Draw Landscapes like Vincent van Gogh: Simple Ink and Pencil Techniques | Moon Maxwell | Skillshare

Playback Speed


1.0x


  • 0.5x
  • 0.75x
  • 1x (Normal)
  • 1.25x
  • 1.5x
  • 1.75x
  • 2x

Draw Landscapes like Vincent van Gogh: Simple Ink and Pencil Techniques

teacher avatar Moon Maxwell, Artist and Writer in Eternal Gratitude

Watch this class and thousands more

Get unlimited access to every class
Taught by industry leaders & working professionals
Topics include illustration, design, photography, and more

Watch this class and thousands more

Get unlimited access to every class
Taught by industry leaders & working professionals
Topics include illustration, design, photography, and more

Lessons in This Class

    • 1.

      Introduction

      2:33

    • 2.

      Before we Begin

      1:14

    • 3.

      Class Project

      0:58

    • 4.

      Materials Required

      1:17

    • 5.

      Vincent's Drawings

      6:44

    • 6.

      Drawing Basics

      2:38

    • 7.

      Mark-Making Techniques I

      4:07

    • 8.

      8 Mark Making Techniques II

      2:53

    • 9.

      Let's Draw

      1:17

    • 10.

      Begin

      2:54

    • 11.

      Proportion

      2:35

    • 12.

      Accuracy

      1:44

    • 13.

      Adding Ink

      7:48

    • 14.

      Vincent’s Letters

      2:20

    • 15.

      Choosing A Subject

      5:43

    • 16.

      Drawing from Life

      6:25

    • 17.

      Final Thoughts

      0:50

  • --
  • Beginner level
  • Intermediate level
  • Advanced level
  • All levels

Community Generated

The level is determined by a majority opinion of students who have reviewed this class. The teacher's recommendation is shown until at least 5 student responses are collected.

438

Students

11

Projects

About This Class

Slow down and indulge your love for nature and Vincent van Gogh's art with this step-by-step ink and pencil drawing class!

This is not a class on how to draw a pretty picture- this is a class about how to draw images that are imbued with meaning for you. In this class, you will learn how to draw the awe-inspiring beauty of the natural world and analyse what you see by asking yourself- What attracts you to a scene? What makes you want to draw it?

To help you think through these questions, I will introduce you to the life, art, and art practice of Vincent van Gogh. The big lesson here is not how to best replicate Vincent's works but how to "think" like Vincent by learning to draw like him. And for this reason, this class is for anybody wanting to start their art practice or bring a new perspective to their art.

In this class, you will learn about:

  • Vincent van Gogh's art journey
  • Drawing basics
  • Mark-making techniques
  • How to see like an artist
  • Focusing and choosing a subject to best express yourself
  • Observing themes in nature

By learning how to draw like Vincent, you will be able to create powerful original works of art. If nothing else, the life and art of Vincent van Gogh are evident of the fact that you can start your art journey whenever you want and that you don't need the best materials or resources to make worthy art. In this spirit, the essential materials you require are an ink pen/brush and some paper for this class.

Let's get started!

Meet Your Teacher

Teacher Profile Image

Moon Maxwell

Artist and Writer in Eternal Gratitude

Teacher
Level: All Levels

Class Ratings

Expectations Met?
    Exceeded!
  • 0%
  • Yes
  • 0%
  • Somewhat
  • 0%
  • Not really
  • 0%

Why Join Skillshare?

Take award-winning Skillshare Original Classes

Each class has short lessons, hands-on projects

Your membership supports Skillshare teachers

Learn From Anywhere

Take classes on the go with the Skillshare app. Stream or download to watch on the plane, the subway, or wherever you learn best.

