Drawing From Nature: Intro to Scientific Illustration

Improve your observational drawing skills in this nature drawing workshop, where you’ll render natural specimens and try out various media. You will practice reliable and repeatable methods for measuring proportions and building values to convey convincing form, structure, and cast shadows, practicing with a variety of natural objects such as shells, cones, plants, and more. You’ll train your eye to detect and imitate subtle shifts in value and color–essential for capturing the texture and pattern of complex forms in nature. While the focus is on natural objects, the techniques you develop will apply to a range of drawing subjects, media, and styles.

This workshop is open to all experience levels.

Skills and Techniques:

• Learning to draw natural objects from life
• Using mixed media
• Careful observation of natural objects

Materials Fee: None.

Special Tools or Equipment to bring:

• Sketchbook
• Bristol Pad (9” x 12” is a good size)
• Toned Drawing Paper (grays or browns)
  Drawing pens such as Micron, Windsor Newton, or Unipin
• Drawing Pencils in various softness and hardness 2H, HB, 3B, 6B etc.
• Kneaded Eraser
• White Colored pencil
• Black colored pencil
• Other colored pencils in various colors
• Non-photo blue pencil by Col-Erase
• Watercolors
• Watercolor brushes such as Round or Filbert 0, 2, 4, 6 (Princeton SNAP is a nice variety)
• Drafting Dividers for measuring purposes

Workshop and Cancellation Policies: Please read our 2026 policies before registering for a workshop. https://www.sanbornmills.org/workshop-policies/