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Course Description

Illustration by Natalija Stojanovic

This course combines the history of illustrating the natural world with hands-on projects. First, you’ll study the artistic highlights of zoology, botany, anatomy, ornithology, and more. Next, you’ll explore the scientific, historical, religious, economic, and social motivations behind centuries of documenting the natural world, from Ancient Greece through the Renaissance. Finally, you’ll experiment with composition, color, and design to provide context for the specimens of your choice. Class demonstrations include working with acrylic inks, watercolor pencils, and graphite.

Prerequisites

Students must be an adult age 18 or older to participate.

Instructors

Applies Towards the Following Certificates

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Type
Online, Asynchronous
Dates
Jan 12, 2026 to Feb 22, 2026
Contact Hours
18.0
Delivery Options
Online  
Course Fee(s)
Tuition non-credit $485.00 Click here to get more information
Service charge(s)
  • 3% Service Fee  
Drop Request Deadline
Feb 02, 2026
Transfer Request Deadline
Nov 18, 2025 to Jan 08, 2026
Withdrawal Request Deadline
Jan 12, 2026 to Feb 22, 2026
Instructors
Necessary Supplies

Students are responsible for purchasing their own art supplies, equipment, software subscriptions, and/or books. For most classes, the cost is under $125 (estimate). A supply list will be available on the course site in Canvas at least 30 days prior to the first day of class. 

Once you have received your enrollment confirmation and logged in to Canvas, navigate to Upcoming Courses on the left-hand side of your dashboard. Supplies will be listed on your course homepage under the supplies heading. Some or all of your course supplies are available at the RISD Store.

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