Botanical Art and Illustration: About the Program | Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

Botanical Art and Illustration Certificate Program Overview

In the Botanical Art and Illustration Certificate program, you will learn how to draw botanical subjects with scientific accuracy, artistry and mastery of technical methods. Develop a basic knowledge of plant morphology and build the skills you need to document plants in intricate detail, including the root system, upper and lower leaf surface, flowers, fruits and seed heads. This program is designed for students who are interested in pursuing art for pleasure and self-satisfaction, and you can choose between two concentrations: watercolor or colored pencil. Both beginners and seasoned artists are welcome. You may work towards the certificate or enroll in individual courses.

There is no formal enrollment in the program. Phipps maintains student records, but does not actively monitor student progress. Please track your own progress through the program and contact Phipps’ adult education department for transcript confirmation when you have completed the required coursework. There is no time limit for completing the program. Certificate completion typically takes three to four years, or longer.

Receiving Class Credit: For both core and elective classes, students must attend all class sessions and complete and submit all the work required to earn class credit. Class credit is important if a student is pursuing the Basic or Advanced Botanical Art and Illustration certificate. Even if a student is not sure about pursuing the certificate, it is recommended that they earn credit for each class because this is difficult to do retroactively. If a student has to miss class (e.g. health reasons or a death in the family), they must contact the instructor at their earliest convenience to see if it’s possible to still earn class credit.

Attend our Botanical Art and Illustrations classes from home!

The benefits of attending our courses virtually include:

Learn how to draw in the privacy and comfort of your own home or from anywhere with an internet connection.
No need to transport art supplies or commute to class.
Convenient three-hour online weeknight classes.
Drawing techniques demonstrated by instructor through overhead camera.
Classes are recorded and distributed for student reference between classes (and a month after class ends).
Each class provides moderator support in addition to an experienced instructor.
Small class size allows a supportive and social learning environment.

A note on class recordings: The class recordings posted on Google Classroom are meant to aid students in completing their work between classes but are not a substitute for attending class. Students are required to attend all classes and are not allowed to miss class and watch the recordings for credit.

For a printable PDF of this overview information click here.

For a list of current classes, click the button below.

View Classes

Illustration © Lisa Rasmussen (Butyriboletus frostii)

Basic Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration

To receive a basic certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration, you must satisfactorily complete 11 core courses, totaling 182 credit hours, and an additional 56 hours of electives for a total of 238 hours, as well as meet the requirements of a portfolio review. After you complete the course requirements, you must present a portfolio of your work for review. The portfolio must include between 5 and 15 pieces of independent artwork that demonstrate proficiency in graphite, pen and ink, and either watercolor or colored pencil. Contact the adult education department for additional certificate and portfolio review details, to confirm your transcript, to initiate the portfolio review process, and with any program questions: edu@phipps.conservatory.org.

Advanced Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration

If you have completed the Basic Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration including the portfolio review, you are eligible to work towards an Advanced Certificate. The Advanced Certificate requires a one – three year commitment from you, in which you must complete an additional 50 hours of elective courses and present a final project with newly created works that demonstrate the botanical art process while focusing on an approved plant-related theme.

For more program information, a current course catalogue, class descriptions and instructor bios, please visit phipps.conservatory.org/botart contact our staff at edu@phipps.conservatory.org or 412/441-4442, ext. 3925.

Basic Certificate Course Requirements:

Core classes are offered at least once every 18 months. Elective offerings vary in subject matter and frequency offered. For course descriptions, instructor bios and the most up-to-date program information, visit phipps.conservatory.org/botart

Illustration © Brenda Nemeth (Taraxacum officinale)

Core Courses (182 class hours):

Botanical Drawing l: Foundations, BA110 (18 hrs)
Botanical Drawing ll: Volume, Texture, Details, BA210 (18 hrs)
Botanical Drawing lll: Applications, BA310 (18 hrs)
Composition for Botanical Artists, BA220 (18 hrs)
Floral Morphology, BA230 (12 hrs)
History of Botanical Art, BA240 (8 hrs)
Pen and Ink l, BA250 (18 hrs)
Pen and Ink ll, BA350 (18 hrs)
Developing Botanical Perspective to Create Depth (18 hrs)

Choose either watercolor or colored pencil concentration

Colored Pencil I: Techniques and Color Theory, BA260 (18 hrs)
Colored Pencil II: Applications, BA360 (18 hrs)

Watercolor I: Techniques and Color Theory, BA270 (18 hrs)
Watercolor II: Applications, BA370 (18 hrs)

Portfolio Review (completed once all credit requirements are met)

Example Electives (56 total hours required)
Classes listed below are just examples of the types of elective classes you might encounter in the program. Options change from semester to semester.

