The aim of this course is simple: to give you the techniques, ideas, and inspiration you need to take your sketching outside, en plein air. If you’ve ever thought sketching outdoors isn’t for you, hear me out.

Sketching outside doesn’t mean planting yourself in the middle of Times Square with a camping chair. It can be as simple as sitting in your garden, enjoying a coffee at your local café, or sketching the view from your holiday balcony. It’s about capturing little moments of daily life and making them your own.

This course is structured into three workshops that build your skills step by step:

Workshop One: Foundations and Practicalities
We’ll begin with the basics - what to pack, how to set up, and how to loosen up with simple garden doodles. From there, you’ll progress through structured challenges that gently build confidence, from quiet scenes to sketching more complex views. Each lesson includes a clear demonstration and downloadable references, so you can follow along with me on location or work from home.

Workshop Two: Creative Approaches
Here we explore the many ways outdoor sketching can look. You’ll try minimalist sketching setups, learn how to capture quick impressions outside and finish them later indoors, and discover the calm of sketching rural landscapes. This workshop is about flexibility and finding the version of outdoor sketching that suits you best.

Workshop Three: The Urban Environment
Finally, we’ll step into the busy city. You’ll learn how to handle curious onlookers, edit cluttered scenes into strong compositions, and develop creative strategies for tackling complexity. By the end, you’ll feel equipped to sketch confidently in even the busiest locations.

Throughout the course, we’ll visit a wide range of locations - London, Cambridge, the Cotswolds, St Neots, Sweden, and more - so you can see how these methods work in real situations.

And to make sure everything sticks, the course comes with downloadable handouts. These distill the key lessons, practical tips, and creative challenges into clear, easy-to-use guides you can carry with you wherever you sketch.