Classes by Award Winning Artist, Heeyoung Kim
Teaching Online
Kim’s classes with unique subjects and well structured instructions reach out to global audience. Close-up demos, live discussions, real time Q & As, and insightful feedback on Zoom platform make the learning process easy and enjoyable. To learn more about courses, Go to Class Listing
In-Person Workshops
Heeyoung Kim Botanical Art Academy holds an in-person Open Workshop, regularly on Mondays at Brushwood Center. As a guest artist Kim offers botanical art workshops nationwide at all levels with various media and topics: watercolor, graphite pencil, crow quill pen-and-ink, and composition. For inquiries, Contact Kim
One-on-One Mentorship
Winner of world’s most prestigious awards in the botanical art genre, Kim is regarded as one of the finest contemporary botanical artists. Equipped with practical experiences with a gallery representation and solo exhibits, she offers tailored advice and assistance to individual artists at all levels. Contact Kim
Monday Open Workshop
Designed for aspiring local artists who work on their own independent projects. Kim assists their work process with technical supports and guidance to improve their skill levels, and reach their goals. All level. Various media. Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, Riverwoods, IL. For inquiry, Contact Kim
What’s unique in Heeyoung Kim’s classes? Kim’s in-depth understanding on her media and botanical subjects makes all the difference. She explains and demonstrates drawing and painting techniques with scientific reasoning and logic. Hence, the learning process becomes natural. With her experiences in studying and painting wildflowers, exhibiting 7 solo exhibits and numerous international juried group shows, being the recipient of prestigious awards (RHS Gold, ASBA/HSNY Best in Show, ASBA Diane Bouchier Artist Award among others), and being represented by a renowned natural history art gallery (Joel Oppenheimer) as the first living artist, Heeyoung will guide her students with proper instructions at each stage and through their career paths.
Classes In Various Media at All Levels
Beginning Level
The courses listed as Beginning Level are designed for beginning students and those who want to build strong foundation on basic drawing and painting techniques. Drawing Fundamentals and Watercolor for Beginners are the base courses, but ink and other seasonal topics are often added. Along with the progression, it continues with Advanced Drawing.
Intermediate Level
Furthering Drawing/Painting Skills. Suitable for intermediate and experienced beginners level. The courses in this section are designed for students who have basic drawing and watercolor painting skills and want to move forward to develop more refined and complex compositions with elaborate drawing/painting skills. With focuses on technique ….
Advanced Level
Advanced Watercolor: Botanicals in Ecological Context. A continuing study group to develop independent projects… The courses in this section are designed for students who want to explore regional naive flora and fauna with broad ecological themes to create their own independent projects with Heeyoung’s instructions……
How Kim’s Zoom Classes Work
Online Classes Reach out Globally Via Zoom: Students will receive materials list to get ready with supplies for the class. Class PDF and Zoom link will be emailed the day before. Students are advised to print out the PDF to take notes during the class, or other device such as a tablet is useful to view the PDF simultaneously during the session. After each class, the link to the recording will be emailed for review or for those who couldn’t make the class real time. In the beginning of each class except the first session of each workshop Heeyoung gives feedback to each student’s work in progress.
Students can watch detailed demos of Kim’s painting process in real time displayed clearly on the screen. It is a rare opportunity to observe how every brushstroke is deliberately applied for specific results. Even local students do not want to give up this huge merit that is even better than in-person classes.
Copyright and Privacy Protection for Students: Heeyoung Kim respects copyrights of students’ artworks, finished and works in progress, and does not share or use students’ works for her benefits. Student’s works are featured in the exhibition invitation cards and related promotion materials in printed and digital versions with written agreement from the exhibition participants.
Before registration, READ the following (#1 - #7) carefully, please! Proceed with registration only when you read, understand and agree with the followings. Your registration will be considered as your agreement to these Terms and Conditions. With further questions, CONTACT Heeyoung Kim before registration.
1. This class will be a presentationvia Zoom Meeting.
2. Zoom Meeting Invitation Link and Class Materials (PDF) will be emailed to each registrant ahead of each class (usually the day before of the scheduled class) via the email provided during the class purchase.
3. Zoom Meeting Link should never be shared/forwarded/posted any time for any reasons for security reason. The attendees are responsible for keeping the link that includes Meeting ID and password in confidential.
4. Class admission time: The admission will start 15 minutes ahead of the class starting time.
5. Prerequisites: Class attendees should be able to download and use Zoom Meeting platform. The host, Heeyoung Kim is not responsible for the technical issues on the attendee’s side.
6. Registration and Cancellation Policy: Registration will be processed via SHOP on this website. When a cancellation occurs one week ahead of the class date, 70% of the paid class fee will be returned. After the above mentioned time, there will be no return of the fee upon cancellation, unless it is caused by emergency reasons such as emergency health issues and natural disasters. In case the cancellation is caused by the instructor, the class will be rescheduled or fully refunded.