Foreshortening and Perspective, BA151 (12 hrs)
Understanding Shadow, BA213 (12 hrs)
Field Sketching, BA221 (6 hrs)
Flora Project, BA231 (8 hrs)
Botanical Drawing IV, BA313 (18 hrs)
Pen and Ink III, BA353 (18 hrs)
Colored Pencil III, BA363 (18 hrs)
Watercolor III, BA373 (18 hrs)
Mastering Color Courses, various
Visiting Botanical Art and Illustration Instructors, various

Overall certificate requirement: 238 class hours

Illustration © Christi Ptacek (Opuntia species)

For More detailed information on the basic and advanced certificates, download the sheets below:

Basic Botanical Art and Illustration Certificate Details
Advanced Botanical Art and Illustration Certificate Details

Examples of Student Work:

Botanical Drawing ll
Pen and Ink l
Colored Pencil l
Watercolor l
Silverpoint
Drawing Bird Nests and Eggs

Recent Exhibits:

Highlands Flora Project: Foraged Plants of Southwestern Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Botanic Garden's Native Plants
Southwestern PA Native Plants with a Spotlight on Caterpillars
Magnified Portraits of Southwestern PA Native Plants
An Alphabet of Native Plants of Southwestern Pennsylvania: A Botanical Art Exhibit
The Art of Trudy Rehbock (In Memoriam)

Instructor Bios

Botanical Art and Illustration: About the Program

Melissa Fabian

Melissa Fabian is in her ninth year as an instructor for the Phipps Botanical Illustration Certificate program. Melissa holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Education in art education and has taught middle and high school students art for 35 years. She is the co-founder of an art group, 3Rivers Botanical and Nature Artists. Melissa has juried and curated many botanical and nature art exhibits and sells her own nature themed artworks. Check out her website at Drawing Nature Stories.

Christine Hutson

Christine Hutson has been working as a calligrapher and nature illustrator for over 30 years and has been teaching at Phipps Conservatory since 2011. One of her specialties includes medieval and renaissance art techniques, inspired by manuscript books and the work of old masters such as Joris Hoefnagel and Pierre Joseph Redoute.

Dr. Brenda G. Jordan

Dr. Brenda G. Jordan has a Bachelor of Art in studio art and Doctor of Philosophy in Japanese art history. She specializes in watercolor botanical art and landscapes. She currently directs the University of Pittsburgh’s project for the National Consortium for Teaching About Asia, located within the Asian Studies Center at the University.

Amy Lewandowski

Amy Lewandowski is a watercolor artist from Northeast Ohio. She graduated with honors from Carnegie Mellon University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in illustration. She has been teaching watercolor and drawing at workshops and private classes since 2013. She is also a signature member of the Ohio Watercolor Society and has exhibited her paintings in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Amy Lindenberger

Amy Lindenberger has been teaching colored pencil techniques in Phipps Conservatory’s Botanical Art and Illustration program since 2005. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drawing from the University of Akron and has been working with the colored pencil medium for more than 40 years. Amy is a charter, signature and 10-year Merit Award winner with the Colored Pencil Society of America, and is the author of six colored pencil books, including her most recent; COLORS: A Workbook, based on the mastering color classes she teaches at Phipps.

Robin Menard

Robin Menard shares her love of nature creating art and teaching. A lifelong artist, Robin is a graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and a graphic design, marketing and communications professional. She has a Certificate in Botanical Illustration from Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, where she has been an instructor in the Botanical Illustration Certificate program for over 10 years. When not teaching at Phipps, you can find Robin offering workshops throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. She is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists and the Colored Pencil Society of America.