Realistic Botanical Watercolor Drawing
A course by Nadia Leo , Graphic Artist, Calligrapher, and Illustrator
Learn a drawing method based on curiosity and careful observation to create botanical watercolor illustrations
Learn a drawing method based on curiosity and careful observation to create botanical watercolor illustrations
Curiosity, observation, and respect for the changes in nature are the three main ingredients for creating botanical illustrations. In her realistic compositions, illustrator Nadia Leo reproduces plants and flowers and the feelings they embody by putting special emphasis on their characteristic features and colors.
In this course, Nadia teaches you how to stop and take in the nature around you to accurately recreate it using watercolor techniques. Learn how to choose a subject for your illustration, make an outline, and apply color until you have an elaborate and realistic work of art. Stop and smell the flowers with Nadia and learn how to depict incredible colors and shapes.
What will you learn in this online course?
16 lessons & 23 downloads
- 83% positive reviews (92)
- 3,507 students
- 16 lessons (2h 29m)
- 23 additional resources (8 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Italian
- Italian · Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Polish · Dutch
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Draw and paint an oleander leaf from different angles to refine your observation skills and master the art of applying color.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone who loves nature and wants to learn how to replicate its colors using watercolors.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience is required for this course.
All you need is a pencil, paper, paintbrushes, and watercolors. A light table would also be useful, but not necessary.
Reviews
Nadia Leo is a graphic artist, calligrapher, and illustrator. Curious and creative from an early age, she studied graphic design in high school and continued her education at an arts' lyceum to master both disciplines that would later define her career.
She spent many years creating graphic content for the advertising industry at a time when manual techniques like cut-outs, mock-ups, drawings, and collages were still the norm. As these traditional methods gave way to digital tools, Nadia wanted to explore the art of letters beyond the typography offered in classes and decided to dive into the world of calligraphy focusing on a more personal and artisan approach.
Thanks to this art form, she started to collaborate with fashion brands like Hermès and to create stationery for weddings and events. During lockdown in 2020, she rekindled her passion for drawing and discovered painting with watercolors, which opened a world of possibilities for illustrating plants and flowers. She currently shares her creations on Instagram and has designed her own collection of nature-inspired stationery items.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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Presentation
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Sources of inspiration
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U2
Preparation for work
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All you need to draw
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Choose a subject: study and observation of nature
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How to organize the work
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U3
The pencil base
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Pencil sketch
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Mapping of the salient features
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Main lines and transfer on cotton paper
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U4
Add color
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Color mapping 1
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Color mapping 2
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The first phase of color: the glazes 1
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The first phase of color: the glazes 2
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Realistic coloring 1
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Realistic coloring 2
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U5
Archives and abstractionism
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Use the palette to create an abstract exercise
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Create a botanical archive
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FP
Final project
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Realistic Botanical Watercolor Drawing
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.
All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.
The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.
You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.
jerkstuffs
I can’t believe she didn’t show us how to paint at least one flower! Specially because in the presentation video, a bunch of plants with flowers are shown.
Nadia’s talent and execution are impressive and I would have loved to see her use of pinks instead of repeating the same leaves over and over again.
I feel like this course is unfinished which is why I wouldn’t recommend it.
chiks
Easy to follow
tomekbald
Nawet jak już trochę malujesz coś można skorzystać. Trochę długo te wprowadzenia, inspiracje itp. trwają i nie są związane stricte z tematem kursu. Może po prostu nie trafiłem w dobry kurs...
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fata_pelle
Ottimo corso, utile per un approccio alla tecnica e alla tematica. Docente molto professionale. Assolutmemte consigliato!
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marisanoemiporta
Me encantó el curso, muy didáctico , super bien explicado. Lo recomiendo
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