to provide a spread of expertise…from finer to looser techniques, graphite pencils and the use of gouache within a watercolour painting

All the tutors are highly experienced in mixed classes and even those with little previous botanical skills can be confident of a rewarding and highly enjoyable day.

If you are travelling from afar there are some lovely places to stay around Greystoke and its environs – please see our website links page –

Stafford House (within the Greystoke Castle grounds) in particular offers lovely accommodation to suit all budgets from £20 per night upwards inc b &b and is very popular http://staffordhouse.website.orange.co.uk/

A Botanical Master Class with… Paul Fennell SBA What colour is a shadow ? Of the different elements of watercolour painting colour mixing seems to produce the greatest anxiety for students. The mixing of dark colour in particular in order to create convincing shadows often leaves students perplexed. Through demonstration and individual tuition I will show how an understanding of colour relationships can provide the key to confident colour mixing and the painting of convincing three dimensional images Paul is perhaps best known for his step by step series of parrot tulips in the best selling reference book The Art of Botanical Painting (Hardcover) by Margaret Stevens - as detailed below


Students should bring along a variety of flowers, leaves, fruit and /or vegetables to work from. No botanical knowledge is necessary but students should have previous experience of watercolour painting. Paul is an artist and illustrator whose sought after work is in collections worldwide. He is a member of the Society of Botanical Artists and a qualified teacher with a PGC in Education
			Although colour mixing and tone will be at the core of the course this will not preclude tuition in composition, drawing and technique. Tips and ideas for creating compositions with greater dynamism, drawing with more accuracy, and “tricks of the trade” techniques will also be part of the mix.

				A Botanical Master Class with Julie Small SBA

	AUTUMN TEXTURES IN GRAPHITE PENCIL An opportunity to explore the Autumn Textures of various botanical subjects available at this time of year. You will be able to work at your own pace, with individual tuition to help you build confidence and develop your observational skills. There will be examples of pencil work techniques and a variety of pencils to try. This course is suitable for beginners and those with some experience. The course will be structured so participants may attend either of the single days or both days.
				Following a career in teaching, Julie revived an earlier interest in Botanical Art, using pencil as her preferred medium. She has received a number of Awards from the Society of Botanical Artists and the RHS (Gold Medal and Best New Exhibitor to the London Shows) Her work is held in various collections : RHS Lindley Library, Dr.Shirley Sherwood Collection, Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation (USA),National Galleries and Museum of Wales, Windlesham Arboretum and Sheffield Florilegium Archive. Other works are to be found in private collections Julie is a tutor on the SBA Distance Learning Course and also at a number of venues throughout the North West..

		Wildlife and Botanical Illustration Master Classes with … Simon Williams SBA in Watercolours and/or Gouache As Simon excels in both botanical and wildlife illustration and his techniques, hints and tips are common to both these three days at Greystoke Cycle Cafe will be structured as follows to allow maximum flexibility All days require a bit of patience as this course requires a tight rather than loose style of painting but is open to all levels. Gouache - in very simple terms - is watercolour paint with a white base added.
		Day One Tuesday 5th October Botanical Illustration in Watercolours, and at times with Gouache optional you will using live plant specimens that you may bring along or choose from the Cycle Cafe herbaceous border and gardens. The Botanical course is set out to learn various methods of using Watercolours - at times with gouache- in illustrating a botanical subject successfully. Gouache can be used to build up a more opaque finish and does allow you to be able to work light colour or white highlights over the top of darker ones if needs be. It very much depends on the subject matter as to which technique is most appropriate. This course will help you look and observe details, mix colour and application techniques. Whether you use Watercolour or Gouache you will learn about using a dry brush technique to render detail and texture to your botanical painting. Colour swatches are also important and you will make colour notes etc to keep as future reference. Doing a swatch and practising colour mixing is the best way to progress and be able to look and know instinctively which colours to mix. Day Two Wednesday 6th Ocober Wildlife Illustration using Gouache the group will be working from photographic reference therefore please bring any pictures you might be interested in painting birds or animals. A small selection of colour copies of wildlife subjects will also be on hand. NB. If the actual drawing of a wildlife subject might put you off please feel free to trace the outlines before applying paint - many many people do this - the class is about learning painting techniques not drawing ability. Day Three Thursday 7th October A continuation Day for Day 1 and 2 in both Botanical and WIldlife Illustration - particularly useful if you have chosen an ambitious subject to paint or would simply prefer to continue under Simon's watchful eye and learn from ongoing demonstrations. Iit is always nice to complete a work of art with the period of a course .

			Of the different elements of watercolour painting colour mixing seems to produce the greatest anxiety for students. The mixing of dark colour in particular in order to create convincing shadows often leaves students perplexed. Through demonstration and individual tuition I will show how an understanding of colour relationships can provide the key to confident colour mixing and the painting of convincing three dimensional images.
Please not that there is not always a big difference in the styles of painting between Gouache and Watercolour. Quite often Gouache is best started of fairly light – mid tone as in a watercolour technique but then apply the Gouache thicker and more opaque in the later building up stages. Both the courses will require a precise rather than loose style of painting but are open to all levels and the only requirement is that the wildlife course is done using the medium of Gouache

	Tutor’s Profile Simon Williams is a professional Illustrator running SW Illustrations specializing in Natural History and Botanical subjects and is listed in the 33rd Edition of Who’s Who in Art. see his website http://www.swillustrations.com He trained as a Natural History Illustrator at the Arts Institute, Bournemouth. Work has been published in ‘The Art of Botanical Painting’ on Wildlife Explorer Cards, Ocean Life work and a book on Wildflowers.Illustrations have been awarded the Silver – Gilt medal from the Royal Horticultural Society and Certificate’s of Botanical Merit from the Society of Botanical Artist. Simon is a tutor for the Society of Botanical Artist distance learning diploma course. Illustration skills will be covered in the course from applying first colours to working dry brush technique for building up detail.

Botanical and Wildlife Illustration Master Classes at Greystoke

‘My work aims to give a modern edge to botanical art. Simplicity, elegance and beauty inspire me together with an occasional touch of humour.

What colour is a shadow ?

Paul is perhaps best known for his step by step series of parrot tulips in the best selling reference book

The Art of Botanical Painting (Hardcover) by Margaret Stevens - as detailed below

Although colour mixing and tone will be at the core of the course this will not preclude tuition in composition, drawing and technique.

Tips and ideas for creating compositions with greater dynamism, drawing with more accuracy, and “tricks of the trade” techniques will also be part of the mix.