Transcripts

1. Introduction: [MUSIC] Let me start by saying this. This is not a class on how to draw a pretty picture. In this class, I will teach you how to draw images that are imbued with meaning for you. Throughout this class, I will teach you simple join techniques and mark-making techniques. But most importantly, I will teach you how to see like an artist. I am Moon Maxwell, an artist and writer. I held my first solo art exhibition when I was 13. I have been painting abstracts and experimenting with mediums since. I'm currently a graduate student at the University of Oxford. But when I'm not with my books, writing, or drawing, I can usually be found admiring and filming the beauty of the more than human world around me. To look at the natural world from an artist's gaze means more than just paying attention to proportion and aiming for accurate shapes. To see like an artist, you need to start thinking like one. In this class, I want you to ask yourself, what attracts you to a scene? What makes you want to draw it? To help you think through these questions, I will introduce you to the life, art, and art practices of Vincent Van Gogh. The big lesson here is not how to best replicate Vincent's works, but how to think like Vincent by learning how to draw like him. For this reason, this class is for anybody wanting to start their art practice of bring a new perspective to their art. Think about your drawing skills as the grammar and vocabulary of your art practice. Without them, it would be impossible to express yourself fully and currently. By the end of this class, you will not only be able to draw, but you will be able to create your own unique landscape drawing as a part of the class project. All you really need to follow along with this class is an ink pen and some paper. Let's get started. [MUSIC] 2. Before we Begin: [MUSIC] Before we begin, I want to clarify a couple of things about this class. First, it is common knowledge that Vincent Manago always signed his paintings with his first name because he dreaded people mispronouncing his last name. Throughout this class, I will call him by his first name, Vincent. Second, I believe this class is a fit for anybody no matter what the strength of the artistic ability because the structure of this class is informed as much by Vincent's art as it is by his life. He began his art career very late in his life with no formal training. Throughout his short career, he kept going back to learning the basics of drawing. Even if you walk on whims that you can not draw, I hope Vincent's career can convince you that you can. Keep watching to learn more about our class project. 3. Class Project: [MUSIC] For this class, your project is to create a landscape drawing from a photograph or life by focusing on those aspects of the landscape that are most attractive to you. To get started, I would suggest watching all the videos. The lessons are designed so that you can build your landscape design step-by-step. Once you have watched all the videos, you can choose the subject of your drawing or use my reference photo to follow along in the final lesson joined from life. After you've completed your landscape drawing, please make sure to upload it to the project gallery. That way your classmates and I can see and engage with your work. I can't wait to see what you draw. Keep watching to learn about the materials required for this class. 4. Materials Required: [MUSIC] I prefer using the Stillman and Birn sketchbooks for my daily art practice because you can use them with a variety of mediums. For ink pens, I recommend the Micron pens, the Pentel pocket brush pen, and then finally the Copic multiliners. If you want to use ink and brushes, I recommend the Winsor and Newton Black Indian ink with the Pentel watercolor brushes. For our first drawing practice in this class, I will be using a blank postcard to introduce you to how Vincent used his letters to share his drawings. But you can use your sketchbook or any paper that you have on hand. Finally, your class handbook, which is available for you to download from the project and resources section, is a fantastic resource. The handbook has practice exercises and details step-by-step advice on each lesson. Watch the next lesson to learn about Vincent's drawings and life. 5. Vincent's Drawings: [MUSIC] On a cold, wet day from his studio in Hague, Vincent wrote to his brother Theo saying, "What is drawing? How does one get there? It's working one's way through an invisible iron wall that seems to stand between what one feels and what one can do. How can one get through that wall? Since hammering on it doesn't help at all. In my view, one must undermine the wall and grind through it slowly and patiently." Before beginning his journey as an artist, Vincent had tried and failed to be successful as an art dealer, teacher, bookseller, and preacher. When at the age of 27, following the advice of Theo, he committed himself to a life as an artist. Vincent was determined to prove himself, no matter the cost. For Vincent, drawing is at the root of everything. He did not dare pick up a brush until he gained confidence in his draftsmanship. He writes to his brother with frustration about early-career artists who neglect improving