7. All images and written contents in the class PDF are copyrighted by Heeyoung Kim, unless otherwise cited. All unauthorized usages, sharings and postings on social media, and URL Transfers are strictly prohibited. ©Heeyoung Kim 2026
Testimonials
“You are a consummate professional not only in your field of botanical art, but in your teaching and your use of technology in that area. Your passion for your art comes across even in the small screen that is our mode of communicating/learning these days.”
Marge Kelly, Zoom composition class participant, artist“Heeyoung teaches in a very unique style with her methods, skills and personality. She is professional, precise, detailed and extremely interesting. I totally enjoy her style of delivery with many inflections in her voice bringing excitement, information and gentle humor into her delivery of information. She has materials strongly recommended for her students that will make you feel like a master when practicing her methods. I will continue to learn and enjoy everything about botanical illustration through her series of classes.”
Sandra R - "Drawing in Ink" Zoom workshop attendee “You’re the best teacher I have ever had! You’re kind, but you push for perfection”
Linda Schmitt, current student, artist“This (series for the beginners) is the best opportunity for me and I’m grateful for Zoom classes. Heeyoung is a great teacher and does thorough and interesting presentations. Best teacher ever! I’ve learned to draw and now I’m learning watercolor! Thank you for all you do!”
Nancy J. - From drawing to advanced watercolor projects. “Drawing Fundamentals for Beginners’ is a great entrée into the botanical world. You are a special teacher that can show both the macro (elegant form) and micro (technique/measurements) and how they work together to create art. I’ve truly enjoyed this class.”
Jill T, "Drawing Fundamentals" Zoom workshop attendee “Words can’t really express how amazing our time together yesterday was for me, but I’ll try.
You turned previous notions upside down and now they actually make sense to me. I will need to put them into practice. Your graciousness and kind spirit; taking extra time with me; giving me an honest critique; your care for wild plants and pollinators, and being an all around good person to name a few things. ”
Lynn W. After mentorship sessionAnnual Student Exhibit: Enriching Life
Annual Students Exhibit has been mounted since 2015 as a way to celebrate the Academy's artists and their works over the year. Current and invited former students will exhibit their works at Brushwood Center Gallery and virtually www.heeyoungkim.net
View the virtual exhibit of 10th Annual Student’s Exhibit: Enriching Life
In 2025 it reached to 10th Anniversary and we mounted a retrospective exhibition with an accompanying catalog. The opening reception has become a popular winter event among locals to enjoy beautiful botanical artworks and the winter scenery in the pristine woodland at the same time.
Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods: 21850 N Riverwoods Road, Riverwoods/Deerfield, Illinois. www.brushwoodcenter.org
Botanical Art Exhibition
by Heeyoung Kim Botanical Art Academy
About Heeyoung Kim Botanical Art Academy
An unexpected beginning….
I was just wandering around in the Ravenswood neighborhood with a friend and stepped in Lillstreet Art Center, Chicago in the fall, 2011. My friend chatted with the lady at the desk about botanical art. She said they had a botanical art workshop coming up and looking for an instructor. My friend jokingly pointed at me and said, “She can teach!” Well, I laughed and we left. But, the lady chased after me to get my contact number…. the director called me…. I had an interview showing my portfolio…. There, I was HIRED! While I thoroughly enjoyed my new adventure there, it was too far from me to commute. So, after a short period of teaching at Noyes Cultural Arts Center, Evanston, I moved my teaching venue to my neighborhood, Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, Riverwoods. While teaching at Chicago Botanical Garden along side, my independent botanical art program was established to a full scale to become my name sake botanical art academy.
In January, 2015, the first student exhibit by Heeyoung Kim Botanical Art Academy was mounted at Brushwood Center with an amazing support from the local community. We all know how harsh Chicago’s winter is… and that winter was no exception. Nevertheless, the huge parking lot in the forest preserve was packed with opening reception attendees, and some had to use the welcome center parking lot a bit far away…. It was an amazing debut to introduce the serene beauty of traditional botanical art in watercolor, ink, graphite and colored pencil to the locals. Propelled with the huge success of the first student exhibit, the reputation of HK botanical art academy has grown to become an incubator for the ancient art form in Chicago Metropolitan Areas.
Numerous prestigious awards Kim has received prove her qualifications to teach all about botanical art in watercolor, graphite pencil, traditional pen-and-ink, and colored pencil. She teaches classes locally in-person, globally via Zoom, and at other venues nation wide as a guest artist from beginning to master level. Her Composition and Drawing Fundamentals are always in demand. Common subjects for drawing and painting classes are wildflowers, native trees, bees, butterflies, birds, and other fauna associated with native plants.
All written contents and images are copyrighted by Heeyoung Kim. All unauthorized usages are prohibited. ©Heeyoung Kim 2025