Course Details
Buildings are the cornerstone of urban sketching. Yet, despite their importance, many urban sketchers end up with buildings that are out of proportion, overdone, or simply lacking the colour, detail, and charm they hoped to express.
And not everyone lives in a Big City with stately homes and beautiful architecture on their doorstep. That’s why so many aspiring artists also struggle to find buildings they consider interesting enough to sketch.
But that’s what makes this extraordinary training from Ian Fennelly so effective.
Make the Ordinary Extraordinary
You see, this isn’t about learning how to sketch a Gaudí architectural masterpiece, or an iconic landmark, like Tower Bridge or the Taj Mahal. It’s quite the opposite, in fact.
The High Street Sketch Course is about how to find and draw the ‘treasure’ that’s already on your doorstep.
Even if you’re a complete beginner, through this phenomenal training you’ll discover the sketching secrets for transforming even the dullest building in your neighborhood into a postcard perfect picture you’ll be thrilled to share.
6 Comprehensive Sketching Workshops
In this comprehensive course, Ian sketches six regular buildings – each of a different size, shape, and style – and guides you step-by-step through his unique process for sketching each one. Here’s what’s included:
In this first engaging online workshop, you’ll follow-along with Ian learning how to capture a Tudor cottage made up of stunning timber frames, and black and white beams and surrounded by beautiful foliage and sandstone walls.
But this workshop is not about the subject – it’s about how to capture the basic shape, scale, and composition of a building. First Ian shows you how to sketch the loose outline with pencil before breaking down the next steps to create an outline with fine liner.
Then Ian shows you how he chooses a range of playful s, and how to experiment with adding watercolour to your sketch to produce a lovely effect. You will then finish off by learning how to pick out the details to add to your sketch, and which details to leave out.
In workshop 3, you’ll be working with Ian to draw a quaint village gift shop/post office. Learn how to tell the story of this shop by challenging yourself by really looking into the scene.
Ian will teach you how to choose layers, and details and also help you to decide what to eliminate from your sketch.
You’ll learn how to choose a specific composition whilst looking at this front elevation and how to pull smaller elements like the post-box, railings, chimneys, cameras, and more.
Finally, you’ll discover how bring the whole sketch to life through the use of complementary placement.
In workshop 4, we head further up the high street to the old barn to work on this slightly more angled building. In this scene, Ian shows you how to feel inspired by the perspective of this building and how to capture the stunning beams of this Tudor architecture.
This is a more complex scene in terms of perspective, so watch, listen, and learn as Ian shows you how to find your vanishing points and how to portray depth.
You’ll discover how to use vibrant colors to portray the rich history and how to use this alongside white space to create impact and bring your sketch to life.
In Workshop 5, you will be focusing on St Alban’s Church, a beautiful historical Grade II listed building that dates back to the early sixteenth century.
This workshop focuses heavily on how to find your scene using cropping and scaling and using space effectively and capturing details that tell the story of the texture and age of this building.
This scene is packed full of some wonderful architectural details, such as stone arched windows, roof files, aged textures, gargoyles, and more!
In Workshop 6, you’ll explore the relationship between two buildings and how to look deeper into a scene that at first appears flat.
You’ll discover how to use surrounding details to give the scale and perspective context. You’ll learn how to visualize the angles and perspective before you draw a single line and discover Ian’s subtle direction techniques to strengthen and manipulate your perspective to add drama.
About Your Instructor
Ian Fennelly has built an extraordinary reputation as one of the world’s finest urban sketchers and most sought-after teachers.
Ian’s distinct style of on-location art, engaging teaching methods and all-round creativity has earned him a passionate global following.
In High Street Sketch Course, Ian peels back the curtain and reveals his layer-by-layer methodology for sketching front elevations in your local neighborhood.
Easy-To-Follow Training
Free Bonuses
Watercolour Exercise Series
( Value)
Along with this course, you’ll receive a bonus Water Training Series that has been carefully designed by Ian to build your skills and complement the training you’re getting from each workshop.
Through this series of practice exercises, you’ll learn Ian’s thinking behind colour selection and how to choose, mix and create your own complementary s that result in a perfectly balanced picture that is infused with personality and charm.
Urban Sketchers Feedback Gallery
( Value)
Buy this course and you’ll also gain access to our thriving online feedback gallery.
This is a safe and private place where urban sketchers of all abilities can share their work without judgement – while getting positive, constructive feedback from supportive, like-minded sketchers who are all rooting for you!
There’s no better place to learn, overcome challenges and build your confidence and skills than the Urban Sketch Feedback Gallery.
FREE BONUS #3
"Tudor Rose Tearooms Workshop"
( Value)
To enhance your skills further, you'll also get FREE access to the professional recordings of a private 3-hour live training session that Ian Fennelly conducted for a small group of urban sketchers.
This intimate training session gives you a valuable opportunity to strengthen your skills further. You'll get to watch, learn and sketch alongside Ian Fennelly as he teaches you his process for sketching this historic Tudor building that was built for Lord Leverhulme on the unique village of Port Sunlight, England.
You’ll get instant access to the event recordings (including bonus Q+A session with Ian).
This is a course within a course which usually sells separately for .
You get it included FREE when you buy the High Street Sketch Course BEFORE Sunday May 18th 2025.
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Student Results
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Instant Lifetime Access-
The complete High Street Sketch Course (6 Online Workshops)
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BONUS 1: Water Training Series ( Value)
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BONUS 2: Free Access to our Urban Sketchers Feedback Gallery ( Value)
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24/7 Lifetime Access (it never expires)
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30-Day Money Back Guarantee
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This is over-the-shoulder learning with Ian Fennelly.
Ian is an experienced and engaging teacher and has broken each workshop down into easy-to-follow stages. Within each of those stages, he takes you through each step in the process while explaining everything he is doing, slowly and methodically.
You have the flexibility to slow down, pause, or speed up each tutorial to match your learning pace. Some students also prefer to watch the videos first and then watch them again and sketch along. The choice is yours!
Plus, with lifetime access, you can revisit the course as many times as you like.
Yes, you’ll receive lifetime access to the course along with all accompanying downloads and resources. It never expires, allowing you to learn at your own pace, on your schedule, and any device.
