Watercolour On Location
Watercolour On Location
Achieve compelling results when sketching complex scenes out on location
Tell better stories, design eye-catching compositions, create sketches with lively colour and values,
and develop your own style of painting.
Enroll Watercolour On Location $249USD
Buy Watercolour On Location with Edges and Buildings – Urban Sketching Bundle – and save $140USD
Live Version of the course starting Wednesday 28 September 2022
Work through the course with a group of inspiring sketchers from around the world and
participate in 10 bonus live teaching sessions with Liz
Why learn Watercolour On Location?
Many sketchers feel comfortable sketching isolated objects at home,
but feel overwhelmed when they try sketching on location
The secret is to spend time thinking about story and composition before you start
In this course I’ll share how to:
• simplify and interpret complex scenes
• create lively watercolour sketches with strong values.
• sketch any scene, no matter how complicated,
• create a focus and work in a way that will strengthen it.
Does this sound like you?
“I’m unsure where to start, what to include and what to leave out”
“I don’t feel comfortable sketching on location and so often sketch from photos afterwards”
“My sketches feel flat and my shadows are often too harsh”
“I need help with skies, trees, water”
“I want to be faster and looser – my watercolour sketches always seem overworked”
Watercolour On Location has been designed to address these common struggles
Who is the course for?
Watercolour on Location has been designed for sketchers with some experience – with some general drawing and watercolour skills.
It’s built upon the concepts, skills and techniques developed in other SketchingNow courses – including Foundations, Edges and Watercolour.
In order to explore some new fun topics such as composition, mastering values, and capturing light, we need to have a working knowledge of how to draw basic scenes, look for important edges, and to know how to use our watercolour palette.
You’ll be part of an inspiring community of sketchers from around the world who will share their unique styles. You’ll never lack inspiration!
You’ll have lifetime access to an incredible gallery of sketches and ideas inside our virtual classroom.
You can use these techniques for any kind of subject matter (urban scenes or landscapes) and for a variety of different sketching styles.
I absolutely loved the course.
I wanted to sketch faster on location, more spontaneous and I think I’ve learned how to do that!
I normally blindly sketch whatever is in front of me that I like,
but I never asked myself “why am I sketching this?”I plan to take a few minutes longer selecting my scene so I can tell a better story.
Yvonne
How you’ll learn
• over 30 hours of step-by-step video lessons, each lesson building on the previous, so you can make steady progress in a systematic way
• theory sections that clearly explain the essential concepts so that you can apply to your own style and way of working
• downloadable PDF handout (including single-page Lesson Summaries) so you can quickly review the key elements of each lesson when you need it
• specific assignments designed so that you really understand and know how to use the concepts from the lesson – these can be done from the comfort of home, from photos or out on location
• multiple examples from Liz’s sketchbooks explaining how to use the concepts – including discussion of some less successful work and what she would do differently so that you can learn how to assess your own work in a positive and constructive manner
How our custom-designed classroom environment will help you learn
• specially designed private classroom with dedicated assignment galleries and forum so that you can connect with and be inspired with other sketchers from around the world who are working alongside you
• ability to ask Liz questions about the lessons you are working through so you can get help when you need it
• live Q&A sessions during Live Version – which will include reviews of student’s work, mini demos, bonus material and a chance to have your questions answered in real-time
• full transcripts for all video lessons so you can easily follow along
• lifetime access to all course content and any future Live Versions, Group Self-Paced event and bonus material so you can continue to learn as your skills grow
Enroll Watercolour On Location $249USD
Buy Watercolour On Location with Edges and Buildings – Urban Sketching Bundle – and save $140USD
Live Version of the course starting Wednesday 28 September 2022
Work through the course with a group of inspiring sketchers from around the world and
participate in 10 bonus live teaching sessions with Liz
This course has a tremendous amount of information to think through, practice, use again and again.
I could go on and on about what a wonderful course you have given to us, just amazing!
One of my big takeaways for this course was. Interpret the scene, the story that captures my interest and to keep light values light even if everything seems dark.
I just want to keep sketching for the sheer joy of being lost in the scene! Thank you, thank you!!
Lura
Course Outline
Introduction
- Challenges of sketching on Location
- Start thinking about your work (exercise)
- Essential Drawing Skills (exercise and drawing thumbnail challenge)
- Essential Painting Skills (exercise and shadow shape thumbnail challenge)
- Materials (exercise)
- Putting together an Urban Sketching Kit (exercise)
Lesson 1: Selection and Design
- Theory 1: How to select a story of a complex scene
- Theory 2: How to refine your story, simplify and position it on the page
- Theory 3: How to strengthen your story and create interest through design
- On Location Demo: Select, refine and design in a busy local area
- Gallery: Reviewing the design of some examples from Liz’s sketchbooks
- Exercises: Select, refine and design
- Plus Questions, Feedback, Takeaways and Bonus Material (this will be added to during each Group Run-through)
Lesson 2: Value and Colour
- Theory 1: How to see colour as value, create value studies and map light and dark
- Theory 2: How to convert value studies to watercolour and whether to work for light to dark, or start with the darks
- Theory 3: How to mix vibrant shadow colours, use colour temperature and colour dominance
- On Location Demo: Using values studies for a direct watercolour sketch of a light coloured building
- Gallery: Reviewing some examples which show how Liz modifies values to create lively sketches
- Exercises: Value studies exercises, shadow colour charts, capturing light, colour Dominance and more
- Plus Questions, Feedback, Takeaways and Bonus Material (this will be added to during each Group Run-through)
Review 1
Review of a selection of work from the group. This includes work from the 2019 first run, and will be added to during each future Group Run-through.
