Science Communication - Spring 1999

WEEK 1: April 7- 9
7: Welcome to Botanical Illustration. Goals. Materials.
How to handle plant materials. Shaded drawings.
9: Special Guest: Ed Bell, art director of Scientific American Magazine.

WEEK 2: April 14 - 16
14: View first shaded drawings. Film: "Sexual Encounters of a Floral Kind".
16: BRING scalpel or dissecting kit, hand lens, plant specimens to dissect, drawing supplies. (Larger flowers are easiest to begin with: lilies, tulips, gladiolas, etc.)
Pen and ink demo.
(At home: continue by practicing pen and ink techniques. Using your shaded drawing as a prelim, complete two pen drawings:
#1. Outline only
#2. Outline with suggested light source and minimal shading.
Photocopy both images and bring both originals and copies to class next Thursday.

WEEK 3: April 21 - 23
21: BRING pen & ink, smooth bristol for ink, dissection drawing in progress, specimen. Continue dissection. Begin translating into ink.
23: View pen and ink sketches. Be prepared to identify successful areas on these drawings. Continue work on dissection assignment. Layout composition for feedback. Practice translating elements of dissection into ink.

WEEK 4: April 28 - 30
28: CRITIQUE of completed dissection plate.
Intro to watercolor and botanical watercolor assignment.
(Due: May 14
30: BRING watercolor supplies and several leaf specimens with lots
of color variety: Blue-green, gray-green, green flushed with red or violet, etc.

WEEK 5: May 5 - 7
5: BRING:
#1. Simple plant drawing transferred to watercolor paper.
#2. Shaded pencil "map" to refer to.
#3. Specimen.
#4. Watercolor supplies
7: Special Guest: Donna Miller, art director of Ranger Rick Magazine

WEEK 6: May 12- May 14:
12: CRITIQUE of watercolor.
Introduction to "Plant in habitat" (or "plant as habitat") project.
14: BRING:
#1. Ink supplies and paper, tracing tissue.
#2. Completed sketch of habit of a tree or large plant.
#3. Branch or twig of same tree or plant to render in class.

WEEK 7: May 19- May 21:
19: MIDQUARTER REVIEW Turn in all work to date.
BRING photos (preferably your own) of landscapes with the identifiable habit of 3 or more species. Watercolor supplies.
(Ex: Broadleaf evergreen forest, coastal shrubs, etc.),
21: Special guest: Jen Christiansen, assistant art director at National Geographic Magazine

WEEK 8: May 26- May 28:
26: EXCHANGE DAY.
28: BRING examples of logos, symbols, emblems from museum letterheads, nature organizations, horticultural magazines, business cards, etc. Be prepared to Create-an-Assignment for yourself that involves designing a logo. Bring plant specimens and/or photos as inspiration. Project due: June 2.

WEEK 9: June 2 - 4
2: View logo project. Work in class.
4: BRING herbarium specimen, three photocopies of specimen (at drawing size), pencil and ink supplies.

WEEK 10: June 9- June 11:
9: Final CRITIQUE.
POTLUCK!
PORTFOLIOS DUE.
11: Portfolios returned.
 

* SAMPLE SYLLABUS
 
Week 1
Introduction to course, materials, and books.
About lab notebooks, classification and the animal kingdom.
Begin first assignment.
 
Week 2
Mammals lab.
CRITIQUE #1 on assignment #1.
Intro to 2nd assignment.
 
Week 3
Birds lab.
Field trip to Coyote Point Museum in San Mateo.
 
Week 4
Reptiles and Amphibians lab.
CRITIQUE #2 on assignment #2.
Intro to 3rd assignment.
 
Week 5
Work in progress on animation assignment.
Guest speaker.
 
Week 6
Fish and Echinoderms lab.
LAB QUIZ #1
Covering mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.
Intro to 4th assignment.
 
Week 7
Arthropods lab.
Guest speaker
TURN IN WORK FOR
MID-QUARTER REVIEW
 
Week 8
(Portfolios return).
Mollusks and Jellies lab.
CRITIQUE #3 on assignment #3.
 
Week 9
Field trip TBA.
LAB QUIZ #2
Covering fish, echino-derms, mollusks, and jellies.
 
Week 10
Work in class day: Bring work in progress on final projects!
 
FINAL CRITIQUE
on assignment #4.
 

Revised 8/3/04.