their drawing skills. "When I see several painters I know here, struggle with watercolor and painting, unable to find the answer, I sometimes think, friend, your drawing is where the trouble is." Apart from his conception of drawing as the cornerstone of any worthy artist's work, Vincent also worked endlessly to improve his skills because he thought he would become an illustrator. His drawing practice didn't just evolve with reference to the art he collected and museums he visited, but also books and periodicals he read. His ambition to become an illustrator also meant that he made drawings that often looked like prints. Consider his early drawings. Notice the defined outlines and control line work. There's a certain stiffness in the composition, a detectable air of practice that even suggests lack of confidence. Nevertheless, even in these early sketches, there's evidence of Vincent's genius, a determination to make his emotions and thoughts visible to the rest of the world. Notice the posture of this nude figure, the stress and tension of her muscles, the matte appearance of her hair, the posture of her body. Everything about this nude woman expresses her despair. The frozen rigidity of the background also indicates the harsh circumstances the woman has endured. The mood of the drawing is further underscored by its title, Sorrow. Vincent was very proud of this composition. He sent the drawing to his brother saying, "The enclosed is, I think, the best figure I've drawn yet. That's why I thought I'd send it to you." However, this was a rare episode. Vincent was hardly ever content with his ability to draw human figures. He instead turned to picture the landscape to depict and express the plight and suffering of humankind symbolically. Not long after composing Sorrow, Vincent sent Theo another drawing, a landscape called The Roots. In his letter, he compared Sorrow and The Roots, writing, "I wanted to express something of life's struggle, both in that white, slender female figure and in those gnarled black roots with their knots." The last painting Vincent would ever make, Tree Roots in 1890, deals with the same subject of gnarled, bulbous roots as his early drawing, The Roots. Observe the differences between the two. Of course, it's an unfair comparison in many ways because of the difference in mediums. But still, notice the remarkable difference in how Vincent approaches the two works. Consider the abstract and graphic quality of the painting, the lack of shadows in the scene, the feeling of movement in the composition, all set the painting apart from the drawing. So how and why did Vincent's artistic style change in eight years? When Vincent moved to be with his brother in Paris in 1886, he befriended many impressionist artists. He became acquainted with their innovative style and approach to art. At that time in Paris, there was a growing awareness amongst artists regarding the potential of photography and a sentiment that art must do more than represent the exactness of figures. Vincent was also very fascinated with the work of Japanese artists and began to study them carefully. These influences altered Vincent's approach to drawing. Look at these drawings by Vincent. He has drawn the same scene repeatedly to see how different mark-making techniques could change the effect of the scene. His linework has an innovative spirit, he constantly adapts and changes his mark-making techniques to create different works. Consider the drawing in the middle and its vertical format. It was rare when this drawing was made, for landscape drawings to be made in the vertical format. But Vincent was so fascinated by Japanese woodblock prints that he didn't hesitate to give his drawing paper a quarter turn. The artistic style Vincent adopts in these drawings, influenced his painting styles. These paintings he made during the last three years of his life became his most famous works. In this class, we will learn the mark-making techniques Vincent used in his later drawings and think about how we can create our own unique landscapes. [MUSIC] Keep watching to start your art journey. 6. Drawing Basics: [MUSIC] Welcome to our first drawing lesson. We will start with the most basic of basic drawing techniques. I want you to take your pencil and draw a circle on the page with one continuous line. Don't lift your pencil from the page, but try to be as accurate as possible. The result of drawing this way is an imprecise shape. The circle I have drawn looks lumpy and bumpy. Let's try drawing a circle again. But this time using several short, sketchy lines. Aim for keeping your lines as light as possible. Drawing this way will allow you to keep adjusting your sketch to make more accurate shapes. Now let's do the same exercise with a triangle. Again, draw the triangle in one continuous line without lifting your pencil. As you can see, my triangle is not in the best shape. I'm going to draw the triangle again using short sketchy lines. There is no comparison between the two. The triangle on the right-hand side, which I drew using short sketchy lines is definitely more accurate. If we repeat this exercise to draw the shape of a leaf, we get a similar result. The leaf on the right-hand side is much more proportionate than the one on the left. Drawing in short light lines keeping your hand loose is a much more effective way than drawing in stiff, solid lines. Continue practicing this drawing technique with the exercise in your class handbook labeled Task One. [MUSIC] Keep watching to learn simple and effective mark-making techniques. 