Offer Acceptance: RBGE Botanical Illustration Certificate

I’ve felt for a while a real drive to study botanical art in a formal setting, so in November of this year I applied to study botanical illustration with the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh.

A new chapter in my botanical art journey is about to begin because I have been accepted to their RBGE Botanical Illustration Certificate course! This certificate will solidified my foundational skills in botanical art covering everything from:

• Botany & plant identification

• 3D Modelling with graphite & paint

• Colour mixing & matching

• Art foundations, ie. foreshortening, value studies

• Scientifically accurate measured drawing

• Painting techniques in watercolour

• Compositional skills… and more!

The course runs from March through to mid August 2026. I am slightly nervous going into this because I’ll also be working full time. It will definitely be a busy season with lots of studio time (which I don’t mind at all!). The course begins from the basics rendering leaves, then pears and finishes through with a larger cyclamen piece. I am praying I can keep this flowering plant alive while I complete this course. Luckily, they’re a perennial plant and known to flower during the time of year my course runs so I’m very thankful for that! Although, I might need to purchase a few knowing my track record with plants. 

I am over the moon excited for this next step in my botanical art journey! This blog will keep as a record of how I get on, stay tuned for this next exciting chapter!