BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATIONS

GUEST: Prachi Dighe

"Plants are the only things in the universe that can make sugar out of nonliving inorganic matter."

-Hope Jahren

About the Guest

Prachi Patanakar Dighe has worked in traditional crafts sector for more than 15 yrs, and vibrant craft sector of India has given her immense opportunities to explore and work with an array of traditional skills. She is a self taught artist, loves to illustrate / draw & paint. Her love for traditional crafts helped develop an artist create motifs, patterns, colours, textures and the feel of Indian warmth.

WORKSHOP DETAILS

Botanical illustration is the art of depicting the form, color, and details of plant species using pen, ink and watercolour. It involves drawing plants and parts of plants - fruits, leaves, flowers, etc. with the maximum possible botanical details depicting the main characteristics, textures, folds, etc. Although even if we have to illustrate botanical details, it is important to remember that it is a form of art, so the illustrations have artistic interpretations and different methods of capturing the details.

Techniques used to add details to the drawings -

1. Lines

2. Hatching, Cross hatching

3. Stippling (dots)

4. Shading

5. Water colour

Students will learn basics of botanical illustrations, live sketching and observation of details in leaves / flowers / fruits, etc. Making a few layouts and designs using botanical illustration art.

Workshop Details -

• 1-2 flowers

• 1-2 kinds of leaves

• Introduction to layouts using botanical illustrations

To save time -Make 1 inch border on all sides of the drawing paper.

-Keep 3-4 pages ready with border.

-Keep all material ready

Materials required:

• Cartridge drawing book - 140 GSM

• Pencil, eraser, water bowl & rag

• black pens (water proof inks) or thin water proof markers