CLASSES, WORKSHOPS, TALKS
Get information on Lucy’s upcoming courses, teaching dates and mentoring opportunities
Lucy presenting at “Worldwide Day of Botanical Art,” Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, 18th May 2025
Lucy is an experienced teacher and public speaker. She teaches regularly at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, and delivers courses, workshops and talks for many other venues and private groups.
On this page you will find:
Upcoming courses, talks and workshops
Full listing of Lucy’s courses at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Previous courses, talks and workshops
“Lucy T Smith was extremely attentive, polite, pleasant and generous in teaching the techniques. I intend to attend all the courses where she is the tutor. This was my second course at Kew and I am extremely happy with the result I was able to achieve in the classes. Thank you!’ ★★★★★ “
NEXT class at royal botanic gardens, kew:
Wednesday 9th January, 2026
DRAWING SEED PODS - LAST FEW SPACES!
Woody seed pods, capsules, and cones make intriguing and accessible drawing subjects. As dried botanical specimens, they are easy to collect, store, and draw at any time.
Using examples from my botanical sketchbooks, we will explore:
techniques to sketch a selection of seed pods using pencil and/or pen and ink.
how to create balanced, organic compositions while following simple yet effective artistic principles
This workshop is perfect for those looking to enhance their observational drawing skills and develop their botanical illustration practice.
Seeds pods in pen and ink on toned paper
The classroom at Kew Gardens is fully equipped with drawing boards, lighting, lightboxes and supplementary art materials. Students can watch demonstrations from my desk, with the help of a visualiser projected onto a large screen.
TRANSYLVANIA SCHOOL OF BOTANICAL ART
residential botanical illustration course
May 25th - 31st, 2026
Join me for an incredible week exploring and recording the beautiful plants of the stunning Transylvanian wildflower meadows in pencil, paint and pen.
I can’t wait to return to the village of Copsa Mare for this course, hosted and run by James and Rachel de Candole.
View from the art studio window
During my previous class in 2024, we sketched the old “Batul” apple trees in the field.
KEW gARDENS: BOTANICAL WATERCOLOUR (INTERMEDIATE)
Botanical watercolour: Intermediate | Kew - LAST FEW SPACES!
Monday 2nd - Wednesday 4th February, 2026 (3 days)
In this course, we will build on basic watercolour techniques for botanical art and illustration, looking at:
watercolour mixing and colour matching
understanding tonal values to build up form using colour
layering wash and dry brush techniques to achieve depth of colour and fine detail
Suitable for those with some prior knowledge of basic botanical watercolour techniques.
Techniques will be demonstrated and practised in class by working from living plant material, either seasonal or from Kew’s displays.
Detail from a watercolour painting of the jade vine, Strongylodon macrobotrys
The view from our Kew classroom is hard to beat!
botanical art & Illustration courses at Royal Botanic gardens, kew
COURSES LED BY LUCY AT KEW
Click on the course name or icon to be taken to Kew’s website for full details and booking information:
PENCIL & WATERCOLOUR BOTANICAL SKETCHBOOK DATES FOR 2026 Coming Soon (2 days)
BOTANICAL PEN AND INK: BEGINNERS DATES FOR 2026 Coming Soon (3 days)
BOTANICAL PEN AND INK: INTERMEDIATE DATES FOR 2026 Coming Soon (3 days)
DRAWING AND PAINTING MUSHROOMS DATES FOR 2026 Coming Soon (2 days)
PEN AND INK BOTANICAL SKETCHBOOK DATES FOR 2026 Coming Soon (2 days)
DRAWING SEEDPODS LAST FEW SPACES! Friday 9th January 2026 (1 day)
BOTANICAL WATERCOLOUR: INTERMEDIATE Monday 2nd - Wednesday 4th February 2026(3 days) LAST FEW SPACES!
FUNDAMENTALS OF BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION Monday 16th - Friday 20th February 2026 (5 days)FULL
Later dates for 2026 Coming Soon
BOTANICAL SKETCHBOOK: INTERMEDIATE Wednesday 8th - Friday 10th April 2026 (3 days)
FLOWER DRAWING AND DISSECTION: INTERMEDIATE 2026, dates tbc (2 days)
COURSES AT OTHER VENUES
TRANSYLVANIA SCHOOL OF BOTANIC ART & ILLUSTRATION RESIDENTIAL COURSE
A wonderful week sketching, drawing, collecting in the field and studio (accommodation and meals included) in the stunning location of Copsa Mare, Transylvania Romania: 25th - 31st May, 2026. Contact James de Candole at the Transylvania School of Botanic Art & Illustration for all details and enquiries.
