5 BEST Things I Learned from Ian Fennelly's Urban Sketching for Beginners Course

[@lindastewart9069]

Can't agree more that this course is NOT a beginner's. Because of that I found it both intimidating and discouraging. That's why I love your approach of picking three points as takeaways and I'm going to go back and do the course again and look at it differently. Thank you for your honesty. X

[@sheldonlipschitz5952]

You so validated the way I felt while working through the course. Loved my ink work and always felt my watercolour work was a mess. But i did get lots of compliments and did like my work more a few days later. I find Ian’s sketches very inspiring. Thanks for your video.

[@atl17isfast]

Thanks for sharing Ian's course info in this series, very helpful. I'm a fan of his work too. We are all our hardest critic. Remember if you are 75%-80% happy with your work, you have done a good job and people will love it. ;-)

[@ShimmyD-u7g]

Lovely sketch. Something I was thinking about while watching you, I believe a lot of people who enjoy making art, myself included, tend to forget, you don't have to follow someones style, or their rules, or whatever process they use. As a person learning to watercolor, and watching a lot of instruction I sometimes get caught up in trying imitate or follow closely what someone is doing. I have to remind myself often that you really can do whatever the hell you want.

[@KarenK-r4f]

I love Ian and I love you 💙💜💚. Sappy American here🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@ddegraw71]

You just put into words how I've been feeling about almost all art instruction courses or books I've been using. Thank you.

[@sjferguson]

I absolutely love his work. It's so unique. This series has been wonderful to watch. I think yours looks marvelous!

[@karliflour]

Great sketch Taria! I need to remember the tip about not focusing on the details as I can get bogged down in needing all the details and lines to be "perfect." I love thinking of it more as this is the spirit/essence of this place, not a photograph.

[@douglasnoren3348]

Hey! Lovely video here, Ian is an awesome sketcher. Great to see you have a go at his lessons. I haven’t taken his classes (yet!) but one thing I’ve noticed is the way he holds his pens (way up on the barrel) really affects his sketching style. Another thing he seems to stress is working on BIG paper size. It gives him plenty of room to bring out lots of details and also gives him room to leave lots of white…just my 2 cents worth….

[@Coco-ne5ix]

Your comments really resonated with me. I haven’t finished this course and maybe it’s because my pieces don’t look just like Ian’s. I like that you are applying his principles to your own style here. My first attempts at drawing and watercolor came from your course a year ago and I love that you continue to demonstrate new ideas and techniques.

[@perinilan4364]

I totally agree with your take on learning from Ian’s courses (having worked through 2 online courses and an in person trip to Avignon with him this past spring.

[@toshabeans]

I love you version! I like how your orange looked like brick, but i agree that his bolder color adds depth to the piece by bringing some sections forward. I also wonder about pigments, his washes seem more transparent. Loved this video, I'm a new follower now 😊

[@marybryon8854]

Loving your videos, specially the multi media you did at Monte Casino in South Africa, very interesting to see how that works.

[@andrecardon2141]

Accurate comments on how become a better sketcher. Love this ways you develop. Merci from France

[@artscience9981]

Thanks Taria, I really like your sketch! I like the freedom Ian has, especially with color. I find it hard to distance myself from the scene or the reference photo and experiment with color. One thing I have noticed about sketching in a notebook versus painting on a canvas is that the small size really forces you to simplify the scene and suggest detail, whereas the larger canvas allows you to add detail if you want to. I think simplification is an important skill, as you described well in the video.

[@christinebarone2151]

I also bought the course a while ago. I will say, your drawing is spot on Taria beautiful. I’m like you, I get bored with one style. I love urban sketching, watercolors but I love mixed media with acrylic as well.

[@miklosnemeth8566]

2:46 I've bought the book of Steven Reddy, he is my hero, and had his classes, and he definitely has a meticulously elaborated method, and it seems to me that he has been quite happy with it for 20 - 30 years or so. 4:22 Exactly! Steven Reddy keeps saying in his books and videos that he doesn't care perspective, and he uses wonky lines, but whatever he says every of his pictures has a consistent perfectly balanced perspective, exactly as You and Ian explained. You can use wonky walls, but if the perspective of the total picture is balanced, it will work great. 6:34 Exactly this is a fundamental part of Steven Reddy's process, too, so important that before applying color he always makes a three-layer grisaille and he applies colors brutally simply on that meticulously elaborated grayscale pictures. The actual colosr are not even that important for himself, too.

