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:
FUNDAMENTALS OF BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION SORRY FULLY BOOKED for September and December - NEXT COURSE IN FEBRUARY 2027 (15-19 February, booking open soon)
This ever-popular course provides an excellent introduction to the materials and techniques used in botanical art and illustration. It is perfect for beginners wishing to discover the approaches and techniques of botanical illustration; those needing a refresh, or simply some in-person support on their botanical art/illustration journey.
Over five days, we will cover:
how to observe plants for art and illustration
materials and equipment
observational drawing techniques
watercolour techniques for depicting plants
While you are welcome to bring all your own materials, a selection of watercolour paints will be provided. You need only bring paper, paintbrushes and pencils.
The focus of days 1 and 2 is drawing, days 3 to 5 on watercolour techniques (effectively beginners’ level botanical watercolour).
Students’ work from Fundamentals of Botanical Illustration
ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW:
FUNGI: DRAWING AND PAINTING MUSHROOMS 8th - 9th October 2026 (2 days)
Fungi exhibit an astonishing variety of shapes, colours, and textures, making them fascinating subjects for botanical art.
This two-day course will introduce participants to fungal structures, identification techniques, and artistic rendering using pencil, pen and ink, and watercolour.
You will have the opportunity to sketch specimens collected from Kew’s gardens and work from high-quality photographic references.
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.
ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, kEW:
BOTANICAL PEN AND INK: INTERMEDIATE
November 2nd - 4th 2026 (2 days)
PEN AND INK BOTANICAL SKETCHBOOK
November 5th - 6th 2026 (2 days)
Pen and ink illustrations
Pen and ink botanical sketchbook
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. For all enquiries please email: shortcourses@kew.org
BOTANICAL PEN AND INK: BEGINNERS 28th - 30th September 2026 (3 days) NOW BOOKING
BOTANICAL PEN AND INK: INTERMEDIATE 2nd - 4th November 2026 (3 days) NOW BOOKING!
DRAWING AND PAINTING MUSHROOMS 8th - 9th October 2026 (2 days) NOW BOOKING!
PEN AND INK BOTANICAL SKETCHBOOK 5th -6th November 2026 (2 days) NOW BOOKING!
DRAWING SEEDPODS Friday 9th January 2026 (1 day) PAST
BOTANICAL WATERCOLOUR: INTERMEDIATE 2nd - 4th February 2026 (3 days) FULLY BOOKED! (PAST)
FUNDAMENTALS OF BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION 21st - 25th September, 30th November - 4th December 2026 (5 days) SORRY, BOTH FULLY BOOKED
NEW DATE 15TH - 19TH FEBRUARY BOOKING SOON
BOTANICAL SKETCHBOOK STUDY 8th - 10th April 2026 (3 days) PAST
FLOWER DRAWING AND DISSECTION: INTERMEDIATE 14th - 15th May 2026 (2 days) PAST
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
