Botanical Illustration 1 Certificate Course Tutored by Lynette Conway

Course overview
This is an introduction to the art of painting flowers and plants. It is an ideal course for beginners as it takes you through the basic techniques of drawing and painting in this specialised area. The course uses many step-by-step illustrations to guide you through the drawing and painting techniques required for this subject. It teaches a layered watercolour technique from basics.

The course is highly illustrated and includes a brief look at the historical importance of Botanical Illustration. In order to represent plants and flowers you need an understanding of plant anatomy, and so the different types of plant and flower structures are considered.

An important part of botanical art is the design of the illustration, to ensure you have a well balanced painting. To help you discover the fundamentals of good design several illustrations are used as examples, with many aspects of good design, such as lighting and shadows, being discussed. To complete the course advice is given on how to collect and use reference material.

Critiques
Lynette provides either written critiques or audio critiques via regular mail or within the Artwork Submission Area.
If you have scanning / photography facilities, students are able to upload their artwork to the Artwork Submission Area on our website. Each student is given a unique username and password on enrolment for their own private section in this area. Students can upload their artwork to this area for the tutor to collect and critique. The tutor will then upload feedback for the student to download or read.

Critiques via Regular Mail
If you do not have any facilities to upload your artwork, you can send your work in the normal way to the tutors centre and receive your artwork back with your critique.

Support
All our courses are written to be complete in themselves. However we realise that students may appreciate being able to get clarification about various things as they work through their programme as well wanting reassurance that they are putting techniques into practice effectively. The Administration Centre is available seven days a week and the Course Artist provides the technical support to deal with relevant queries.

Most courses have their own dedicated Tutor. The Tutor keeps the course up to date and relevant to today's students. They are available to the individual student for advice and encouragement. Each course has regular exercises and assignments that are constructed in such a way as to give the student the opportunity to practice the techniques learnt on the course and to test themselves as they go along. The student is encouraged to submit the assignment work to the college for the tutor to critique. The student's work will be returned together with the tutorss personal critique. On many courses the assignment work may be suitable for inclusion in a student's Portfolio of Work that could be very useful later. The college will use the assignments submitted as the basis for any award of a Diploma or Certificate.

Testimonials from students

"Firstly, I did indeed find working through the course interesting, stimulating and enjoyable. I found the course content a good introduction to the subject with the techniques taught being well explained. My tutor, Lynette Conway has been most encouraging throughout. The content of her critiques and responses to letters has been easily understood and very helpful, and Lynette has always responded to correspondence well within the twenty eight days students are told to allow for return of work. Many thanks Lynette.

Any contact with the college has been dealt with in a helpful and efficient manner. I have not uploaded work to the college website or used the forum (me being a bit of a ludite!) but I do enjoy looking at the website, particularly college news and the student galleries. It was good to see the entries to the Student of the Year Competition on the news section. Lynette has asked if some of my work may be included on the website - I would be very happy if you decided to do so!

To summarise, my experience as a student with London Art College has been excellent to date and I would recommended studying with the college to others"
Teresa (Botanical Illustration)

"Hello Lynette
Thank you for returning my drawings. I cannot tell you how thrilled and delighted I was to see them on your web site. What an amazing compliment. I also saw that Jo used my mushrooms on her site also. Such a boost and thrill. Many thanks. (Botanical Illustration)

I am honing my first Assignment for the SBA at present. I have discovered I have a real passion for pencil drawing, and this first Assignment is therefore right up my street. I hope it gets me off to a good start. I owe all this pleasure to you and your invaluable encouragement, help and support, Lynette. Thank you so much. I will keep you posted of developments. Hoping the web site will encourage lots of new students."
Barbara (Botanical Illustration)

"Thank you for an interesting course, which has helprd me in a number of areas, not least of all in understanding watercolour better." Isabelle - (Botanical Illustration)