7. Mark-Making Techniques I: In this lesson, I will introduce you to five types of mark-making techniques. We will learn about hatching, cross-hatching, contour-hatching, stippling, and scribbling. These techniques will help you bring textures, depth, and richness to your drawings. Follow along as we learn the first mark-making technique, hatching. Hatching is drawing parallel lines in the same direction. You can draw lines from left to right, or you can decide to draw them in any other direction that suits you. Hatching is a particularly useful mark-making technique when you want to give an object a clean and simple structure. For example, you can use this technique to depict all distinct trees, grassy grounds of wheat fields. If we take hatching a step further and draw parallel lines in an opposite direction over our first set of parallel lines, we get cross-hatching. Depending on your preference, you can even overlay the lines with lines in a different direction a third, or fourth time. Cross-hatching is very effective to show rough or highly dense areas. The last hatching technique I want to show you is contour hatching. For contour hatching, your hatch marks go around the shape of an object. This is an excellent technique to indicate movement and highlight your object's three-dimensionality. For example, you can use this technique to define the curvature of a tree branch. Our following mark-making technique is stippling. Stippling is using a cluster of dots to define an object. The denser the cluster of your dots, the more dense that area of your object will look. For example, if you use stippling to define a soft ground, you can use denser cluster of dots to define darker areas of the ground. In the circle I have drawn on the left, you can see that I have varied the density and lightness of my strokes to create a different look. The last technique we're going to learn is scribbling. Scribbling means just that, scribbling. All you want to do for scribbling is to take your pencil and let loose drawing loops or any other random shapes. This one technique is a great way to define subjects that are too far or areas that are not the primary focus of your drawing. For example, you could use scribbling to define bushes, foliage, or flowers. Now we have covered all the necessary mark-making techniques for this class. I've given you a few examples of how to use them, but feel free to get creative. Continue practicing these techniques with the exercise in your class handbook labeled task 2. [MUSIC] Continue watching to learn more about mark-making techniques. 8. 8 Mark Making Techniques II: [MUSIC] In this lesson, I want to introduce you to how you can use the mark making techniques we learned in the previous lesson to create landscape drawings. First, I want you to examine this drawing and identify the mark making techniques used. As you can see, hatching has been used to show tall distinct trees and features on the ground. At the same time, scribbling and contour hatching have also been used to define distinct trees. Stippling and cross hatching have been used for the grounds in different areas, creating various textures in the join. Let us repeat the exercise to see if we can identify the various mark making techniques again. In this drawing, the elegant and clean hatching marks are immediately striking. Stippling has been used to define the sky, which gives the impression of a sunny, cloudless day. Scribbling has been used on the left-hand side corner of the drawing to define some bushes or foliage. By focusing on how Vincent has rendered different areas and subjects in his work, you can build your own mark making skills. You can refer to our class handbook for additional sources on Vincent's drawings. Once you've practiced identifying mark making techniques, the next step is to learn how to apply what you have learned. Here is my study of one of Vincent's most famous paintings, Starry Night. As you can see, I have used various hatching techniques to define the sky, mountains, and houses. I've used contour hatching to define the trees and greenery on the bottom right. I've also used a scribbling to define trees between the houses and the mountains. This is another drawing I've made of the Vincent's painting, cypresses with two female figures. Notice how I have made small circles to define the flowers and use contour hatching to define the clouds. Learning how to draw is defined by learning how to see. So I recommend that you browse through Vincent's drawings and paintings to become adept at identifying the various techniques he uses. You can also refer to Task 3 in your class handbook to fine tune your ability to identify mark making techniques. In the following videos, we will learn how to draw what we see. 9. Let's Draw: [MUSIC] Let us recap what we have learned so far. We have learned to sketch in short light lines so that we can keep adjusting our sketch. Drawing in light lines has also proved helpful so that we can erase and edit our sketch. We have learned five mark-making techniques: hatching, cross-hatching, contour-hatching, stippling, and scribbling. By identifying the mark-making techniques used by Vincent, we have also learned how we can use mark-making techniques to draw different features of a landscape. Now we can start drawing. For our practice drawing, we are going to be making Vincent's "A Wheatfield with Cypresses". I will draw on a postcard to introduce you to how Vincent wrote poignant letters to express his emotions and give meaning to his art. But you only need your ink pens and sketchbook to follow along. Keep watching to start your drawing practice. 