Today Mariella Baldwin shares her thoughts about learning the botanical art.
As always, you are free to join the conversation at any time. Mariella will be taking questions the rest of this month.
ArtPlantae:
You state that your primary objective for writing your book is to help build confidence with drawing and to create an enjoyable painting experience for anyone interested in botanical art. Drawing upon all of your years of experience explaining the drawing and painting process to beginners…
- How do you think individuals new to botanical art learn drawing best?
- How do you think individuals new to botanical art learn painting best?
Mariella: The answer to both these questions is continual and ongoing practice. One never stops learning.
When it comes to drawing I recall a couple of sound pieces of advice I have gleaned over the years. “Draw what you see, not what you think you see”, and “If you haven’t drawn it, you haven’t seen it.” I would recommend drawing something every day – no matter how small – and make it simple. It is very easy to be carried away with the complexity of detail. It is easy to have a sketchbook and a pencil to hand at all times – they take up little room and are easily portable. I also recommend not using an eraser. Just drawing and making corrections as errors present themselves. Filling a page with loose sketches and gradually honing in on the subject makes for an interesting page. Any errors fade into the background as the page becomes an interesting study in itself – the demonstration of a learning process.
ArtPlantae Today 