Drawing and Painting Birds

Date/Time: Saturday, July 18, 2026 from 9am to 12pm

Class Description:  Join Stephen Lursen, MFA, and full-time National Board Certified Art Teacher, as he demonstrates and teaches his process of drawing and painting birds. This class includes tips and tricks to be more accurate and save time, all while capturing the beauty of your favorite birds as timeless works of art. 

Stephen will first demonstrate drawing birds freehand, simplifying the bird anatomy into its basic forms. He will teach the importance of capturing the highlights and shadows to pop your drawing into 3D. Once a couple of images have been drawn, we will use watercolors to paint one image and acrylics to paint the other.

The intended outcome of this workshop is to empower the artists to draw and paint using different methods and media to achieve their goals of creating beautiful bird drawings and paintings. 

Location: McMillan Greenhouse Classroom

Supplies provided: Watercolor paper, watercolor paint and brushes, drawing supplies, acrylic paints, painting water cups, and water.

Supplies you are invited to bring: A drinking water bottle, snacks if desired

About the instructor: Stephen Lursen holds a Master of Fine Arts in Painting degree from Winthrop University and a B.A. in Painting from UNC Charlotte. Stephen is currently a National Board Certified Art Teacher at Lakeshore Middle School in Mooresville and owns his own art business. 

Cost: $55

Parking:
During the week, you must park in our visitor decks. Park in East Deck #1.
Parking is free on the weekends. We still recommend parking in East Deck #1. 
If you park in an open lot during the week, you will receive a $85 fine from the university. We do have very limited free parking spots in front of the Greenhouse, but those fill up quickly.

If you have any questions, email garden-education@charlotte.edu