Urban Sketching for Beginners

In this first online workshop, you will learn how to draw a beautiful scene of the English Bridge from the historical town of Shrewsbury, England.

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 [BonusColour]s, hatching techniques, drawing on paint and more.

Even if this is your very first sketch, you'll be amazed at the speed and the progress you make. Best of all, you'll have the skills and confidence to go out and start sketching your own scenes.

In the next online training, 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 water[BonusColour]s, 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 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 that you can follow.

In this online workshop, you will continue your training in how to sketch strong perspective, while learning how to get the composition right on your page. The water[BonusColour] moves forward a step from the previous workshop, and you will use a limited range of [BonusColour]s, while discovering how to apply them together in a very playful way.

You will then learn Ian's classic techniques for drawing detail on top of your paint. We'll introduce brush pens and you'll discover the effective, yet underestimated visual devices that strengthen the structure of your scene.

In the final online workshop, you will expand all of the impressive 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 keen focus on getting the perspective and scaling right on your page, 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 [BonusColour] 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.

By end of this final workshop, you'll be astonished at your results, and the speed at which you've acquired your newfound skills and confidence.

Rapid Skill-Building Exercise Bundle

([BonusExercise] Value)

Along with the course, you'll receive a bonus bundle of Rapid Skill Building Exercises that have been carefully designed by Ian to help beginners acquire specific skills.

Through these simple and fun practise exercises you will automatically acquire the skills of hatching, perspective, proportions, brush pens, lines, water[BonusColour]s, perspective and composition.

Without really trying, you'll be applying 'advanced' techniques for varying tonal values, portraying different textures, adding depth and realism, creating reflections, infusing drama into your work and more.

You'll learn the nuances that instantly elevate your sketches from average to captivating.

Introduction to Urban Sketching Bonus Module

([BonusWorkshop] Value)

Alongside your four Beginners workshops, you’ll gain access to an exclusive ‘Introduction to Urban Sketching’ pre-training bonus module - specially designed for those who’ve never picked up a pen to sketch before.

In this module Ian Fennelly guides you through the absolute basics of urban sketching.

You’ll learn how to draw your first line, grasp the basics of perspective and composition, and explore simple [BonusColour] theory, all through fun, easy-to-follow exercises that get you started and build confidence quickly.

We understand that not every 'beginner' is the same. Some beginners can already draw, while others are starting from complete scratch, unsure of where to begin.

If you’ve ever felt anxious, doubtful, or thought that you “just can’t draw,” this training is made for you. Ian has carefully crafted this module to eliminate any fear or hesitation, helping you build confidence with each stroke.

If you can hold a pen, you can learn to sketch - let Ian show you how in this special training module.

Urban Sketchers Feedback Gallery

([BonusGallery] Value)

In this course Ian has assumed no prior knowledge, skills or experience. Starting with a pencil and a blank page, you'll be guided step-by-step, from drawing your first line, to slowly building up your picture, piece-by-piece.

You'll learn how to draw the right shapes, how to get the proportions right on your page first and then how to carefully layer your picture with more detail, [BonusColour] and tone.

You'll be amazed at the speed and the results you achieve, even if you haven't picked up a pencil since high school.

Yes. This is over-my-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 can also slow down, pause, or speed up each tutorial to suit your own style of learning. And with lifetime access, you can watch the course over and over again.

While this course has been designed for beginners, many experienced sketcher's take it to learn more about Ian's specific techniques and style, and his particular thinking behind certain components of sketching, such as [BonusColour] choice.

Along with the sketching side, you're also learning other important factors of urban sketching, such as how Ian chooses the perfect locations and viewpoints, how Ian deals with the general public, and how he infuses his work with storytelling and the subtle details he brings into his work.

Yes, you'll get lifetime access to the course and all of the supporting downloads and resources that come with it. It never expires which means that you can you learn in your own time and at your own pace.

Our learning platform is super simple to use. Each tutorial is delivered by video and requires nothing more than clicking the play button.

Yes, this course includes subtitles in English, French, Spanish, and German to enhance your learning experience and accessibility.

The 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!

Here are the notable differences between this course and the other urban sketching courses we offer:

1. Pencil: Ian starts this Beginner's course using a pencil, instead of a fineliner. Pencil is much more forgiving and allows you to make mistakes, rub out, and redo. It's perfect for beginners.

2. Exercises: This course includes a series of technical exercises that are separate from the main course. This allows you to practice specific techniques on a separate piece of paper, before you apply them to your main picture.

These carefully designed exercises are intended to build your skills and confidence quickly as you sketch each picture.

Exercises include hatching, drawing perspective, pen work, drawing on paint, understanding, choosing and mixing [BonusColour], brush pen techniques, and more.

3. Skill Building: In this beginners course, each of the four workshops builds on the skills you learned in the previous one. So, as you progress through the course, you are adding new skills while building your competence and confidence, step-by-step.

In our other urban sketching courses, each workshop is typically 'standalone'.