URBAN SKETCHING FOR BEGINNERS
WITH IAN FENNELLY
Join Ian Fennelly as he guides you through 47 easy-to-follow lessons and practical exercises that transform you from complete beginner to skilled urban sketcher!
E 47 Lessons 4 Workshops j 10 Technical Exercises
COURSE DETAILS
Join master urban sketcher and teacher, Ian Fennelly, on this incredible journey as he takes you step-by-step from blank page to skilled urban sketcher.
With its unique blend of on-location and studio-based teaching, this new and different online course trains you in all the fundamentals of urban sketching, while rapidly building your skills and confidence from the ground up.
All of Ian’s unique techniques and processes are meticulously broken down into simple steps as you’ve never seen them before. If you can hold a pencil, then you can follow along with each lesson.
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. And now, for the first time, he’s peeling back the curtain and teaching you his line-by-line methodology for sketching your own phenomenal urban art.
YOUR LESSONS
47 lessons and exercises make up 4 comprehensive online workshops. Each one carefully designed to build your skills and confidence as you work through this urban sketching for beginner's course.
Click each of the tabs below to find out what's included in this comprehensive course:
ENGLISH BRIDGE
In this first in-depth workshop, you will learn how to draw a beautiful scene of the English Bridge.
The shapes in this scene, the strong perspective of the bridge and the beautiful protruding church, make it the perfect starting point for your beginner’s sketching journey.
You will learn Ian's methods for finding the best spot to draw from, sketching in pencil, getting the proportions right, drawing wonderful perspective, simplifying your sketch, emphasizing with pen, drawing reflections, applying colours, hatching techniques, drawing on paint and more.
Even if this is your very first sketch, you'll be amazed at the progress you make.
TANNERS WINE MERCHANTS
Next, we will expand your skills a little further by learning to sketch this historic Tudor building in the heart of Shrewsbury.
This is a rich and exciting subject which Ian breaks down into lots of simple steps, with a strong emphasis on drawing perspective, tonal value, structure and storytelling.
In this workshop, you will learn how to notice all of the many details surrounding the building, while understanding which ones to leave out of your picture, and which details to include. Working with 3 very specific watercolours, you'll learn how to draw on paint to animate your picture, and so much more. The result is a wonderful scene that blends history with the present day.
CHURCH STREET
Church Street is a visually rich scene with lots of detail; pubs, signage, hanging baskets, lamps and cobbles, which is framed by a beautiful church with its incredible spire. Ian breaks this entire scene down into lots and lots of easy to follow steps.
In this workshop, you will continue your development in sketching strong perspective, while learning how to get the composition right on your page. The watercolour moves forward a step from the previous workshop, and you will use a limited range of colours, while discovering how to apply them together in a very playful way.
You will then learn how to draw much of the detail over your paint. We'll introduce brush pens and you'll discover the underestimated visual devices you can include in your pictures, which really add to the structure of your scene.
WYLE COP
In the final workshop, you will expand all of the incredible skills you have developed so far, by applying them to this visually rich scene.
You will start by slowly and carefully sketching it out in pencil, with a heavy focus on getting the perspective and scaling right first, while capturing the downwards sweep of the scene.
You'll learn how to pick the right visual element as your focal point. Then you will learn even more about tonal value and spatial contrast, and how to maximise colour using a minimal pallet. Together with Ian, you will build your picture carefully, adding more and more layers of detail; referencing the medium shapes, the signage and adding texture to your scene.
Click all the tabs above to discover what's included in this beginners course
Click all the images above to see the sketches full size
ENGLISH BRIDGE
In this first in-depth workshop, you will learn how to draw a beautiful scene of the English Bridge.
The shapes in this scene, the strong perspective of the bridge and the beautiful protruding church, make it the perfect starting point for your beginner’s sketching journey.
You will learn Ian's methods for finding the best spot to draw from, sketching in pencil, getting the proportions right, drawing wonderful perspective, simplifying your sketch, emphasizing with pen, drawing reflections, applying colours, hatching techniques, drawing on paint and more.
TANNERS WINE MERCHANTS
Next, we will expand your skills a little further by learning to sketch this historic Tudor building in the heart of Shrewsbury.
This is a rich and exciting subject which Ian breaks down into lots of simple steps, with a strong emphasis on drawing perspective, tonal value, structure and storytelling.
In this workshop, you will learn how to notice all of the many details surrounding the building, while understanding which ones to leave out of your picture, and which details to include. Working with 3 very specific watercolours, you'll learn how to draw on paint to animate your picture, and so much more. The result is a wonderful scene that blends history with the present day.
CHURCH STREET
Church Street is a visually rich scene with lots of detail; pubs, signage, hanging baskets, lamps and cobbles, which is framed by a beautiful church with its incredible spire. Ian breaks this entire scene down into lots and lots of easy to follow steps.
