Woodland: The Natural World in Ink and Coloured Pencils

Learn how to capture the natural world in ink and coloured pencils. Artist and author Helen Hanson’s unusual combination of ink and coloured pencil, originally developed for landscape, is applied to the natural world in this exciting new course.

During the course you’ll use creative mark-making in ink and dry coloured pencil. Discover embossing and lifting out, to depict the plants, fungi, birds or animals of the woodland environment.

Using your own or the tutor’s images and the surroundings of Flatford Mill you will be guided through the processes with demonstrations and individual help and encouraged to follow your own style.
This is slow art, but enjoyable, and with inspiration and guidance from the tutor you will produce a collection of work that will surprise you.

About the tutor

Helen Hanson

Helen Hanson is a Fellow of the Society of Botanical Artists, winner of the President’s Award and a former Council Member of the Society of Women Artists. She was for many years a successful print maker, exhibiting her landscape etchings in galleries and exhibitions throughout Britain. Always inspired by the natural world, she now concentrates on ink and coloured pencil landscape and botanical coloured pencil works and enjoys tutoring adults locally and at residential venues in the UK.

About Flatford Mill

We have four buildings that are used for visitor accommodation. Whilst most rooms are either en-suite or have a dedicated bathroom, there are some rooms in The Mill that share showers and toilets at the end of the hall. If this is un-suitable for you please make the office staff aware upon booking or as soon as possible.

Please be aware that you are visiting a Field Centre that caters in the main for school parties; the accommodation is basic and dormitory style, but warm and comfortable.

Explore our range of botanical illustration courses and drawing and sketching courses hosted by our engaging tutors and learn from their expertise and skills. Our art courses are a chance to meet like-minded people, a chance to unwind from everyday life, and a great opportunity to experience the UK’s glorious countryside surrounding our field centres.

Example Timetable

Check-in is between 1600-1800, if you are arriving after 1800 please advise us, so we can ensure you are advised of access codes, room key location, and room location.

You will meet the tutor at dinner, and you will have your first session after dinner.

What's Included

Expert Tuition
Free Wi-Fi
Full Board Accommodation
Hot and Cold Drinks
Picnic Lunch

Full board accommodation and picnic lunch is available for resident bookings only.
Refreshments are included for all, but non-resident bookings are advised to bring lunch with you.

Before You Attend

What to bring

Artist quality coloured pencils (preferably non-watercolour, although these can be used dry) - Faber Castell Polychromos, Derwent Artist or Procolour, Caran D’Ache Pablo or similar.
A4 Bristol board (Strathmore Series 300 smooth is recommended). This will be available for purchase from tutor by the sheet.
An HB pencil and ruler
A good pencil sharpener with a very sharp blade (M & R round brass sharpener is highly recommended)
Erasers - putty and plastic
Waterproof Indian ink pens Faber Castell Pitt artist pens (SX, S, F, M) or Staedtler pigment liner pens (0.5, 0.3, 0.1 and ultra fine 0.05)
A small sketch pad or cartridge paper for any preliminary drawings

Feel free to bring your own summer landscape photos, images or sketches, or to work from the Flatford environment. If you need inspiration the tutor will bring some seasonal images. Please keep to landscape and plants rather than buildings, people, boats etc.