[@Rumi1028]

Great video and i love the way you did it. Architecturally i like the more realistic way you did it. Which is my approach but I need to loosen up my water colour approach 😊

[@dossdoss3051]

hi i am priyanga merline 8th grade from india. i love painting so much. i check everybody channel for nice picture to draw.but yesterday only i found you channel. i subscribe your channel. i love your painting method. and i also love to paint a house. i thought painting is a diffcult. but when i see your channel. painting is a eassy. thank you so much for share these art

[@Slotzzzz]

TSA.. that was nice, your art turned out great..

[@thuntz29]

Oh didn’t know he had a free course! Thanks for letting us know! :)

[@visualarthistory]

Your sketch is amazing!

[@herbiehames9245]

Thanks for the review - I am finally adding watercolor to my sketches - love Ian's colors - I am going to take this course, but I am going to use similar locations around me here in Columbia, SC as the base sketch and then apply the color theory of Ian as he goes through the process...I will then not be comparing my sketch to his....his are master pieces....thanks!

[@cherylnicholson5643]

Taria I love and adore your videos! It's a great idea to make one for each module. 😻

[@ruthjames9278]

brilliant as always thanks for sharing

[@AndreeaEremiaArt]

So beautiful art video. I love your all videos. Good job dear friend ❤🤗❤🤗

[@mickhamilton8385]

Nice work 👍.

[@cerealnana]

You totally called me out! I bought your course and did most of the first lesson, but froze at the watercolour part!

[@Horsewoman-pt2ku]

Nicely done. I need to learn how to draw like that. Any suggestions on any good free 2and 3 point learn to draw?

[@cucofiatpunto8723]

You should insist more in advice number one: forget details, PERSPECTIVE is what matters. In the same way you cannot play football or rugby if you are not in shape, you cannot sketch is you do not master perspective. I know that many people do not like to hear this, but "there is not royal way" in drawing as there isn't in Mathematics. Thanks for sharing not only your lessons learnt but your impressions. Both are very interesting.

[@gitarkid61]

Nice work! What brushes are you using?

[@aliciadanowski245]

I have a degree in architectural drafting but for the life of me, I cannot draw freehand. I sure wish I can so I guess I will just have to keep practicing just Ike I did for my degree. Thank you.

[@juanmanuelsanchez4389]

What kind of INK do you use under watercolor? I try to draw like you but the water remove the ink and i lose the picture.. Thanks!

[@miklosnemeth8566]

Honestly, I totally love your sketche 14:00. I am pretty sure that Ian is one of the best, still, your style is close to my heart. 11:06 Having a look at this picture, the limited paletrte you mentioned is possibly an orange - blue - magenta splint complementary color scheme. Steven Reddy himself, too, reduces his palatte to typically a split complementary scheme. Actually, you use exactly the same color scheme as Ian, only the actual specific colors on that color scheme range are a bit different, but the scheme is basically the same. The other thing is that the diverding lines upwards is totally agains any perspecitive, still we don't see it off. The lines should be vertically parallel or converging, but definitely not diverging as drawn by Ian. In your version 11:16 your drawing is "correct" - no exaggarated upward diverging lines - in this regard.

[@KarinSebelin]

❤️👌

[@ELENAOttawa]

I’ve seen you sketch beautiful yet distorted art, but do you ever create “finished” cityscapes? Not quick sketches and drafts? Just curious where is this all going, exactly? Caricature perhaps or other fun direction? What’s the end goal you’re practicing towards? Thank you in advance! PS Asking, because my end goal is representational impressionist cityscapes and landscapes. Urban sketching seems to be the initial stage to develop the desired skills. But that means I must practice towards more realism and precision in my drawing and painting. Doesn’t look like your evolution is towards realism, so I’m curious about your own goals and ambitions. How it compares to mine.

[@SIMPLEARTSCRAFTS]

Cool! Hello! How are you? You have a very cool KZbin channel. Very cool work. You are a very talented person. May God keep you! I wish you and your channel success! May you have a million subscribers! You're cool! Cool! ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜 W0w!!!

[@deetee-uk]

Looks very complicated for a complete beginner

[@christineverploeg182]

I really enjoy your channel. However, Ian's website is a huge disappointment. I have registered for his Robinhood course and received a receipt for my payment, but am unable to access his course. Have tried everything. Have not received the emails that should have been sent. Was told my (correct) password was not correct, so asked to reset it. But have not received the link to do so. As I say, a big disappointment.

[@christineverploeg182]

I'm pleased to report the course has just popped up and I'm looking forward to giving it a try.