Illustrating Nature: A Creative Exploration

Laura begins the course by telling you about her background as an illustrator, sharing her influences and work that inspires her. She then tells you about her course and explains what you are about to learn.

Start off by experimenting with different materials. Begin with ink, learning different techniques and Laura’s own methods before developing your own. Then, see how watercolor paint can be used, how it moves, and how to mix it. Learn how to combine colored pencil and watercolor. Experiment further by using any materials you have at home to create color palettes and making different types of strokes and shapes with your mixed media.

In the next unit, Laura shows you different ways to turn drawing into a habit for creative exploration. See different exercises for overcoming your fear of the blank page and warm up your drawing hand before getting started. Learn why Laura believes that drawing outdoors can benefit your work and find a place outdoors to sketch birds and the surrounding nature. Discover different ways of drawing flora and fauna using photos and videos as references, without sacrificing the movement and dynamism of your work.

In the final unit, bring together all the tricks and techniques you’ve learned. Combine watercolors, ink, colored pencils, and other mixed media to draw the nature around you. Get some final tips from Laura and finish the course by creating a set of three images.