- Philadephia, USA
- @artbystephchan
Urban Sketch Course Experience
Recommended by a fellow artist, Stephanie joined the Beginners Course and Sketch Barcelona workshop. She admired Ian’s ability to tell stories through his sketches and his intuitive color choices that bring scenes to life. For Stephanie, this was an opportunity to step out of her comfort zone and explore a more loose, expressive style.“"I LOVE Ian's approach to color, his course was recommended to me by another former student of his and after looking through his pieces, I wanted to learn more about how he applied color to his art. I also wanted to be able to incorporate his loose, intuitive style and how he chooses the colors that speak to him in a specific scene to my very rigid, very formulaic style. It has not been easy to merge the two! I've signed up for a LOT of Ian's workshops and I usually actually start with watching the watercolor section, just to see how Ian applies paint"”
– Stephanie Chan
Urban Sketch+ Membership
Stephanie credits the Urban Sketch+ Facebook group as an essential part of her artistic journey. She was drawn to Ian Fennelly’s courses to explore a more intuitive, colorful, and expressive style, contrasting with her traditionally precise approach. A standout feature for Stephanie has been the supportive camaraderie within the Facebook group. She describes it as an uplifting space where fellow artists provide constant encouragement, thoughtful feedback, and motivating words, creating an environment where sharing progress feels both rewarding and inspiring. This community-driven support, coupled with Ian’s real-time sketching demonstrations that make the process approachable and transparent, has helped Stephanie push her boundaries, embrace imperfections, and grow as an artist.
“"I have loved the camaraderie and support of the Facebook group - everyone is so encouraging and everyone always has something nice to say about everyone's work. It makes it super motivating to share my work with the group I have also loved that we are watching Ian complete something in real time. Nothing is cut, nothing is sped up - it makes every single scene approachable."”
– Stephanie Chan
“"I have really, really loved being in this community. It's been hugely helpful for self confidence, to have people be so supportive, and to have admins be so involved and personable! I've been really happy to continue to learn and grow in my work!"”
– Stephanie Chan
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- More Success stories -
How to Draw Signs and Lettering in Your Urban Sketches
Plain letters first, chunky letters second, and always check the spelling.
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Why Your Landscape Sketches Look Flat (And The Fix)
Perspective does most of the work in a street and almost none of it in a field. Here is what Ian does instead, and the four ways he separates a foreground from a background.
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Our 4 Week Urban Sketching Experience: What Riomaggiore Taught Us
The lessons that came back again and again from the hardest scene we have set.
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Why Sketching the Same Scene Twice Teaches You More Than Moving On
Most sketchers move straight to a new subject. Here is what the second attempt gives you that the first cannot.
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