Adults • 3 or 4 sessions | Drawing is a great way to connect with our natural world, and close study of museum specimens can be an inspiring way to develop your drawing skills. Join us for a three-session course in observational drawing—a chance to explore the museum's zoological collections from a new perspective. Taught by artist and educator Erica Beade, this course introduces students to basic techniques that they can continue to expand on their own. The first half of each session will be spent in the classroom practicing techniques such as shading, working from general shapes to details, and capturing movement. The second half will be devoted to drawing animal specimens in the galleries, with support and feedback from the course instructor.

Time and location
4 Saturdays from 9:30am to 11:30am at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge

Return to top

Adults • 3 Sessions | Explore the beauty and variety of plant forms using pencil, watercolor, and colored pencil. Taught by artist and educator, Erica Beade, this four-week course will introduce botanical drawing techniques through close observation and practice with contour, gesture, foreshortening, shading, and color. All skill levels are welcome.

Time and location
4 Saturdays from 9:30am to 11:30am at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge

Return to top

Adults • 1 Session | Learn to capture birds with pencil and paper in this hands-on workshop taught by artist and educator Erica Beade. Explore avian anatomy as it applies to drawing birds, step-by-step methods for developing bird sketches, techniques for achieving greater accuracy and for capturing feather textures. Discuss tips for field sketching, particularly useful for birders and those interested in keeping field notes or nature journals. All skill levels are welcome.

Time and location
1 Saturday from 9:30am to 12:00pm at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge

Return to top

Adults • 1 Session | The world of birds is full of diverse feather colors that combine to form amazing plumage patterns. How and why do birds achieve these decorative feats? Beginning with a microscopic look at feathers and expanding out to a broad perspective of patterns across bird families, Harvard University evolutionary biologist Allison Shultz will use feather and bird specimens from the university's collections to explore how and why this diversity of forms arose. Artist Erica Beade will show participants how to capture the nuance of avian color and form in their drawings.

Time and location
1 Saturday from 9:30am to 12:30pm at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge

Return to top

Adults • 1 Session | Observe and draw the beauty of butterflies and moths in this three-hour color workshop. This program will introduce some observational drawing techniques with pencil, and then delve into colored pencils to create a rich, vibrant image. All skill levels are welcome.

Time and location
1 Saturday from 9:30am to 12:30pm at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge

Return to top

Adults • 1 Session | Learn to capture mammals with pencil and paper in this hands-on workshop that focuses on a wide variety of specimens from the museum’s collections. Explore step-by-step methods for developing your mammal sketch, as well as techniques for achieving greater accuracy and for capturing depth, volume, and texture. All skill levels are welcome.

Time and location
1 Saturday from 9:30am to 12:00pm at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge

Return to top

Kids • 4 sessions • | This club is designed for kids who love animals and art. Sketch face-to-face with a zebra, ostrich, tiger, or moose as we learn to draw animals from the museum's zoological collections. With materials that we provide, students focus on different animal groups each week and practice using different media. Young artists will enjoy seeing their talents emerge while monitoring their progress with a portfolio of weekly drawings. By the end of this six-week course, students will have gained greater confidence in their expressive skills as well as a new appreciation for the animal world.

Time and location
4 Tuesdays, 3:40 – 5:00pm at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge.

Return to top

Kids • 6 sessions • | Do you ever wonder how artists create imaginary creatures like the ones in Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, or Monsters, Inc.? They study and draw real animals and then let their imaginations fly! In this 6-week drawing class we will take a close look at real animals in the museum, examining teeth, talons, wings and tails, and apply what we have seen to invent completely new creatures. The sky’s the limit!

Return to top