In this workshop, you will continue your development in sketching strong perspective, while learning how to get the composition right on your page. The watercolour moves forward a step from the previous workshop, and you will use a limited range of colours, while discovering how to apply them together in a very playful way.
You will then learn how to draw much of the detail over your paint. We'll introduce brush pens and you'll discover the underestimated visual devices you can include in your pictures, which really add to the structure of your scene.
WYLE COP
In the final workshop, you will expand all of the incredible skills you have developed so far, by applying them to this visually rich scene.
You will start by slowly and carefully sketching it out in pencil, with a heavy focus on getting the perspective and scaling right first, while capturing the downwards sweep of the scene.
You'll learn how to pick the right visual element as your focal point. Then you will learn even more about tonal value and spatial contrast, and how to maximise colour using a minimal pallet. Together with Ian, you will build your picture carefully, adding more and more layers of detail; referencing the medium shapes, the signage and adding texture to your scene.
SKETCHING EXERCISES
Each workshop includes a series of simple Technical Exercises to help beginners to urban sketching develop and practise specific sketching skills, including hatching, perspective, proportions, brush pens, lines and watercolours.
Through these exercises you will master perspective and composition and you'll learn techniques for varying tonal values, portraying different textures, adding depth and realism, creating reflections, infusing drama into your work and much more.
THE LOCATION
This Urban Sketching for Beginner’s Course was part-filmed in the historic market town of Shrewsbury, England and part in Ian’s private studio.
With its winding cobblestone streets lined with pretty boutiques and rows of crooked, half-timbered Tudor buildings – Shrewsbury has all the elements Ian needed to teach you urban sketching as you’ve never been taught it before!
This is an online course so you will be supplied with all of the reference pictures. You'll be able to follow-along with Ian, in your own time and at your own pace.
THE BEGINNER’S COURSE DIFFERENCE
This urban sketching for beginner’s course has some notable differences to any other courses you may have taken:
Big difference #1: A Focus on Fundamentals
Ian assumes no prior knowledge or skills. You'll begin in the most simplistic form, with a pencil and a blank page. Then, Ian guides you from the very basics - showing you how to loosely sketch out your lines and shapes, before slowly and methodically building up your picture, piece-by-piece, with fine liners, brushpens and watercolours.
Big difference #2: Pencil Sketching
For the first time, Ian starts each workshop with a pencil and rubber, instead of a fine liner.
This means you get to make mistakes, rub out and redo until you have your basic sketch down. You’ll learn Ian’s methods for sketching everything out first – loosely and freely.
If trying to be too perfect has held you back so far, then these first lessons will be a game-changer.
Big difference #3: Technical Exercises
For the first time, Ian has developed a series of skill-building exercises that work in perfect harmony with the course.
Each exercise starts with a demonstration from Ian, then deep dives into a specific technique that you will practise separately, before applying it to your main picture.
Exercises include hatching, drawing perspective, penwork, drawing on paint, understanding colour, choosing and mixing colour, brush pen techniques and more.
You’re going to be amazed at how quickly your skills flourish and the difference this makes to your overall work!
Big difference #4: Progressive Learning
This Urban Sketching for Beginner's Course is a slower, more methodical course. Each carefully crafted lesson builds on the previous one through four comprehensive workshops. As you work through the course and complete each lesson and technical exercise, your knowledge, skills and confidence will increase incrementally.
By the time you have completed the fourth and final workshop and activities, you will have developed the skills and confidence to sketch with a high degree of confidence and competence.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Watch the video below as Ian answers many of the most common questions about this Urban Sketching for Beginners course:
Urban Sketchers Feedback Gallery
( Value)
This is where you can share your work and receive direct feedback from fellow sketchers who are all at different stages of development - from complete beginners to established artists.
There's no better way to learn and build your confidence and skills than to get positive, constructive feedback from supportive, like-minded sketchers!
GET STARTED TODAY!
If you’re new to urban sketching, lack confidence in your ability, or you're struggling to get started, then the Urban Sketch Beginner's Course has been designed for you.
Ian Fennelly has deconstructed his decades-learned sketching methodology into super simple steps that anyone can follow regardless of their ability.
Each workshop is broken down into "bite-sized" lessons that you can work through in and around your busy life. And you can watch the tutorials at up to 2x the speed, or slow them right down to a pace that suits you.
You’ll be astonished at the results you achieve and delighted with the satisfaction you get every time you sit down to sketch!
Here's What You'll Get Today:
Don’t delay - this is one of the best investments you will make on your urban sketching journey:
| ✔ 47 Lessons / 4 Workshops | |
| ✔ 10 Technical Exercises | |
| ✔ Bonus: Urban Sketch Feedback Gallery | |
| ✔ 24/7 Lifetime Access | |
| ✔ 30-Day Money Back Guarantee |
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