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Duration

1 day

Location

Chelsea Physic Garden

Times

10.30am – 4.00pm

Course Dates

Wednesday 2 December, 2026

Sketching for Garden Design - Beginner

Sale price £240.00

Tax included

Course highlights

  • Learn to turn planting ideas into atmospheric sketches, using practical drawing techniques that work both on site and at your desk.
  • Build confidence drawing plants—from perennials to trees—by observing their form, shape and character and creating quick but realistic studies.
  • Explore pens, pencils, composition and atmospheric perspective to add depth, spatial clarity and a convincing three-dimensional feel to drawings.
  • Join planting designer and artist Anna Ribo for a friendly, beginner-welcome one-day workshop at the Chelsea Physic Garden; arrival refreshments are included, places are limited to 20, and participants should bring a hardback sketchbook plus inexpensive paper for rapid drawings.

Course Dates

Wednesday 2 December, 2026

Course Description

Would you like to be able to be able to capture your planting plans and ideas through atmospheric sketches and drawings?

On this course, we will look at capturing plant shapes and characters and demystifying drawing in 3D.  We will do exercises to help you depict plants quickly, but realistically, and discuss what to add in the foreground, middle and background of an illustration. Sketching can increase your observational skills and help you think spatially and it can be a creative tool to use whether on site or at your desk. You will learn lots of practical techniques you can use in your work and for leisure.

Topics covered will include:

  • Materials. Making the most of pens and pencils. Line
  • Observing form, shape and character
  • Capturing plants in drawings, from perennials to trees
  • Creating depth and a feeling of 3D to your drawings through atmospheric perspective.
  • Fast, observational drawings
  • Using drawing as creative tool on site and at your desk

Anna Ribo combines her knowledge of planting design and drawing to give students skills that are relevant to horticulture in friendly and informative workshops. Beginners are welcome. All materials except paper will be provided. Please bring a hardback sketchbook and some inexpensive paper for fast drawings.

This is a one day course held at the Chelsea Physic Garden

Arrival refreshments will be provided

Places limited to 20

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