Fall Botanical Drawing

Using watercolor during one of the last classes

This autumn, I took a Fall Botanical drawing class through the City of Boise Parks & Recreation Department. The class was held once a week during September and October, and I think it slipped in during the perfect time period because now we're more hunkered down for the winter and a rise in COVID-19 infections.

We started off drawing just in pencil without any color. The instructor went over shading techniques, the steps to drawing (starting from a general shape and adding detail), and how to show light that is hitting your subject.

Over the weeks, we used colored pencil to bring vibrancy to our drawings, and then experimented with watercolor. I enjoyed the "burnishing" technique of colored pencils, which is going over a completed drawing with a white colored pencil to add shine and light. Watercolor was less precise, and I liked blending the paints into each other in a medium that seemed more forgiving.

Overall, the course made me notice and appreciate small elements and details of nature.

Colored pencil drawing

Comments

Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey Driving Tour

Driving tour of Birds of Prey National Conservation Area - click here to see the brochure and map A couple of weeks ago, I took a driving tour of the Birds of Prey National Conservation Area. The driving route outlines some notable geographic features of the area, as well as bringing birds to great spots above the Snake River for catching glimpses of birds of prey. Read more about the history of this unique area here . View of Initial Point Snake River at Celebration Park Helpful bird identification sign at Dedication Point This sign at the Kuna Visitors Center has great ideas for stops along the Western Heritage Historic Byway View from Dedication Point

One Year in Boise!

View from 8th Street Extension Trail A beautiful morning walk in the foothills This week marks my anniversary of living in Boise for one year! I can hardly believe that this time last year, I was arriving in the City of Trees, strolling along the Boise Greenbelt in awe, and taking photos of the river. In some ways, it feels inconceivable that a year has gone by, but in other ways, the amount of things I've done and places I've gone in Idaho this past year seem impressive. It seems like a common theme that individual moments and days can seem slow, but years fly by. In honor of my one-year anniversary of living in Boise, I jotted down a list of some of my favorite memories of exploring this city and state. Memories of this past year (in no particular order): Floating the Boise River twice Showing my parents Boise (driving up to Bogus Basin, running a half marathon, the farmer's market, biking the Greenbelt, hiking Ridge to Rivers trails, etc) Le...

Quarantine Driving Tour of Boise

Map of the Boise Driving Tour to go along with this guide. Find the map here . We're all still under the statewide Stay at Home order here in Idaho, but many of us are itching to get out and enjoy the beautiful spring weather we've been having. Luckily, outdoor recreation is still permissible and encouraged, as long as social distancing guidelines are followed. Another great way to shake things up and enjoy the beauty of this time to year is to take a scenic drive around Boise. I put together a guide of some significant parts of Boise Here is a map with directions between each stop on the driving tour: Boise Driving Tour Map 1. Start at the Idaho State Capitol Building in downtown Boise. Did you know it's the only capitol building in the U.S. that is heated with geothermal water? check out this online tour of the Capitol and this fact page on the Capitol . 2. Cruise through downtown and stretch your legs at Freak Alley Gallery , an a...

Boise By Nature

Search This Blog