10. Begin: [MUSIC] I'm starting my sketch by drawing the tall cypress tree. Notice how I'm not outlining the tree in bold lines. I'm using short, sketchy lines to define the tree's shape, while also paying attention to the movement and dynamism of the tree. [MUSIC] For the ground, I'm paying attention to the undulation of the foliage in the painting. It is important to remember to draw in short, light lines so that you can always go back, and erase, and edit. [MUSIC] For the short tree, I'm again focusing on drawing its shape using short pencil strokes and not bold outlines. [MUSIC] For the mountains in the background, I will use the same technique I use to sketch the foliage at the bottom of the cypress trees. [MUSIC] In Vincent's painting, the clouds are defined with colors. I will give the clouds their shape by using curved, wispy lines to convey the same feeling of lightness that is there in the painting. [MUSIC] I've gone ahead and filled the drawing with various mark-making techniques. I have defined the wheat field using the technique of hatching and stippling. I've used contour hatching for the foliage, the mountains, and the clouds. If you would like, you can pause the video here and use my drawing as a reference to make your marks. Make sure to keep your marks light because in the following videos, we will learn how to edit our drawings. [MUSIC] Keep watching to learn techniques of measuring proportion. 11. Proportion: [MUSIC] As you can see, there's not enough space left at the bottom of this card for depicting the foliage in the painting. The wheat field also lacks the required height. Even the hills in the background at the side of the card are hidden. To make a composition more accurate, we need to measure proportion. Proportion refers to how a part of an object relates to the whole. To measure proportion, find a feature in your landscape to measure against other features. For our drawing, I will show you how to measure the short cypress tree, and then estimate how many times that measurement fits inside the tall cypress tree and the ground. I want you to hold your pencil in your hand and stretch your arm forward. Make sure to keep your elbows straight. Then align the tip of your pencil with the top of the head of your object. After that, move your thumb along the side of the pencil and align your thumb with the object space. This section of your pencil is now your measurement, and you can use it to measure other features in the landscape. For example, I measured about two-inch short cypress trees in the tall tree, and about one inch in the ground. Using this technique, I have redrawn some aspects of my drawing. You can notice that by paying attention to the proportion of the trees, I have been able to give more space to the foliage and the wheat field. I've also been able to draw the mountains that were earlier hidden behind the short tree at the corner. In the following video, I will show you how to make your composition more accurate by paying attention to the negative space. [MUSIC] Keep watching to learn how to make more accurate shapes by paying attention to negative space. 12. Accuracy: [MUSIC] For this lesson, I will be focusing on the top right-hand side corner of the painting. Specifically, the negative space between the clouds. Negative space refers to the shape around an object. Paying attention to negative space means paying attention to the space where your object is not. I will pay attention to drawing the blue sky, the negative space between the clouds, to bring greater accuracy to the shape of the clouds. When I'm looking at my drawing alongside the reference photo, I can make out that the space between the clouds needs to be deeper. You can use this technique to edit other areas between clouds or any other area in your drawing. [MUSIC] Keep watching to learn how to add ink to your pencil sketch. 