Paul Innes

Paul Innes began his sketching journey in 2022 with no prior art experience. As a retiree, he sought a creative outlet and, encouraged by his watercolorist spouse, decided to give urban sketching a try. Starting with Ian Fennelly’s Beginners Course, Paul quickly discovered a passion for the art form.

Urban Sketch Course Experience

Paul’s spouse suggested Ian Fennelly’s courses as a way to combine drawing and watercolor. While initially hesitant, he found the structured approach of the courses to be both engaging and accessible. Since joining the courses, Paul has made significant progress in his sketching. His understanding of composition and preparation has grown, and he’s learned to embrace mistakes as part of the process.

"My spouse and I are retired. She has being doing watercolour for years and in 2022, I was considering taking an art course. She told me about Ian Fennelly and said because of the drawing aspect, it might be fun for me. So I joined the Beginners Course. I was on the verge of quitting a few months later when she suggested I try the PLUS+ program and here I am today! Best decision ever!!!"

– Paul Innes

Urban Sketch+ Membership

Paul is especially proud of a personal project to create a unique sketch for each of his eight grandchildren. He’s already completed three sketches for the eldest and is motivated by the enthusiasm of his younger grandchildren and their mothers.

Paul’s experience with UrbanSketch+ has been transformative, providing him with the detailed, in-depth training he needed to thrive.

Paul attributes his success to two key aspects of Ian Fennelly’s courses:

Live Events: “I love the live events, especially when Ian and Rebecca are teasing each other. It helps me relax before I get stressed about completing the sketch in the 60-80 minutes.”

PLUS+ Tutorials: “The tutorials are so well set up—they’ve given me exactly what I needed to learn and apply the techniques of urban sketching. It feels like I’m right next to Ian in his studio.”

"I have a greater understanding of composition and preparation. I am much less worried about making errors but my expectations are much higher. My personal art project is to make a relevant sketch for each of my 8 grandchildren (ages 3 to 9) and I am very pleased with the 3 done for the eldest ones. Pressure is on me from the other 5 and their mothers"

– Paul Innes

Paul’s favorite sketches showcase the progress he’s made, with significant improvements in composition, technique, and confidence compared to his early works.

"I thrive on detail an that is exactly what I needed: in-depth training for every aspect of the art form and PLUS+ gives me that! The evolution into the 4-week program was terrific"

– Paul Innes

Paul’s story highlights the transformative power of Ian Fennelly’s courses and UrbanSketch+ in nurturing creativity, building confidence, and fostering a lifelong love for art.

Start Sketching for Free

Inspired by Paul’s story? Join a FREE urban sketching course with renowned artist Ian Fennelly! Gain skills and confidence through easy-to-follow lessons, hands-on exercises, and step-by-step guidance. Capture your surroundings with style and personality—don’t miss this rare opportunity to learn from one of the world’s top urban sketchers, completely free!