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Sketch Wales

Learn with Ian Fennelly as he teaches you his unique sketching techniques and coveted style for capturing the inexplicable charm of one of the world’s most enchanting countries
  • 8 Workshops
  • 1 Bonus
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Course Details

Wales is a captivating country steeped in culture, myth and legend that has inspired countless poems, movies, and fantasy novels.

And when you see the awe-inspiring Welsh landscape with its rolling hills, dramatic mountains, magnificent medieval castles, rugged coastline, picturesque harbours, and ancient towns bustling with life…

It will come as no surprise that Ian chose Wales as the perfect location to develop his biggest and most diverse urban sketching course yet.

From castles, churches and cottages, to bridges, boats, harbours, mountains and more – you’re about to learn Ian’s unique techniques and step-by-step processes for creating the most magnificent urban sketches.

Ian has packed decades of experience into this highly comprehensive and engaging course that develops, stretches and refines your skills – whether you’re a beginner sketcher or an accomplished artist.

8 Comprehensive Sketching Workshops

You’ll discover Ian’s latest methods for sketching everything from ancient cityscapes to serene harbours and majestic country scenes and more.

Click the tabs below for an overview of each comprehensive workshop included in Sketch Wales:

#1 Conway Harbour

With more castles per square mile than any other country, Ian was excited to sketch his first castle… so that’s exactly where we started!

While this workshop is very much about capturing the harbour, the fishing boat and the lobster nets on the quayside – it is all framed by Conwy Castle; a magnificent 700-year old medieval fortress.

In this workshop, Ian guides you through how to sketch this composition from start to finish and how to tackle some of the more intricate aspects, such as the entwined ropes and lobster nets.

But, your biggest learnings will also come from observing how Ian deals with unexpected, real-time challenges… such as trying to sketch a fishing boat as it lowers with the rapidly sinking tide!
 
This is a fascinating and entertaining first workshop which results in a scene that perfectly captures the story, charm and atmosphere of a classic Welsh coastal town.

#2 Caernarfon Castle

Caernarfon Castle is one of the greatest buildings of the Middle Ages – a royal fortress-palace built on legends and bitter medieval conflict. And it was just crying out to be sketched!

But rather than drawing a standalone castle, in this workshop you will see how Ian scouts a location and chooses the best viewpoint to draw from first.

While the castle remains the focus, it is framed by a sweep of quaint village shops either side, packed with detail, from the signage, to the drainpipes and the cobbles, which all tell the story of the castle.

Ian breaks everything down into simple steps that you can follow along with. You’ll learn everything from start to finish, including how to work with repetitive sections, like castle brickwork, to how to work with the elements to add wonderful, natural effects to your work!

This engaging workshop is all about capturing the story, character and spirit of this quaint Welsh town and the architectural drama and strength of its imposing Castle.

#3 St Maelog's Church
St. Maelog’s is a small, beautiful sandstone church on the island of Anglesey. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to adapt your sketching process by blending the tone and detail together to save time, yet still producing outstanding results. Follow-along with Ian as he integrates the church and the graveyard to create this compelling perspective. You’ll learn how he delicately uses the shapes of the gravestones to give his image space and depth, while also making them an integral part of the whole sketch. You’ll learn how to layer your image with playful s and tones, while utilising specific brickwork techniques that really emphasise the beautiful stone work and patterns within the church. This quick-sketching workshop is about telling the story of you on location capturing the atmosphere and architecture of a beautiful church and its magnificent memorials.
#4 Beddgelert
Beddgelert is a legendary place located in the heart of a Welsh mountain village. This comprehensive workshop focuses on the incredible layering within this scene. From the boulders at the bottom which sweep up to the arches of the bridge, to the guest house, the protruding rooftops and chimneys, the trees and then finally on to the mountain top in the background. In this workshop, Ian shows you how to sketch it all out before taking you on a creative journey, showing you how to really express the emotion and charm of a scene like this. Then, in the detail stage, you’ll start to bring out the amazing shapes and patterns of the boulders that anchor the scene, along with the textures of the bridge and the buildings which knit the picture together. You’ll learn how to carefully treat the trees and the mountains so that they stay noticeable but don’t dominate your scene and so much more. This workshop is about using detail and s in an emotional way to animate drama and bring charm to a scene that really typifies a Welsh mountain village.
#5 Amlwch Boat
In its heyday, Amlwch was one of the busiest ports in Wales so it’s only right we pay homage to that by sketching one of the local fishing trawlers! In this thrilling workshop we’re going to be focusing on the vivid local s of the boat but also introduce lots of drawing with paint to emphasise the quayside in the background. Followed once again by a combination of fine liners and brush pens to get the details in quickly, before the tide comes back in – it’s a race to the finish off this one! Join Ian for another quicker sketch as we sit among the moorings on the dock floor, covered in mud and seaweed for this one-of-a-kind workshop.
#6 Llangadwaladr Cottage
For our next sketch we head off the beaten track and through the fields of Llangadwaladr, a picturesque village in Anglesey. Although it’s a quiet location, the scene is full of fascinating details, from the old rusting gates to the rolling hills framing an old dry stone cottage covered in twisting ivy and vines. This workshop is a typical welsh country landscape full of depth, where we will focus on the relationship between the tree and the abandoned farm cottage. You’ll learn the most effective ways to incorporate natural surroundings into your work, such hedgerows, streams and mountains. And as you follow along with Ian, you’ll grasp his approach to finding the right s and which ones you should mix to add emotion, atmosphere and depth to your art. You’ll also begin to understand and develop that same uncanny ability to select just the right position and angle to draw from – that makes all the difference to your final piece of work.
#7 Country Scene Rhoscefnhir

We’re back for our final 5-step, quick sketch of the tour, and this time we’ve pulled up a chair along the side of Rhoscefnhir country road which looks out on the rolling hills of Wales.