Lessons 3: Elements and Texture
- Theory 1: How to sketch anything – Liz’s research process
- Theory 2: An overview of Liz’s Elements books: Trees, skies, water, foreground, people, cars, boats
- Theory 3: How to incorporate elements into a sketch and how to control texture
- On Location Demo: Using values and elements for a harbour view
- Gallery: Reviewing some examples of Liz’s approach to sky, trees and water, plus how to fix an unsuccessful sketch due to too much texture.
- Exercises: Creating a collective elements resource and combining a number of elements in an outdoor sketch
- Plus Questions, Feedback, Takeaways and Bonus Material (this will be added to during each Group Run-through)
Lessons 4: Making Decisions
- Theory 1: How to start and decide what approach to use
- Theory 2: How to solve watercolour problems when sketching complex scenes
- Theory 3: How to make decisions on the fly about colour, values, composition, design etc
- On Location Demo: Two versions of a cityscape to explore how to sketch within a limited time frame and make decisions on the fly
- Gallery: Reviewing some examples of hard scenes and cityscapes.
- Exercises: Sketching timeframes, analysis of hard scenes, planned vs spontaneous sketching and an outdoor sketch of a cityscape.
- Plus Questions, Feedback, Takeaways and Bonus Material (this will be added to during each Group Run-through)
Lesson 5. Putting it all together
- Follow Liz around for a day of non-top sketching
- 8 different demos including morning coffee, complex buildings, shops, harbour view and more
- Lots of tips for sketching on location.
- Tips for finishing off sketchbook pages
- Plus Questions, Feedback, Takeaways and Bonus Material (this will be added to during each Group Run-through)
Review 2
Review of a selection of work from the group. This includes work from the 2019 first run, and will be added to during each future Group Run-through.
Materials
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the course live or pre-recorded?
Both! The course contains 30 hours of pre-recorded videos that can be watched at any time. When a Live Version is offered there will be live Q&A sessions for each lesson. They will be held at alternating times to suit everyone. (9am and 8pm Sydney time Australia)
Can I do the course at another time?
Yes! If you are not able to join in the Live Version, it’s still worth considering signing up now. You’ll have lifetime access to all the lessons and can work through the exercises at your own pace.
Can I sketch from photos rather than going outside on location?
Yes! This course was designed to help people achieve better results when sketching out on location but also contains lots of indoor theory exercises using photos. So even if you don’t go outside there is plenty in the course for you – using my photos.
It’s also totally fine to do the outside exercises using your own photos or using scenes at home (interior spaces, views through windows or in your garden).
Do I need to have any special social media accounts?
Everything you need to access the lessons, post homework and interact with others is contained within the SketchingNow classroom. The only exception is the Live Version Livestreams which will occur on Youtube. A YouTube account is needed to interact with the live chat but without it you can still watch the livestream and send your questions via email. Replays will be available.
What watercolour skills do I need for this Watercolour On Location course?
If you need instruction (or a brush-up) on the following topics, I would recommend you check out the Watercolour course first:
- knowing how to mix watery, juicy and pasty washes
- knowing how to layer (glazing) and work wet (wet in wet)
- understanding basic colour theory and mixing – achieving vibrant mixes and creating watercolour magic
- having your own palette of colours which suits your sketching at the moment
- knowing the difference between working from light to dark and starting with the darks.
Is there a schedule for the Live Version starting on 28 Sept 2022?
Yes, Please check out this page for more details.
Enroll Watercolour On Location $249USD
Buy Watercolour On Location with Edges and Buildings – Urban Sketching Bundle – and save $140USD
Live Version of the course starting Wednesday 28 September 2022
Work through the course with a group of inspiring sketchers from around the world and
participate in 10 bonus live teaching sessions with Liz
All SketchingNow courses come with a no-questions-asked 30-day money-back guarantee
I learned how to decide on story and I’m now careful to leave out what doesn’t help the story.
I learned how to research something I don’t know how to draw.
Previously I always thought I had to take a workshop on each element, so you’ve saved me lots of money and time!
And I also I learned how to use a grey scale and a thumbnail to determine where the lights and darks go.
I have always wanted to learn how to do that! Now I do.
Vivian
Free Intro Lessons (available for a limited time only)
In the lead-up to the Live Version of Watercolour On Location starting 28 Sept 2022
I’m sharing some of the videos from The Introduction section of the course for free.
Sign up here
