Drawing Seeds Under the Microscope

Tuesday and Thursday, April 27 and 29

Seeds are rarely depicted in art, but that’s exactly what you’ll do in this online workshop. Using a standard microscope or handheld digital microscope, participants will explore, then depict, the textures and patterns of magnified seeds. After a brief discussion of vellum’s properties and types, we’ll lay out drawings before transferring them to the material itself. Through a series of discussions and live demonstrations, participants will learn to build up multiple layers of dry brush watercolor, gradually increasing color intensity, detail, and form. By the end of the workshop, artists will have completed small, magnified-seed paintings on vellum.

NOTES: For class, participants will need a microscope and a variety of seeds they’ve preselected to paint. Handheld digital microscopes are under $100; the image is viewed on a computer or digital notebook. An example: https://www.celestron.com/products/deluxe-handheld-digital-microscope-44302-c

Carol Woodin has been making botanical artworks for nearly 30 years. Her main focus has been orchids and wild plant species, many of which are at risk in their native habitats. She has been working with watercolor on vellum since 1995 and finds that the material provides an ideal foil for the organic form and color of botanical subjects. Carol has received awards from The Royal Botanical Society of England and The American Society of Botanical Artists.