Art Workshop: Botanical Sketch Journaling
Date & Time
Saturday, May 5, 2026
2–5 p.m.
This event is in the past.
Tickets
$95 per person
Location
Biology Greenhouse
Life Sciences Building
3747 W. Stevens Way NE
University of Washington Campus, Seattle
Step into the lush environment of the UW Biology Greenhouse and discover the art of botanical sketch journaling.
Surrounded by a diverse collection of plants, you will slow down, observe closely, and capture the fascinating shapes, patterns, and structures of plants in your sketchbook.
Botanical illustrator Crystal Shin will guide you through the process of starting a sketch journal, showing you what botanical features to observe and how to translate them into clear, expressive sketches. With hands-on guidance and time to explore the greenhouse collections, you will practice drawing directly from living plants while developing stronger observational and sketching skills.
This class offers a unique opportunity to experience the UW Biology Greenhouse through drawing, helping you build a deeper connection with plants and a creative practice you can continue wherever you go.
Materials to bring:
- A sketchbook journal of your choice. If you don’t have a sketchbook journal, a regular sketchbook or drawing paper should be fine for the class.
- Drawing medium of your choice such as: Graphite pencils (H or HB for sketching) and erasers, fine liner pens such as Micron, Uni Pin, and Copic (small nib sizes in 003, 005), or colored pencils/a traveling watercolor kit.
- OPTIONAL: A lawn chair for sketching in the greenhouse collection rooms.
PLEASE NOTE: This program does not take place at the Burke Museum. This program takes place at the Life Sciences Building Greenhouse. The Greenhouse is located behind the Life Sciences Building, 3747 W. Stevens Way NE. The entrance is accessible via the Burke Gilman Trail. More detailed directions will be shared out via email in advance of the program.
About the Artist
Crystal Shin is a botanical artist and natural science illustrator known for her detailed, scientifically accurate plant drawings. She completed the Natural Science Illustration Certificate program at the University of Washington and served as the primary botanical illustrator for the second edition of Flora of the Pacific Northwest for the UW Herbarium at the Burke Museum, creating 882 illustrations. She continues to work with the Herbarium as a botanical illustrator, and her artwork has been featured in various scientific journals and publications.
Crystal has taught widely for botanical organizations and art institutions across the country including Gage Academy of Art, the Washington Native Plant Society, Pacific Northwest Botanical Artists, the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators Northwest Chapter, the New York Botanical Garden, and the American Society of Botanical Artists. As an instructor, she combines deep experience as a botanical illustrator with an intuitive understanding of color, helping students build confidence through clear guidance and practical techniques.
