When you think of the Wild West, what comes to mind? Perhaps it’s the sweeping landscapes flooded with cacti, the dry and dusty terrain, or the iconic imagery of a time ruled by outlaws and rebels. This is exactly the spirit that urban sketcher Ian Fennelly sought to capture in our latest online course, the Wild West Sketch Course. And there’s no better place to bring this vision to life than the historic and breath-taking Tanque Verde Ranch.
Why Tanque Verde Ranch?
“Organising this course held a special place in my heart for multiple reasons. I’ve always wanted to sketch the Wild West. As a child growing up in the UK, I had seen all the films and the wonderful landscape settings, so being able to sketch old wagons and carts and cactus-filled landscapes was truly a dream come true.
Alongside developing online courses for Urban Sketch Course, I cherish conducting in-person workshops worldwide. My partnership with the Madeline School of Arts has been a huge part of this. MISA has been running workshops here in Arizona for many years and has completed over 100 in-person workshops with artists from all sorts of disciplines. Having conducted numerous workshops at this location myself, this enabled me to refine my approach to focusing on each specific subject, what the learning opportunities would be, and how I would structure the process.
Uncovering creative stories requires a deep familiarity with a place. The ranch is full of kind, genuine people who want to help you and make your stay special. My friends at the ranch were eager to spend time sharing historical anecdotes, including details about how a dude ranch operates, and they patiently clarified that The Joshua Tree at the entrance predates U2’s renowned 1987 album named after it.”
Snippets of sketches
The Cart
Ian’s sketching journey through the Wild West of Arizona starts off with the iconic and evolutionary Cart, which has served at the Ranch for hundreds of years. By starting with the wheel, Ian masters the shape and scale of this sketch while establishing the focal point.
Character comes from a combination of fine liners, tombow brush pens and watercolour paints as Ian explores the joins on the wheels and the knots in the woodwork, by strengthening lines and hatching.
Negative space becomes a positive lesson in this sketch as Ian demonstrates how to capture detail and build up layers to ground the cart in amongst the dusty ground that surrounds Tanque Verde Ranch. And of course, no Ian Fennelly sketch is complete without the expanse of texture and splashes in the foreground!
The Ranch
The Tanque Verde Ranch itself, the muse for this Wild West Sketching Course was a scene we couldn’t not compose – a picture that needed to be painted!
The looseness of this sketch comes from the refinement of introducing five watercolours into the scene, enriching the warm atmosphere that this Ranch experiences. The roof is home to a huge variety of lines and tones as Ian takes a line for a walk across the corrugated tiles, reminiscing years of visitors.
Storytelling within this scene is omniprescent, from the abandoned cart wheels, to the functioning sales office, distant Rincon mountains and knotted texture of the eucalyptus tree. And finally the white space that becomes the path, welcoming you to the entrance of the Ranch.
Sketching the Soul of the West
The Wild West Sketch Course is designed to take you on a journey through some of the most iconic scenes of the American Wild West. Whether you’re sketching the old cart, the sturdy ranch buildings, the timeless wagon, or the vast and varied landscape, each scene tells a story of life on the ranch encapsulated with the history it brings.
One of the highlights of the course is the sketch of the homestead—a symbol of the pioneering spirit that shaped the West. And as a special bonus, Ian has included a horse sketch, capturing the grace and power of one of the most beloved animals at the Tanque Verde Ranch.
Every sketch in this course has been carefully chosen by Ian and the team at MISA to reflect the character and beauty of the Wild West, allowing you to experience a little piece of this incredible history as you create your own art. Ian’s approachable teaching style makes this course suitable for artists of all levels, so whether you’re a seasoned sketcher or picking up a pen for the first time in years, you’ll find yourself inspired by the scenes around you.
Ready to join us on a Wild Sketching Adventure?
Created in the UK & the USA
This course was filmed in association with our friends at MISA and filmed at Tanque Verde Ranch.
