Picturing Plants

REVISED

Spring 2013 quarter

Faculty

Ruth Hayes animation, media studies , Frederica Bowcutt ecology

Fields of Study

botany, field studies, media arts, moving image, natural history and visual arts

Preparatory for studies or careers in

animation, art, scientific illustration, botany and education.

Description

This program offers students opportunities to learn scientific and creative approaches to representing plants including field plant taxonomy, botanical illustration, observational and expressive drawing, and animation. Through lectures, lab exercises, design problems and field trips, students will learn to recognize the diagnostic characters of common plant families, and use dichotomous keys and field guides for plant identification.

In lectures, readings and critiques, participants will study the history of botanical illustration and explore aspects of how plants have been represented by artists and in popular culture. In workshops, students will practice skills in drawing, black and white illustration (pen and ink and scratchboard) and color illustration (watercolor) techniques. As living things, plants grow and change through time, and we experience them in time, so students will also learn a variety of analog and digital animation techniques to represent the temporal dimensions of plants. Students will practice these skills in the execution of a portfolio of illustrations and short animated sequences.

Several one-day field trips and one multi-day field trip are the core of this program. Participation in the field trips is required and will provide students access to a variety of habitats including prairie, coniferous forest, oak woodland, riparian woodland, saltwater marsh and freshwater marsh. During and after field trips, students will apply their taxonomy, drawing, illustration and animation skills in exercises and entries in field journals and sketchbooks.

Location

Olympia

Online Learning

Enhanced Online Learning

Books

Greener Store

Required Fees

$200 for overnight field trip and art and animation supplies.

Offered During

Day

Program Revisions