A colorful illustrated guide showcasing different types of seashells, each labeled with their characteristics. The top section features six shell illustrations with detailed descriptions, while the bottom includes a legend explaining terms like "exterior sketch" and "simple scrapes." The text "So Spiky!" and a date are also included, adding a personal touch to the artwork.

Art Toolkit Workshops

Object Studies

Capture One Subject Nine Ways with Kate Rutter

Object Studies

Live workshop with Kate Rutter.

Choose your level of participation:

Workshops are not eligible for discount.

About the Workshop

Join us online on Saturday, April 25th from 10am–12:30pm Pacific for Object Studies: Capture One Subject Nine Ways with Kate Rutter!

What happens when you look at a single object in many different ways? In this workshop, explore a single object from nine fresh perspectives using a range of drawing techniques, styles, and materials. Enrich your daily sketch practice and strengthen your appreciation of meaningful objects through shadow, texture, contour studies, and more. Kate encourages participants to bring a selection of small items, from family heirlooms to found natural artifacts!

This lively workshop introduces foundational art skills using simple sketching tools and watercolor. You’ll leave the workshop with a collage of studies that deepens your connection to your chosen object and a renewed confidence in your ability to observe, interpret, and create.

We hope to see you there!

A sketchbook open on a wooden surface, featuring watercolor paintings and notes about various ways of seeing, with sketches that illustrate mountains, silhouettes, and shapes. There are bright annotations and doodles, plus a watercolor palette and a pen nearby.
A collection of botanical sketches featuring various seed forms and plant structures. The drawings include notes and annotations highlighting characteristics like texture, form, and details. Color swatches in the corner provide earthy tones.
A colorful, hand-drawn collage featuring sketches of various types of shoes, including loafers, slip-ons, and slippers. Notes highlight the usage and experiences of each shoe type from 2016 to 2021. Decorative elements include doodles and text expressing gratitude and observations about the shoes.
Various illustrated keys and locks are displayed in circular and rectangular shapes, featuring a blend of colors including brown and silver. Some items have detailed labels and sketches accompanying them. A handwritten note reflects warmth, mentioning a key given by "Mom" and shares a sentimental memory about "Dad."
A colorful sketch demonstrating various artistic techniques, including notes on gesture, color, and texture. There are sketches of forms resembling rocks, biomorphic shapes, and swatches of color. Annotations provide insights on shadows, color application, and inspiration sources.
A colorful sketchbook page featuring illustrations of various domes and buildings with the text "7 Ways of Seeing" prominently displayed. The surrounding notes include terms like "Negative Space" and "Bring all the Seeing Together," along with sketches of sunglasses and other symbols. Watercolor paints and a paintbrush are visible beside the sketchbook.
Colorful sketch featuring playful illustrations of pots with cacti and characters. Includes sections labeled "Gesture," "Contour," "Form," "Air Space," "Shadows," "Detail," and "Color," along with a color palette and scale measurements. The date January 27, 2026, is noted at the bottom.
A sketchbook page featuring seven illustrations of a single leaf, each showcasing a different artistic technique: gesture, symbolic, negative space, blind contour, contrast, simple shapes, and a highlighted area. The designs are outlined in black on a white background, with one section containing a dark background. The date and artist's name are noted at the top.

Workshop Structure

This workshop has two options available for purchase: Live Access or Recorded Access.

Live Access includes the opportunity to join the 2-hour workshop call, with an additional 30 minutes for asking questions, sharing art, and receiving feedback from the instructor.

Recorded Access includes all workshop materials and access to the 2-hour workshop recording for those who wish to work at their own pace. The recording is available the week following the live call date.

All participants, regardless of access level, will have access to the workshop recording a minimum of twelve months after the purchase date. We also invite you to join the Art Toolkit Community, a space for people registered for our workshops to share art, creative musings, questions, and inspiration! After signing up for any of our workshops, watch for the Art Toolkit Community invitation in your inbox to get started.

Registration Details

Select either “Live Access” or “Recorded Access” and add to cart. Important: you are not registered until you have completed checkout.

We will send you a payment receipt by email. If you don’t see it, please check your junk mail folder, and add hello@arttoolkit.com to your contacts.

When you have completed checkout, you’re in!

You will receive an email with an invite link to our learning platform, Circle. If you already have an account, this link will add your new workshop to your Dashboard. The access details and syllabus will be under your Course Dashboard.

Need help with Circle? Find answers to frequently asked questions here. For other inquiries, please send us an email, and we’ll help you out.

Note: Live Access requires a computer with a reliable internet connection.

About Kate Rutter

A woman with curly hair smiles while holding a sketchbook filled with botanical illustrations. She wears a mustard-colored shirt and stands in a bright studio with organized shelves and art supplies in the background.

Kate Rutter is an avid nature journaler, urban naturalist, educator, and sketching omnivore from Emeryville, California. Kate enlivens nature-human connection through drawing, observation, and experimentation, and her goal is to invite people to make creative connections with the world around them through documented curiosity and wonder.

Kate facilitates online and in-person nature journaling and sketching workshops, serving on the board of the Wild Wonder Foundation. She is the creator of 7 Ways to Connect with Nature and an illustrator of Your Quick Start Guide to Nature Journaling, handy zines for sketching the natural world.
An artist sites on a rock, dipping a paintbrush in a Pocket Palette.

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