BOTANICAL DRAWING &
FLOWER PRESSING
ONLINE WORKSHOP
Thank you for joining me on my recent Botanical Drawing Workshop. I hope you enjoyed it, I certainly did! It was lovely meeting everyone again and seeing some familiar faces.
As promised I have attached a little more information for you. If you have any questions in the meantime though, please do not hesitate to get in touch at hello@gaelhillyard.com
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RECOMMENDED SUPPLIES
Flower press - for presses up to about 35 cm I prefer screw mechanisms which are more manageable
if you would prefer a larger press email gael@gaelhillyard.com and I will be happy to provide you
with some information on how to make your own which is much more cost effective than buying one
Blotting paper - I have found student grade watercolour paper just as effective as blotting paper and much cheaper
cut it to size and use the scraps for swatching your paints or for small practice sketches
Iron - for tougher plants I press them with an iron first, but you really don’t want to do this with your laundry iron
I use the cheapest I can find, never add water, and leave it on a medium heat,
place the plant material between two sheets of parchment before ironing
Tweezers - I use a number of different shapes for arranging delicate plants
use them in pairs to hold an item in place with one hand and manoeuvre stems and leaves with the other
Masking tape - this is invaluable for holding plant material in place before closing the press
I use very narrow tape for small stems, and slightly wider for fine branches; you will use more of it than you imagine!
Brushes - cheap brushes are handy for dusting pollen and bits of material off plants and the blotting paper
use small brushes to remove any spores or insects from the folds and backs of the plants
Cutters - I use small pruning snips for trimming unwanted material such as thorns, or stray leaves before pressing
the small pointed blades are easier to manipulate and make cutting tough stems much easier
Renaissance Wax - helps protect leaves and keeps them supple
Collall All Purpose Glue - ideal for paper and plant material
Looking forward to seeing you at the next one!
