In this urban sketching class we'll be looking at some key, basic skills for beginners - how to sketch trees, draw hedges, paint flowers, and basically urban sketch all things natural that appear in our lovely scenes.

Understand the Bigger Picture - Don't get lost in the detail

When we look at trees, bushes and hedges in our scenes, we can get drawn into the detail - when, in reality, all we need is the 'bigger picture' the idea of shape, texture and shadow.

When we are beginners in our sketching journeys, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by the detail and imagine we have to sketch more than we really do. I'll show you here, in a step-by-step beginners class exactly how I think about trees through a few key concepts to really build your confidence.

And that is what this class is all about - helping you to feel confident in sketching trees, to see the big picture, work out what is important and leave all the stress behind!

Aims of this class

Understand the basic shapes of trees
Discover how to suggest texture
Learn the importance of shadow in making 3D shapes
Practice mixing different green pigments
Put these principles into practice on trees, bushes, hedges and flowers
Create a fascinating sketch, filled with nature, without any stress!

And of course - become more confident in the art of sketching, loose sketching and urban sketching especially when it comes to those green-filled scenes.

I don't believe that sketching trees needs to be any different from sketching buildings - it can be a lovely stress free experience if we break it down, make it simple.

Make it easy

By using a simple step by step process to sketch trees, and draw out flowers, we'll be able to take these elements and soon enough find it so easy to add them to our sketching scenes.

Techniques to simplify our art, our sketching and our urban sketching are a fundamental drawing skill.

A simple sketch is necessary to create quick fun and interesting sketches, before building up the complexity and bringing the scene to life. This is absolutely the same no matter what our subject is - and in this case it's extra true for sketching trees, hedges, bushes, flowers and greenery.

Ink and Watercolours

The class focusses on the use of ink and watercolour sketching processes. We will use ink lines to look at the shapes, the textures and even the shadows.

Watercolours, of course, help us add those glowing greens - and I'll devote a whole section of this class to showing you how to mix greens, with varying effects, and using just a couple of simple pigments.

Look how simple these trees are, and yet, they are still effective. You can have the confidence to sketch like this as well!

Flexible supplies

This sketching class focusses on ink and watercolour techniques - I'll talk you through the exact supplies I'm using, but there are no strict rules. As long as you have a waterproof/permanent pen, some paper and some basic watercolours you'll be ready to join in straight away!

Step by Step for Beginners

Using these simple supplies we'll break down our sketch into a five step process - and look in extra focus at how these steps apply to nature, trees and all things green.

You don't need to get sucked in and stressed out by all the detail - simple lines, a little texture, and you'll be good to go straight away!

Fully narrated in real time

And don't worry, I'll talk you all the way through this course and sketch alongside you, as well as giving you all the background you need to understand the reasons behind everything I do.

Audio credits:

Apero Hour Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons By Attribution 4.0 License
httpcreativecommons.orglicensesby4.0

Stefanie Wolford

Watercolor and fiber artist

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