Royal Canarian Academy Launches Seventh Annual Botanical Drawing Course
The Royal Canarian Academy of Fine Arts is offering its seventh annual "Botanical Drawing and Illustration" course, led by renowned botanical artist Marta Chirino Argenta, focusing on scientific illustration techniques from November 10th to Wednesday in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The Royal Canarian Academy of Fine Arts is hosting its "Botanical Drawing and Illustration" course for the seventh year running. The class will be led by Marta Chirino Argenta, a botanical artist and member of The Society of Botanical Artists.
This course, supported by the Government of the Canary Islands, runs from today, November 10th, until Wednesday. It's being held at the academy's building in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (plaza de Ireneo González, 1) between 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM.
Marta Chirino Argenta will guide participants through the fundamental techniques of botanical drawing. You'll learn to closely observe nature by drawing leaves, fruits, and branches using scientific illustration methods. The course will cover how to graphically represent plant structures and include practical exercises designed to make botanical drawing feel natural and straightforward. You'll also practice drawing with pencil and ink, which will provide a solid foundation for botanical illustration.
The aim is to explore an art form that has become increasingly popular since the 1980s, driven by interest in botanical illustrations and their use in decorative arts, fabric designs, stationery, and more.
The course is open to students of Fine Arts, Design, Biological Sciences, and anyone with an interest in the subject. Topics covered will include botanical drawing, scientific illustration, how to depict light and volume, proportions, shadows, drawing moving leaves, and textures.
Marta Chirino Argenta, born in Madrid in 1963, is a botanical artist specialising in scientific illustration. She holds a degree in Biological Sciences from the Autonomous University of Madrid. She is a corresponding academician at the Royal Canarian Academy of Fine Arts and has been a member of The Society of Botanical Artists (SBA) since 1998.
Her career has been recognised with several awards, including the Gold Medal from The Royal Horticultural Society in the UK. From 1987 to 2020, she worked as a scientific illustrator for the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid and other official bodies, with her artwork appearing in many books and magazines. Since 2019, she has also served as the president of the Martín Chirino Foundation for Art and Thought.