Autumn
Autumn Fruit and Seed Heads
Rosehips, blackberries, conkers and honesty pods: shine, bloom and the papery light of a seed case.
Improver · 16 lessons · 9 h
£954
Recorded botanical drawing courses · Swanley, Kent
Draw the plant in front of you.
Recorded courses in pencil, ink and watercolour, organised by what is growing in a British garden this month — so the subject of the lesson is on your table, not only on the screen.
Four seasons, one garden
Each course is tied to the time of year its subject grows, so you can work from a real plant rather than a photograph.
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Winter
December – February
Bare twigs, buds and evergreens: structure without distraction.
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Spring
February – May
Bulbs and first flowers, drawn before they go over.
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Summer
June – August
Full flowers, colour and the long evenings to paint them.
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Autumn now
September – November
Fruit, seed heads and the colours of a turning leaf.
See the year planner — and the courses that do not wait for a season.
Four mediums, in order
From the most forgiving to the least
Graphite rubs out. Coloured pencil only partly. Ink not at all, and a watercolour glaze lifts what is underneath if you rush it. So we suggest climbing in that order: each step asks you to decide a little more before the mark goes down.
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Graphite pencil
Measuring, contour and a full tonal scale in one colour — proportion and light before anything else.
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Coloured pencil
Colour without water: layering in passes from light to dark, and burnishing only where a petal shines.
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Pen and ink
No rubbing out. Line, hatching and stipple make you choose a texture, and bud scales are drawn at ×2.
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Watercolour
Mixing your own greens, then washes, glazes, lifting and drybrush — the slowest medium to control.
The courses in pencil and watercolour together — The Field Sketchbook, The Dissection Sheet: A Flower Taken Apart, Autumn Fruit and Seed Heads, Composing the Botanical Plate — come once you have both on the table.
From the drawer
Six courses, across the year and every level
Inside one lesson
What a lesson is made of
The demonstration
Filmed overhead, in real time, so you see every stroke at the speed it is made — not a sped-up time-lapse.
Pause points
Marked moments where the demonstration stops and you draw the same step on your own sheet.
A printable worksheet
The measurements, colour mixes and steps of the lesson on one page, to keep beside you.
A reference photo set
Photographs of the subject from several angles, for when the plant is out of season or has gone over.
The kit check
Every lesson starts with what you need on the table, so you are not hunting for a brush halfway through.
These are recorded lessons: you watch at your own pace, as often as you like. There are no live classes, and no one marks or comments on your work.
Before you start
What’s on the table
The kit for the three beginner courses, straight from their lesson lists. You may already own most of this.
Graphite pencil
First Marks: Learning to See a Plant
- HB, 2B, 4B and 6B pencils
- Hot-pressed paper or smooth cartridge, A4
- Putty rubber
- Dividers (any cheap pair)
Graphite pencil
The Leaf in Graphite
- HB to 6B pencils
- A mechanical pencil, 0.3 mm
- Hot-pressed paper, A4
- Putty rubber and a pen-shaped eraser
Watercolour
Thirty Greens: Mixing Foliage Colour
- Six-colour palette listed in lesson 1
- Size 6 and size 2 round brushes
- Hot-pressed watercolour paper, 300 gsm
- Two water jars
Kit for every course, grouped by medium, is on the materials page.
Routes
Several courses, in order, for less
4 courses · Beginner
From Graphite to Glaze
The beginner route in order: seeing, leaves in pencil, mixing greens, then your first painted petals.
£1,947
£731 less than buying the 4 courses separately (£2,678).
4 courses · Improver
A Year in Four Seasons
Winter twigs, spring bulbs, the summer rose and autumn fruit — one course for each season, drawn as it arrives.
£2,786
£619 less than buying the 4 courses separately (£3,405).
12 courses · Beginner to Advanced
The Complete Florilegium
All twelve courses, in a suggested order across eighteen months, ending with a plate of your own.
£3,263
£6,886 less than buying the 12 courses separately (£10,149).
Honest notes
Before you buy
Something not answered here? Ask in the chat — the round button at the bottom of the page. A real person from the school reads it and replies there. Or write via the contact page.
Do I need to be able to draw already?
No. First Marks: Learning to See a Plant starts with measuring a stem and drawing a tonal scale. If you can hold a pencil and look carefully, that is enough. Every course page states its level.
Will someone look at my work?
No. The courses are recorded video lessons only: no tutor marks or comments on your drawings, and there is no certificate. The chat is there for questions about courses, materials or your order.
How long can I watch?
24 months from the day your order is paid. Watch each lesson as often as you like, in any order, at your own pace.
What if the plant is out of season?
Every lesson comes with a reference photo set of its subject, so you can work from photographs until the real plant comes round again. The year planner helps you start each course when its subject is growing.
Can I cancel?
You have 14 days to cancel, as long as your access has not started. If you ask for access to begin straight away and confirm that you understand, the right to cancel ends when access begins. The details are in our terms.
Which device do I need?
The lessons stream in a web browser on a computer, tablet or phone, with nothing to install. A larger screen makes fine detail easier to follow, and you need an internet connection while you watch.
How is payment taken?
By card, Apple Pay or Google Pay through our payment service provider. The price shown is what you pay.