Guide to​ Online Botanical Art ​Instruction & Courses

Many of you will be unable to attend botanical art classes, courses and workshops during the Coronavirus Crisis.

However there are a couple of alternatives for learning more techniques about how to draw and paint plants to botanical standards away from a physical face to face class. These are:

• online instruction
• art instruction books​

Guide to ​Online Botanical Art ​Instruction & Courses
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For those wanting to learn more about botanical art and illustration at home, there was nowhere on the web offering a comparative analysis and evaluation of the available online instruction and tutorials in botanical art and illustration - until I published my Guide to Online Botanical Art Instruction & Courses.

My webpage providing advice and information on how to choose and lists of those providing online instruction in botanical art and illustration

This web page includes:

RECOMMENDED READING

• a SUMMARY of what Online Botanical Art Instruction is 
• a SUMMARY of who benefits from online instruction
• OVERVIEW of providers of Online Botanical Art Courses - this indicates the different types and providers, namely
  • Recognised Institutions ​(e.g. Botanic Gardens) - providing distance learning courses using web-based instruction
  • ​Online Instruction via Video Tutorials
  • Online Instruction via individual Teachers (written guides and/or ebooks plus typically minor use of videos. Plus some teachers also provide one on one masterclasses, critiques and/or tutorials)
  • Corporate Providers of Online Instruction Platforms - where botanical art (and art too) is just one of very many topics taught.
• CHECKLIST of questions for prospective students - to be used by students who want to evaluate the alternative options on offer

BOTANICAL ART ONLINE COURSE PROVIDERS

• LIST of Online Providers of Botanical Art Instruction​ - more information
• REVIEW of Online Botanical Art Courses - if you'd like to say what you want from online courses or what you think about online course provision there is a form. No comments are published but may inform the future content of this page.

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​It's essential that BEFORE parting with any money
you are clear about:

1. - what type of instruction or course you are buying
   
2. - what you are paying for i.e. what the instruction comprises
   
3. - whether it works on ALL your online devices(desktop/tablet/smartphone etc) i.e. the website must be designed for and accessible by all mobile devices 
   
4. - how the payment scheme works - whether it is one-off or a subscription scheme and whether any subscription is automated (i.e. payments renew automatically until you stop them) 
   
5. - whether you can get a refund if you realise you've made a mistake
   
6. - whether you are dealing with a tutor who knows about all the Regulatory Requirements of eCommerce which should  provide you with protection in the event of a concern (e.g. data privacy) or dispute (e.g. re your consumer contract)

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Providers of Online Botanical art Instruction include:

Recognised Institutions 
​- providing distance learning courses using web-based instruction

• UK: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh - 3 year Diploma Course and 6 month Certificate Course - with a team of tutors
• UK: London Art College - Botanical Painting Online Art Course (D9) (Tutor: Polly O' Leary ) Botanical Coloured Pencil Online (D12) (Tutor: Ida Mitrani)
• USA: Cornell University ​- Online Botanical Illustration series​

Online Instruction via Video Tutorials
​by Botanical Artists/Tutors

• Anna Mason - Learn botanical painting online
• Billy Showell - Online Tutorials
• ​Wendy Hollender - Botanical Basics and Draw Botanical's Complete Course
• Jarnie Godwin - Online Botanical Watercolour Tutorials

Online Tuition via individual tutors 
​- using written guides / ebooks and videos + feedback / Private Facebook Groups i.e. it varies

• Dianne Sutherland - Botanical Art Online
• ​​Elaine Searle - Paint Botanical Online Shorts
• Gaynor Dickson - Gaynor's Flora - Online Botanical Art Course
• Julia Trickey - Botanical Art Tutorials
• Ann Swan - Pencil Potential - Online Tuition Programme​​
• Shevaun Doherty - Botanical Elements
• Sarah Morrish - Illustrating Nature's Details - Online Courses 

Corporate Instruction Providers - Online Instruction 
​- the platform is owned by a company which elects to provide teaching as a business. It can change the business model at any time (e.g. as happened with Craftsy).

• Udemy - Paint Realistic Watercolours and Botanicals - with Heidi Elliis
• Bluprint / Craftsy - Botanical Illustration With Watercolor & Colored Pencils with Adele Rossetti

​I do NOT include those are providing video tutorials or other online instruction which is design oriented i.e. not observing the essential characteristics of botanical art and illustration.

I hope you find this Guide useful during the Coronavirus Crisis.

CLICK the image to go to this page on this website

Teach Botanical Art Online 
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I'm also going to try and provide a Guide to all those thinking about switching their workshop teaching to online instruction - hopefully this week. Although I expect this may be a work in progress for a while.

If you're interested,  please use comments below  (or contact me) to tell me what you want to know about.
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