This location took a while to find but we’re so excited to sketch this rural hideaway spot with you.

During this engaging workshop, you’ll be looking at patterns and detail within the foreground of the scene as well as the leading lines and layers that hold the composition together.

You’ll discover how to bring excitement and life into an old dirt track surrounded by grass verges, weeds, sweeping hills and even the iconic Snowdonia mountain range.

You’ll learn what details to include without overdoing it. And you’ll discover how to simplify your sketches and the subtle touches you can make to infuse drama and excitement into your work.

#8 St Michael’s Church, Betws-yn-Rhos
We finish off our Sketch Wales tour at St Michael’s Church in Betws-yn-Rhos, with a scene that emcompasses all of the skills we’ve learnt journeying across Wales. From rolling hills to sandstone walls. This sketch is the epitome of Wales. However, it doesn’t come without challenges and one challenge in this workshop is the overgrown bushes in the forefront of the church door. Halfway through, this became so apparent that we had to move location to get a better view of the detail behind this greenery. This is a workshop you won’t want to miss because it’s an opportunity to see how Ian deals with arising issues with perspective, layers and .

About Your Instructor

Ian Fennelly has built an extraordinary reputation as one of the world’s finest urban sketchers and most sought-after teachers. His distinct style of on-location art, engaging teaching methods and all-round creativity has earned him a passionate global following. In Sketch Wales Ian peels back the curtain and teaches you his line-by-line methodology for sketching your own phenomenal urban art.

Easy-To-Follow Training

Perspective, angles, s, tones, layering, composition, detail, proportion, storytelling. It’s all covered in-depth in Sketch Wales. And it’s a course not short of entertainment either! Watch and learn as Ian sketches and deals with unplanned challenges – from a sinking boat and torrential rain to grappling with the pronunciation of Welsh place names!

  • Materials

    You will discover the exact materials and tools Ian uses and why he uses them.

  • Thought Process

    You will understand the specific thought process he goes through before he puts pen to paper.

  • Composition

    You will learn how experts like Ian form the make or break composition of a picture and fit it onto their page.

  • Outline

    Watch how he sketches the rough outline of his picture, and learn as he reveals subtle nuances, such as how and where he holds his pen.

  • Shapes

    Learn the exact shapes to draw that make up Ian's artwork; starting with big shapes, followed by medium-size shapes and so on.

  • s

    Discover the specific s he uses, why he uses them and how he mixes them to make the objects he is drawing leap off the page.

  • Detail

    The devil is in the detail and detail is where Ian excels. He walks you step-by-step through how to notice and then fill in all of the finer detail that elevates your art from good to world-class.

This is a course that eliminates procrastination by giving you Ian’s very latest teachings and methods while inspiring you to put those newfound skills into action.

By the end of this incredible learning adventure, you’ll be looser, freer and even more creative in your sketching.

You’ll have the enviable ability of being able to capture the emotion and beauty of wherever you may find yourself.

And you’ll be brimming with confidence, hope and excitement at what you can achieve!

Free Bonus

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.

Verified Reviews

Take a look at what others have said about our urban sketching courses. All reviews have been verified by TrustPilot or Google Reviews:

Ready To Sketch Wales?

Upgrade your skills rapidly and join Ian on his biggest ever learning adventure – sketching, teaching, and sharing the truly breathtaking beauty of Wales – all delivered through EIGHT comprehensive online workshops.

With a world-class artist and teacher at your side to guide you, inspire you, and share his most valuable teachings – urban sketching doesn’t get much better than this.

Sketch Wales is an enchanting and hugely entertaining sketching journey that will captivate your imagination, ignite your senses, and take your skills to ever greater heights.

Hit the buy button below and join Ian on this truly incredible urban sketching adventure today.

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Instant Lifetime Access​

  • The complete Sketch Wales Course (8 Online Workshops)
  • BONUS: Free Access to our Urban Sketchers Feedback Gallery ( Value)
  • 24/7 Lifetime Access (it never expires)
  • 30-Day Money Back Guarantee
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Frequently Asked Questions

Ian assumes no prior knowledge or experience. He has designed this course to enable anybody to start with a blank page, follow-along with his specific methodology, develop new skills and produce a piece of work they will be very pleased with. Of course, if you have a certain level of artistic skill, then the techniques that Ian shares will help you to build upon your existing skills and give you a process that enables you to produce great work, in less time.

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. All 8 workshops are standalone and are accessible from day 1 so that you can pick and choose which ones you work on. Each workshop has been designed to add or expand upon a specific area of urban sketching.
Our learning platform is incredibly user-friendly. Each workshop tutorial features step-by-step videos, supplemented with additional guidance and interactive elements to enhance your learning experience. Just navigate through the lessons and play the videos as you proceed.

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.

Being a UK based artist, Ian chose Wales for its rich and diverse array of subject matter. However, the point of this course is not to teach you how to sketch Wales per se, but to give you the skills and techniques that enable you to capture the emotion and beauty of whatever location you choose to sketch. Urban Sketch has learners from over 70 countries, so everything you’ll learn from Sketch Wales can be applied to any location. We think you’ll find this course thoroughly enjoyable and we think you’ll agree that Wales was the perfect location to teach you these techniques!
Sketch Wales

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