TRAFALGAR SQUARE

Trafalgar Square is the epicentre of London. An incredibly busy place with lots of people, lots of pigeons and lots of noise.

In other words, the perfect starting point for your urban quick sketching journey!

In this first workshop, you’re going to learn how Ian approaches and makes sense of a complex scene like this.

Then, starting at the water fountain you’ll work your way out, sketching the National Gallery, Nelson’s Column, the lions and the Church. By the end of this workshop, you’ll understand how Ian draws and integrates many seemingly unrelated structures into one visually striking scene that just flows.

PICCADILLY CIRCUS

In this second workshop, you’re going to discover how to channel the atmosphere and energy of one of London’s most iconic places into a really unique piece of art.

Starting with the statue of Eros, which is the focal point of this scene, we’ll work our way down the steps and build out the structure to the scene with our pens.

Then, we’ll work our way out and draw the two contrasting buildings behind; a very old building and a very new building with neon signs. And this is where you’ll really start to have fun, as you discover how to start playing with a scene like this!

Following Ian’s 3-Step Process, you will be surprised at what you accomplish from this thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining workshop.

CHINATOWN

Chinatown sits in the centre of London. Full of people, full of life and full of colour!

In workshop 3, Ian takes you on a wonderful journey through a surprisingly complex scene that’s layered deeply with colourful lanterns, lots of signage, beautiful Chinese writing and plenty of interesting things happening within the scene.

Watch, learn and allow yourself to be swept away with Ian in all of the intricate detail that Chinatown offers, until you end up with an abstract piece of urban art that expresses the energy, the buzz, and the vibrancy of a place like this.

This is workshop you won’t want to miss because it’s an opportunity to see first-hand how experts like Ian tackle challenging projects, especially when the clock is ticking.

TOWER BRIDGE

You’re in for a real treat in this workshop because Ian walks you through the steps to quick sketching world-famous landmarks, like this.

When drawing a structure that possesses the kind of character, history and the iconic shape of Tower Bridge, it’s important not to mess with it too much. However, through this special training you’ll get to see Ian’s approach and learn the steps for creating an instantly recognisable piece of art that’s still unique to you.

During this packed workshop, you’ll also learn how to invent colours that add excitement to your drawings. And you’ll discover how to use scale and depth to bring out the character, structure and shape of a building like this, while still paying tribute to its iconic status.

ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL

In Workshop 5, we look across the River Thames as Ian takes you through the steps for drawing this scene – which mixes together the modern structure of the Millennium Bridge, with the ancient structure of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

But it’s the colour that becomes the dominant aspect of this workshop. Ian takes you on an amazing creative journey, demonstrating how to incorporate a combination of playful colours into your work, such as yellows, golds, greens, pinks and turquoise and then contrasting them with the ‘real’ colours in the scene, to create depth.

You’ll then go in with the detail, referencing the relationship between the angles of the newer bridge which sweeps across the Thames to the old dome structure of St Paul’s. You’ll also get to watch and understand how Ian treats water, while learning the right way to incorporate reflections into your work.

SMITHFIELD MARKET

Unfortunately, Big Ben was wrapped up and in repair, so Ian selected Smithfield Market instead for its visually stunning facade, and its rich and infamous history, which dates all the way back to the 10th century.

In this workshop, you’ll be sketching the grand entrance to Smithfield Market while learning how to incorporate and simplify the intricate detail which draws you in; the statues, the dragons and all the beautiful bits of masonry work.

You’ll be using lots of local colour and learning how to match up those colours up to obtain different effects. You’ll learn how to break up space to make your work more visually exciting and you’ll discover how and why Ian picks out certain items to reference within his drawings. Finally, you’ll learn to use some artistic license to bring items into your picture that tell your story of drawing on location!