In-person Nature Journaling and Art Courses
£95.00
Painting Nature in Derwent Inktense – Part II (4 weeks)
Wednesday 7th to 28th May, 2 – 4pm
Umborne Bridge Studio, Colyton, EX24 6LU
Derwent Inktense is a fantastic medium for creating artwork both indoors and outdoors. Bright and vibrant, Derwent Inktense pencils are similar to watercolour pencils, except they dry permanent like ink. This 4-week, in-person course continues from the popular “Painting Nature in Derwent Inktense” and you will need to have done this course first, either at Umborne Bridge Studio, online here or by following the exercises in this guide. Derwent Inktense pencils will be provided for you to use during the class, though do bring your own if you have them.
The course schedule is as follows:
Week 1: Wednesday 7th May 2025, 2-4 – Tonal studies – development. Remember the tonal studies from Week 2 of the previous course, using just one, two, or three colours? We will look at developing this idea – this time working from life. Paint a range of natural subjects such as shells, pinecones, fruits, seed pods etc. Focus is on recreating shape, form and depth using one or two pencils only.
Week 2: Wednesday 14th May 2025, 2-4 – Botanicals – development. We will look at accurate depictions of leaves and/or flowers in a step-by-step layering process. Demonstration will be provided in the first half hour, showing exactly how I work on these subjects, then you have the rest of the session to try it yourselves.
Week 3: Wednesday 21st May 2025, 2-4 – Your Inktense project Part 1. Based on a nature, landscape or animal photograph (either one of your own, pet photos welcome, or one of Alex’s bird or landscape photos – new ones!), we will begin a two-session painting project. Individual guidance will be provided.
Week 4: Wednesday 28th May 2025, 2-4 – Your Inktense project Part 2. In this class you will continue your project with continued individual help and guidance.
This course is held at Umborne Bridge Studio, Unit 1 Dolphin Street, Colyton, Devon EX24 6LU (apart from on the dates given above). The course price is £95 including all materials (paper to keep, Inktense pencils to be used within the session only.) Payment can alternatively be made by cash or BACS transfer and a deposit or instalment option is welcome, please email me to discuss.
How to Draw Nature (4 weeks)
Thursday 16th to 30th October and 6th November, 2 – 4pm
Umborne Bridge Studio, Colyton, EX24 6LU
This course focuses on fundamental drawing skills to improve your nature-focused arwork or nature journaling. We will focus our attention on drawing accurately using graphite, confidence with line using ink, and colour and texture with coloured pencil. This course is best suited to those with some previous art experience (a previous class/course or two will be fine) although relative beginners will be welcomed. The first 20 minutes of each class will be a demonstration of that week’s skill with discussion of common pitfalls. All relevant art materials will be provided for you to use during the class, though do bring your own if you have them and you’re welcome to use your own sketchbook if you prefer this to the provided loose paper.
The course schedule is as follows:
Week 1: Thursday 16th October 2025, 2-4 – Plants. Fundamentals of accurately sketching plants. We will be working with autumn leaves, noticing the differences in shape and autumn berries, seeds and nuts to work on tone, texture and three-dimensionality. All sketching will be in graphite pencil.
Week 2: Thursday 23rd October 2025, 2-4 – Shells. This week, we will look at building colour using a collection of shells, rocks, fossils etc. The demonstration this week will focus on how to blend with coloured pencil. Coloured pencil will be used for this class.
Week 3: Thursday 30th October 2025, 2-4 – Birds. This week, we will focus on confident mark making using photos of birds in a range of postures. A discussion and demonstration relating to bird anatomy and drawing convincing birds will begin the session. You will then work in graphite followed by fineliner and perhaps even a little coloured pencil (if time!) to advance your favourite drawings in the page of sketches.
Week 4: Thursday 6th November 2025, 2-4 – Animals. This final week is all about animal sketching, creating convincing tonal graphite drawings of rabbits, foxes, deer, and badgers in different postures. We will work in coloured pencil on toned (coloured brown, grey, blue, or green) paper. The demonstration this week will show how to work in colour on this type of paper to produce effective nature drawings.
This course is held at Umborne Bridge Studio, Unit 1 Dolphin Street, Colyton, Devon EX24 6LU (apart from on the dates given above). The course price is £95 including all materials (paper to keep, other materials to be used within the session only.) Payment can alternatively be made by cash or BACS transfer and a deposit or instalment option is welcome, please email me to discuss.