13. Adding Ink: [MUSIC] I'm first using my pentel pocket brush pen to draw the cypruss trees. I decided to use the pentel pocket brush pen for the trees because you can make bold yet spontaneous lines with it. If you want to highlight any area of your drawing, use bold strokes or darker lines to cover it. I will not be very particular about drawing over my pencil marks because that can hinder the flow of my pen work but feel free to follow your pencil sketch as closely as you like. I'm using the Copic Multiliner 0.25 to define the foliage and the mountain range. I apologize for repeatedly covering one side of my drawing with my hand. When I draw, I like to control the paper I'm drawing on just like I control the pen I draw with, so I will keep pausing to make it easier for you to follow along. For the details of the foliage, I'm using the Micron 005. Again using the Copic Multiliner 0.25, I'm drawing the details at the bottom. For the clouds, I'm going to be using my micron pen. I'm not connecting the lines so that I can avoid creating a solid shape. Here, I want to allude to the shape and movement of clouds. For steepening, I'm using my copic pen again. Now I'm going to erase the pencil marks. Make sure your ink is absolutely dry before doing this. Once you've erased the pencil marks, there may be areas as you want to touch up. Go ahead and add the finishing touches. Now that you've completed your practice drawing, feel free to share it with the class by uploading it to the class project page. If you're going to share your work on social media, don't forget to tag me and to use the hashtag ink with Vincent, so that we can all see what you're working on. Keep watching to learn more about Vincent's letters. [MUSIC] 14. Vincent’s Letters: For the artists wanting to learn how to draw like Vincent. Vincent's Letters are for much more than just anecdotes from his life. His letters offers students the chance to train themselves to see the world as he did. Consider this passage from a letter Vincent wrote to Theo from Hague. ''At the moment, a wonderful effect can be seen from the window of my studio. The city, with its towers and roofs and smoking chimneys stands out as dark, somber silhouette against the horizon of light. The light, though, is only a broad strip; above it hangs a heavy shower, more concentrated below, above torn by the autumn winds into great tuffs and clumps that float off. But that strip of light makes the wet roofs glisten here and there in the somber mass of the city." In this short passage alone, you can see how Vincent is looking at the whole world around him as an artist. He's studying the view from his window as if it were a painting and thinking about colors and textures. That is what I encourage you to do. Look at the landscape in front of you or the photograph of a landscape and describe it. Aim for a thick description. Describe the context, the actress, the movement, everything you notice. When you sit down and try to express with words what you see in front of you. You will begin to pay attention to the small details. The shadows, the shapes, the light. When you begin to describe something in words, you immediately begin to picture it through your thoughts and frame of mind. This exercise will help you enormously in conceiving and composing a unique and original landscape. But most importantly, it will help you give meaning to your join. Keep watching to learn more about choosing the right subject. 15. Choosing A Subject: [MUSIC] If I were to explain this lesson's purpose in one line, it would be this: I want you to find pieces of yourself in the landscape in front of you. For some, relating to what they see and projecting their emotions onto the landscape may come more naturally than to others. But with this exercise, I hope I can make it easier for you to connect with the natural world. To start this exercise, I want you to look at this drawing made by Vincent and think about what aspects of the landscape he focuses on in his drawing. Without referring to the museum catalog or the drawing's title, just see the drawing in and off itself. Vincent's inventive play offline is striking. There's a screen of cypress trees at the back defined with close hatching marks. There's also an illusion to some blue structures in the background. Varied hatching techniques define the ground, but no feature is as dominant as the sun. If the drawing is studied independently, it appears that Vincent's primary subject was the sun and its brilliant light. The two trees at the forefront and the bold lines separating the ground from the field seem to exist just to frame the sun. Stippling is used here for the sky and the ground in the front, giving the impression that the sun's blinding light baits the ground completely. Contrast this with this painting. Here, the cloudless, light-filled sky takes up almost half of the space. But other features notably catch our eyes, the shadows of the trees. Whereas in this drawing, the shadows are not defined, what interests Vincent while putting this composition together is the sun and its light. The lack of definition to the shadows of the trees doesn't mean that the shadows weren't there, it is Vincent's choice to give them lesser importance than the sun. That is what I want you to do while you are designing your composition. Make choices that reflect your interests and not necessarily the exactness of your subject. To start creating original landscapes, think about the following questions while looking at the landscape in front of you. I would recommend writing your answers down so that you can make your initial sketch with reference to the notes alongside the picture of your landscape. What features of the landscape stand out to you? Try to be specific when answering this question. Is there a tree that stands out to you? Then try to be specific and think about the tree's shape. Is it round? Is it