ArtPlantae Today

Posted in botanical art, botanical illustration, Education, Learning Opportunities, Sketching & Journaling, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events | Tagged composition, drawing, painting, Pollinator Week | 4 Comments

4 Responses

1. on June 23, 2012 at 6:50 AM Susan Slater

   Valerie,
   Love your drawings.
   I feel the same way – I like to draw and I love to research things. How did you get your start? What is your educational background?
   Sue

   
   
2. on June 23, 2012 at 11:47 PM Valerie Littlewood

   Hi there Sue
   It’s an interesting question because although I did attend Art College in the early 70´s in the UK it was just at a time when teaching the basic building blocks of drawing and painting had gone and meditating on a blue square was the preferred activity. So to learn my craft (and I do love the word “craft”) I started looking at artists I admired and reading and researching them in my spare time.

   There were also some Victorian illustrated books around when I was a child and that is where I think my first inspiration came from. I am still a great lover of black and white work and in fact am just in the middle of some commercial pen and ink work and my very first paid work was pen and ink illustration. The written word has often been a trigger too. I was always torn between studying English or Art. Sometimes as a commercial illustrator you do get to combine the two.

   Over the years I have returned regularly to study different aspects of art and I eagerly look forward to the research and the new doors it will open. The most inspirational course I took was when I was 37. It was my Masters at Brighton here in the UK. The course mainly concerned all aspects of “the Narrative”. It was a one day a week course for two years and led by the most inspirational and knowledgeable tutors I have ever met.
   You have to learn and practise your manual painting and drawings skills, no tutor can do that for you, but they can inspire and guide.
   That is something I try to do in my classes and workshops, so I don’t teach formula painting. I see so many copyists now which worry me as I am not sure it is the route to being a really fulfilled artist, but that’s just my opinion.

   Sue! Thank you so much for you question. It has brought back some wonderful memories and writing this has made me want to take up my studies again!! I have always said the acquisition of knowledge is my drug of choice.. so I am going to check out some courses right now!!

   
   
   • on June 24, 2012 at 10:22 AM artiswhatmatters

     Thanks for a quick reply!
     I think we have a lot in common in that respect – practice and research. I have been drawing since I can remember but have a degree in Biology and a master’s in education. I will have been teaching science for 10 years in December, but really need to start focusing on art again for myself (and sanity – LOL). What media do you use for the bees?
     Sue

     
     
     • on June 24, 2012 at 11:34 PM pencilandleaf

       Hi there Sue, I use watercolour and some gouache white for the fine hairs. A degree in biology would be useful!
       Val

       
       

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