Painting Nature with Watercolor Pencils

Create watercolor pencil drawings inspired by nature.

Water-soluble pencils—known as watercolor pencils—can be used in unique ways combining the precision of colored pencils and the blending magic of watercolor.

In this 6-week course, participants will learn to capture nature through various watercolor pencil techniques. Each week, students will:

Learn from demonstrations and instruction by a professional art instructor
Experiment with both wet and dry techniques
Learn to sketch with dry pencil and dissolve color with a wet brush
Receive one-on-one guidance
Work with botanical specimens from the Arboretum’s grounds, such as leaves and flowers

At the end of the course participants will have added to their sketchbooks and created several watercolor pencil drawings inspired by nature.

See What to Know for a supply list.

This program meets in person at the Arboretum.

Instructor: Kimberly Mullarkey, artist

Age: 16 and older

Course number: A320

Instructor

Kimberly Mullarkey, artist

Kimberly Mullarkey has a bachelor’s degree in fine art from the University of California–Santa Cruz and a master of fine arts degree from Northern Illinois University. She lived in France for six months, where she studied early Northern Renaissance painting. She teaches botanical art at The Morton Arboretum and the Chicago Botanic Garden. She also teaches drawing and design at the College of DuPage. Her work is included in the Best of Colored Pencil series. She has spoken many times at local art leagues about creativity, botanical art, and her own work. To fulfill her wanderlust, she leads trips.

Questions about Registration
630-719-2468
Registrar-ed@mortonarb.org
Weekdays, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Format
In person
Six Mondays, April 14 through May 19, 2025, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Thornhill Education Center (Parking Lot 21), West Side
A320
Cost: $230
Member cost: $195
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