Botanical Drawing Resources
To draw my own paradise garden:
free botanical drawing resources inspired by Islamic gardens.
In collaboration with the Aga Khan Centre and the RHS.
Published: August 2021
Inspired by the 'Making Paradise'︎︎︎ exhibition and specific works from the RHS Lindley Library︎︎︎ collection, Chloe Briggs has designed ‘To Draw My Own Paradise Garden’, a series of four ‘Botanical Drawing Resource’ booklets for free download. They contain prompts, instructions and encouragement for drawing your own ‘Paradise Garden’ from plants, flowers, fruit and trees that are local to you.
The booklets were commissioned by Esen Kaya︎︎︎, curator at the Aga Khan Centre Gallery in London who created the exhibition ‘Making Paradise: Exploring the concept of Eden through Art & Islamic Garden Design’︎︎︎. It is an exhibition of works from artists from the East and the West, from history and today, who look to nature as a source of inspiration. It’s a collection of works that invites broad audience participation and embraces different cultural interpretations of the garden as a place for contemplation, social connection, for pleasure and peace.
The elements of Islamic garden design that inspired these exercises are: the use of traditional herbs, fruit, flowers and trees that are the key elements of the Islamic garden, the use of symme- try, repeat pattern and the grid of four. The covers are four magnificent illustrations from the RHS Lindley Collection︎︎︎ that have been loaned to the ‘Making Paradise’ exhibition as starting points for each creative journey. They also include a short list of references for each booklet to encourage you to learn: about the history and often untold stories of botanical subjects that you draw and from the work of other artists and designers.
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This series of gentle prompts, instructions, or recipes for drawing are designed for participants of any age or level of experience. Please follow the instructions as strictly or loosely as you wish, always yielding to creative inspiration that suggests a new direction as you seek to find your personal way of making images of the nature that surrounds you.
Download Booklets
︎ Folder with Introduction︎︎︎ (PDF, 0.3mb)
︎ Booklet 1 'Leaves and Shade’︎︎︎(PDF, 3.4mb)
︎Booklet 2 'Herbs and Perfume'︎︎︎ (PDF, 0.9mb)
︎ Booklet 3 'Flowers and Colour’︎︎︎(PDF, 1.3mb)
︎ Booklet 4 'Fruits and Form'︎︎︎ (PDF, XXmb)
They are also available from the websites of Aga Khan Centre︎︎︎ and RHS Libraries︎︎︎.
They are suitable for any age and any level of experience.
For high resolution copies for print please email:
contact@drawingisfree.org
To share images of your work
At any stage of your creative process we would be delighted to see images of your work. Please share on Instagram using the following hashtags:
#myownparadisegarden
@drawingisfree_org
@agakhancentregallery
@esenkaya.art
#rhslindleylibrary
#paradisegarden
Help support me to create more drawing resources
If you enjoy this publication, and find it valuable, I would be honoured if you’d consider supporting Drawing is Free at Patreon, where I create new drawing prompt booklets every month and run online drawing sessions for supporters.
The booklets were commissioned by Esen Kaya︎︎︎, curator at the Aga Khan Centre Gallery in London who created the exhibition ‘Making Paradise: Exploring the concept of Eden through Art & Islamic Garden Design’︎︎︎. It is an exhibition of works from artists from the East and the West, from history and today, who look to nature as a source of inspiration. It’s a collection of works that invites broad audience participation and embraces different cultural interpretations of the garden as a place for contemplation, social connection, for pleasure and peace.
The elements of Islamic garden design that inspired these exercises are: the use of traditional herbs, fruit, flowers and trees that are the key elements of the Islamic garden, the use of symme- try, repeat pattern and the grid of four. The covers are four magnificent illustrations from the RHS Lindley Collection︎︎︎ that have been loaned to the ‘Making Paradise’ exhibition as starting points for each creative journey. They also include a short list of references for each booklet to encourage you to learn: about the history and often untold stories of botanical subjects that you draw and from the work of other artists and designers.
This series of gentle prompts, instructions, or recipes for drawing are designed for participants of any age or level of experience. Please follow the instructions as strictly or loosely as you wish, always yielding to creative inspiration that suggests a new direction as you seek to find your personal way of making images of the nature that surrounds you.
Download Booklets
︎ Folder with Introduction︎︎︎ (PDF, 0.3mb)
︎ Booklet 1 'Leaves and Shade’︎︎︎(PDF, 3.4mb)
︎Booklet 2 'Herbs and Perfume'︎︎︎ (PDF, 0.9mb)
︎ Booklet 3 'Flowers and Colour’︎︎︎(PDF, 1.3mb)
︎ Booklet 4 'Fruits and Form'︎︎︎ (PDF, XXmb)
They are also available from the websites of Aga Khan Centre︎︎︎ and RHS Libraries︎︎︎.
They are suitable for any age and any level of experience.
For high resolution copies for print please email:
contact@drawingisfree.org
To share images of your work
At any stage of your creative process we would be delighted to see images of your work. Please share on Instagram using the following hashtags:
#myownparadisegarden
@drawingisfree_org
@agakhancentregallery
@esenkaya.art
#rhslindleylibrary
#paradisegarden
Help support me to create more drawing resources
If you enjoy this publication, and find it valuable, I would be honoured if you’d consider supporting Drawing is Free at Patreon, where I create new drawing prompt booklets every month and run online drawing sessions for supporters.
Support Drawing is Free at ︎Patreon︎︎︎
︎Folder with Introduction︎︎︎
(PDF, 0.3mb)
︎Booklet 1 'Leaves and Shade’︎︎︎(PDF, 3.4mb)
︎Booklet 2 'Herbs and Perfume'︎︎︎
(PDF, 0.9mb)
︎Booklet 3 'Flowers and Colour'︎︎︎
(PDF, 1.3mb)
︎Booklet 4 'Fruits and Form'︎︎︎
(PDF, 1.3mb)
(PDF, 0.3mb)
︎Booklet 1 'Leaves and Shade’︎︎︎(PDF, 3.4mb)
︎Booklet 2 'Herbs and Perfume'︎︎︎
(PDF, 0.9mb)
︎Booklet 3 'Flowers and Colour'︎︎︎
(PDF, 1.3mb)
︎Booklet 4 'Fruits and Form'︎︎︎
(PDF, 1.3mb)