PREVIOUS WORKSHOPS AND TALKS
Lucy’s schedule is booked up well in advance - please get in touch if you would like to discuss and book her for a class, workshop or talk. The list below shows the range of topics she has covered in the past. In addition to covering familiar themes, she is also keen to engage with new ideas.
BEAUTY IN THE DETAIL - PLANT STUDIES FOR BOTANICAL ART: two day worskhop at Chatsworth House, Bakewell Derbyshire
SWISS ALPS BOTANICAL RETREAT - BOTANICAL SKETCHBOOK: A spent in the Swiss Alps making plant studies of local wildflowers
OXFORD SOCIETY OF BOTANICAL ART : four-day Botanical Sketchbook Study course
BOTANICAL ART TALK “BOTANICAL SKETCHBOOKS, AN ARTISTS’ GUIDE TO PLANT STUDIES” hosted by Julia Trickey - PAST, but you can watch a recording.
BOTANICAL ART CONVERSATIONS online workshop day with Julia Trickey’s Botanical Art Talks: “Sketchbook Study Stages” 17th February 2024 PAST
TRANSYLVANIA SCHOOL OF BOTANICAL ART AND ILLUSTRATION IN ROMANIA Masterclass - Capturing the wild flora of Transylvania, 1st - 7th June 2024
BOTANICAL SKETCHBOOK COURSE at LANDMARK ARTS CENTRE, TEDDINGTON Wednesday 21st - Friday 23rd August 2024 PAST
SUNBURY GALLERY WORKSHOP: Exploring Drawing and Painting with Lucy Smith: Monday 23rd September 2024, 10am to 3pm. PAST
Botanical Sketchbook: Pen, Ink & Watercolour techniques, Landmark Arts Centre Summer School 2024
Botanical Illustration evening classes Parade’s End Bookshop, August 2024
Finding Focus, guest speaker talk for the Association of Botanical Artists AGM, May 2024
Painting Green Leaves, New York Botanical Gardens online course, April 2024
The Wonderful World of Water Plants, Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew April - September 2023
Wildflowers and the importance of Botanical Sketchbooks, South West Society of Botanical Artists (SWSBA), Taunton, July 2022
Capturing Seasonal Plants:Botanical Illustration, Clayhill Arts, April 2022
Waterlilies, Waders and Watercolour: Kew Mutual Improvement Society, 8th November 2021
Pen and Ink Illustrations for the Palms of New Guinea - Portfolios and Passions, America Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) online conference 2021
Making your drawing “measure up:” Flower Dissection in Graphite - workshop, (ASBA) online conference 2021
Orchid Painting Workshop: Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London
Adventures of a Botanical Illustrator: Sydney Parkinson on Cook’s First Voyage - Whitby Museum
Botanical Art and Illustration at Kew - Birkbeck Garden History Group, Birbeck College, University of London
Walter, Waterlilies and Waders - The Victoria Waterlily Project - Birmingham Society of Botanical Artists
The Worldwide Day of Botanical Art at Kew - organiser & presenter (“Largest, Smallest, Oldest”), Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, RBG Kew 2018
Joseph Hooker and his Artist Walter Hood Fitch: the continuing tradition of botanist and artist collaboration - Joseph Hooker bicentenary conference, RBG Kew
Royal Horticultural Society Botanical Art Exhibition - demonstration of botanical illustration techniques, RHS Halls, London 2018
Botanical Illustration techniques: Tutor - Pen and Ink, Working from Specimens - Diploma of Botanical Painting at the Chelsea School of Botanical Art (previously English Gardening School) (2010 - 2020)
Composition in Botanical Art - talk, Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society, also Leicestershire Society of Botanical Illustrators
Science and Art at Kew - talk with Dr William J. Baker, Linnean Society of London
Painting Snowdrops, Painting Late Summer Flowers and Fruits, Painting Autumn Fruits - Chelsea Physic Garden, Chelsea, London
Flower Dissection Art - Canary Wharf Garden “Bloom and Grow”, for Arts & Gardens
Lost in Translation - talk, Travellers’ Tails programme National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London 2014
From Roots to Riches - contributor to BBC Radio 4 documentary and publication, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
London Open House Weekends and Friends Open Days - Display of botanical art at the Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Big Draw - “See More” plant drawing workshop at Kew Gardens
