I teach a 6 week Urban Sketching Tips and Techniques Class at Crealde School of Art (600 Saint Andrews Boulevard Winter Park, Fl). Even in the heart of winter we head outside each class to get out of the studio environment and sketch from direct observation. Half of the class is usually in the classroom as we explore a new premise then we sketch from life. We expand from drawing a single person to capturing the entire scene. Each class builds on the last. The goal is always to get the students to finish their sketches using pencil, pen and ink and watercolor within a two hour window. Sketches in the beginning of the course might be unfinished but towards the end of the course the work becomes more complete. A sketch by definition is unfinished however and I try and relate that form of acceptance.
I dash of fast digital sketches like the one above as the students at focusing on their own work. I also make the rounds and offer suggestions in the form of sketches to each student when they start out. The initial composition is what I try and get them to focus on before the details. In the first 5 or 6 strokes of the pencil the entire composition can be established and I try and get the students to embrace the same bold approach.
I end up missing each group of students when the course is over. Six weeks is just enough time to get them started on what could be a life long journey but I always wish that I could have shared more. I set up an Instagram hashtag (#crealdesketcher) so I can share notes and students can also share work with each other. Communicating and sharing is the main reason to become an Urban Sketcher, so I am hoping this platform will open students up to sharing their work online.
My next Urban Sketching Tips and Techniques Class in studio 1B begins Sunday January 19, 2020 at 9:30am until 12:30pm and runs for the following six Sundays. The price is $270 for Members and $290 for Non-Members. Go to the Crealde website to register.