Dorota Haber-Lehigh
  • Bio
    • Blog >
      • Books >
        • Lan Su Chinese Garden coloring book
        • ABC Native Plants Book
        • Seaside Mill Ponds Natural History Park Coloring Book
      • Sketchbook
  • Vita
  • Apothecarium
  • Oekologie
  • Flora
  • Alma
  • Forest
  • Fragmenta
  • Ave
  • Mare
  • Classes
  • Cards

Diploma in Botanical Illustration

10/21/2019

 
Yay! I received my Diploma in Botanical Illustration with Distinction.

After 27 months of constant work I finally reached the end of the program. Living in a rural area  the program offered by Society of Botanical Artists in London UK is one of the best because it is primarily a correspondence course, therefore a good choice for someone not living near a University or a Botanical Garden offering such programs. Distance Learning Diploma Program is an intense program that required 15 assignments all together including 3 for a final portfolio. Each assignment was mailed in original to the UK, and received feedback and a critique, and then was mailed back. I had different tutors for various assignments and each offered an interesting point of view and suggestions.  Tutors were professional artists with long careers in botanical illustration.  I had to dive into botany books to learn about various botanical aspects which I found very informative and contributed tremendously to my knowledge and awareness of drawing. I learned how to dissect plants and look for botanical features under a microscope. I enjoyed combining graphite pencil drawing with my botanical illustrations and deepening my technique of colored pencil work. I attempted each assignment with my best effort and some assignments took over 60 hours. 

One area I improved the most is composition, I was challenged to create more complex arrangement with awareness of movement and placement of botanical elements.  I am very grateful for all the tips and techniques I have learned and for the botanical knowledge I have learned. It was an unforgettable experience hunting for specimens, preparing sketches and finishing complete illustrations. 

Now I have a diploma ready to frame, a portfolio full of varied botanical works and a new learned self-discipline.  While writing my final essay about Maria Sibylla Merian, who studied butterflies and host plants, I discovered a new direction: I want to illustrate native plants and pollinators of the Pacific Northwest.  
Picture
Last three portfolio pieces before mailing off.

Comments are closed.

    Dorota Haber-Lehigh

    Educator, artist, forager 

    Archives

    January 2024
    August 2022
    May 2022
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    September 2020
    January 2020
    October 2019
    August 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    November 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    December 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    February 2014
    November 2013

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly