Come and Make Something: Botanical Drawing Classes With a Working Jeweller
Most people who come to my botanical drawing classes say the same thing on the way in: “I can’t really draw.” They always can by the end. Because the thing I teach is not talent — it is a way of looking, and a way of making, that anyone can learn. I am an artist educator and botanical jewellery designer with over twelve years of teaching behind me and an MA in Arts and Learning from Goldsmiths, and these adult art classes are where my whole practice begins.
If you have been searching for botanical drawing classes, a botanical illustration course for beginners, or simply a creative workshop where you can slow down and make something real with your hands, this is what I offer — and why it is a little different.
Learn to draw plants from life, with no experience needed
These are beginner-friendly drawing classes for adults. You do not need to arrive able to draw. You need only a willingness to look slowly. We start with a real plant in front of you and work from life, not from a photo or a screen, so what you make is honestly your own.
The method has four clear stages, and we move through them together:
Observe — drawing a real plant part to part with an H pencil, then inking the line, so your eye learns to see what is actually there.
Isolate — cutting the shape free of the busy page with a craft knife, and feeling it get stronger as you cut.
Arrange — moving the pieces by hand, drawing again to fill the gaps, and finding the connections that become a design.
Grow — fixing the composition, standing back, and noticing that you have made something new.
I call the whole method Design for Growth, because every finished piece becomes something new to observe, and the process begins again. It is a gentle, repeatable way of working that keeps giving you somewhere to go.
Adding colour, and the pleasure of good materials
Once your line is down, we build colour in three layers of metallic ink — mid-tone first, then dark for depth, then the lightest highlight last so the light sits on top and the drawing glows. Working with beautiful materials is half the joy of these botanical art workshops, and you will leave knowing how to use them, not just having watched someone else.
From a drawing to a finished piece of your own
What makes these classes unusual is that I am a working jeweller as well as a teacher. The same four stages you will learn are the ones I use at my bench in Hatton Garden to turn a drawing into handmade botanical jewellery, and into prints and botanical wallpaper. So you are not learning a classroom exercise. You are learning the real method behind a real maker’s work, and seeing where it can lead — from a sketch, to a finished study you can frame, all the way to a piece of silver you can wear.
Who comes to these classes
My botanical drawing workshops suit a wide mix of people, and you will be in good company whether you are:
A complete beginner who has always wanted to learn to draw flowers and plants
Someone returning to art after years away and looking for adult art classes that feel welcoming
A gardener, walker or nature lover who wants to look more closely at the botany you already love
A keen crafter curious about how drawing becomes jewellery and design
Anyone in need of a calm, screen-free, creative few hours and the satisfaction of making something by hand
Lovers of the jewellery are welcome too
If you already wear my nature-inspired jewellery, the classes are a lovely way to see how each piece is born — and if you come to a class first, you will understand exactly what you are buying when you choose a handmade botanical piece later. The drawing and the jewellery are two ends of one method, and many people enjoy both. Commissions are always welcome if you would like a piece drawn from a plant that means something to you.
Come and make something
I run these classes in small, friendly groups so everyone gets real attention. For dates, locations, prices and how to join — or to ask about a private session or a commission — get in touch at kate@katehodgson.co.uk or 07812 017627, or visit katehodgson.co.uk.
Observe closely. Isolate from the noise. Arrange by hand. Grow into something new. I would love to show you how.
