Travel Sketching Essentials: A Great Sketch in 5 Steps

More than a hobby, travel and sketching are a perfect pairing, like great food and fine wine, that can expand our creative awareness, heighten our senses, and greatly enrich our lives and the lives of those we encounter. But complex urban scenes can be overwhelming. This class is the remedy!

You’ll learn my step-by-step approach to on-location sketching that dramatically simplifies a complex scene, saving you time and frustration, and making your efforts more effective and enjoyable. The techniques build directly on my first class, “Drawing People and Crowds Made Simple.”  Now we’ll take the next steps, adding a lively urban context.  I’ve taught this approach to thousands of students across the globe with great success.  By class’s end, you’ll have the tools to be successful as well.

You’ll learn:

• How and why I start urban sketches by drawing people first
• How to see architecture as simple, easy-to-draw shapes
• How to simplify details without losing richness
• How to build an ink line sketch full of life and energy, step-by-step
• How to add richness with watercolor washes

This is a class for all skill levels; my students range from beginners to professional illustrators.  All enjoyed, learned and came away with new confidence, and so will you.  By the end of the class and completion of your project, you’ll have a firm grasp on my personal approach, tips and techniques, and be ready to learn more in the next class. So relax—this is going to be fun!

• Introduction
• Tools and Materials
• Thumbnails for Composition
• Simplifying the Scene
• Eyeline, People and Big Shapes
• Adding Details Part 1
• Adding Details Part 2
• Adding Darks
• Color First Wash
• Color Second Wash
• Color Details
• Color Finishing Touches
• Conclusion