irregular? Next, try to think about how the features you like in a landscape relate to each other. For example, perhaps the trees and the flowing river stand out to you the most. Then think about how these two features relate to each other. How do the features that you have noted complement or contrast each other? Think about soft ground juxtaposed with the hard pebbled floor. After observing the landscape features, think about the weather and seasons. Perhaps the sunny sky and large cumulus cloud stand out to you, make a note of them. Finally, think about your mood. It is possible that even though you admire the trees and the flowing river, you like the clouds best. The clouds relate most to your cheerful and radiant mood. Sometimes there's no reason why one thing stands out to us. Still, to make a composition original and expressive of our emotions and thoughts, we must be cognizant of the features and aspects of a landscape that attract us to it, that make us want to draw it. Since the features that stand out to you, like clouds, may be fleeting, I suggest always taking a photograph of the landscape as a whole and individual photographs of the specific features in the landscape that stand out to you. For our next class exercise, I have taken a photograph of the landscape I want to draw. What stood out to me about this scene was how the light and shadows fell on the walking path. The irregular shape of the trees and the curvy and rounded look of the foliage also drew me to the scene. Most importantly, the walking paths symbolically represented my desire to find and discover new things about the natural world and this specific tree trail. You can download this reference photo from this class' project and resources section. A link to this photograph is available in your class handbook. If you want to recap or think through these questions on your own time, you can refer to Task 5 in your class handbook. [MUSIC] Keep watching to learn more about drawing from life. 16. Drawing from Life: [MUSIC] In very broad strokes, I have gone ahead and defined the walking path and the foliage of the trees. I've kept my pencil marks very light and barely added any detail because I want to jump right in with my ink pens. For me, the frozen skyward movement of the tree branches is very striking. I'm going to note that in my join by keeping my strokes varied and moving upwards. In defining the roundness and waviness of the foliage, I'm inspired by my previous drawings made after [inaudible] paintings. Like I did in our practice exercise, I will use thick and bold lines to highlight those aspects that really stand out to me. The foliage of two identical trees can look and feel different depending on your perspective. From where I was standing, the tree on my right which was closer to me seemed to have a more bristly texture. I will use a finer pen to define the foliage here. I will define the foliage on the ground using a variety of hatching techniques. In the scene V, we defined the foliage in our practice exercise. I'm going to draw over the foliage I've sketched with a fine pen with thick lines to give the effect of shadows. For the shadows on the ground, I want to keep my strokes loose and bold. I'm inspired by Vincent's painting, olive trees with the yellow sky. I need to join this and this painting and I remember drawing the shadow in those loose bold lines. I'm going to repeat that here. I'm going to outline the shadowy areas by using short final lines to create a contrast. To show the downward curve of the hills, I'm going to draw a wavy lines moving from the top left to the bottom right of the sketch. I've defined the areas where the sunlight falls on the path with a fine ink pen to meet short, the area looks light, and contrast the shadowy areas. While drawing from life, you may constantly feel the pressure to recreate what you see, but I encourage you to take on perhaps an even more difficult task and that is to draw aspects of the elements of a landscape that stand out to you. I've made sure that light and shadow move along and according to the downward slope of the hills. It is crucial to resist adding details and overcrowding your sketch. Since I have added the last details, I think when necessary, I will call it a day. I hope you enjoyed following along. I would love to see what you are working on. So please share your sketch on the class project page. If you share your drawing on social media, don't forget to tag me and use the hashtag inkwithvincent so we can all appreciate your work. 17. Final Thoughts: [MUSIC] Thank you so much for taking the time to watch this class till the end. I would love to see your work. Please don't forget to upload your class project to the project gallery. If you share your work on social media, don't forget to tag me and use the hashtag 'Ink with Vincent.' I would appreciate it if you leave feedback for this class, so that prospective students can hear from you first hand and learn how the class can make a tangible difference in their art journey. If you are inspired by Vincent's appetite for the natural world, checkout my YouTube channel, where among other things, I share my insights from the more than human world. Thanks again for joining me. Happy drawing.