During this class, Alice will share her intuitive and mindful approach to sketching in the woodlands that surround her home in Scotland. The techniques that Alice uses could, of course, be applied to any natural landscape and are particularly useful for wild seascapes and tangled gardens!

Alice will share her favourite materials, take us through her process from a blank sketchbook page to finished drawing and show us how her sketchbook work has inspired the illustrations in her picture books.

In the second part of the class, we will get sketching, applying and playing with the layering techniques that Alice uses to sketch outside. We will be working from a range of woodland images provided but please feel free to use references from your own woodland wanders!

This is a really useful workshop for all creative diciplines and experience levels with a range of helpful and approachable techniques and advice for getting started with sketching outdoors.

 'Spending time outdoors in nature has become central to my creative practice, shifting my whole approach to work as well as my illustrative style. There is so much I love about drawing outdoors but one of my favourite things is the mental quiet that it ushers in. Rooted in the landscape with my mind, focused on the surrounding colours and shapes, I feel my swirling thoughts soften and still.'

• Printable references and materials list.
• A recording of the two hour live class 
• Unlimited access

• Watercolour paint OR watercolour Ink
•  A range of coloured pencils
•  A sketchbook or cartridge paper pad
•  A Posca pen in white or beige 
•  A few round pointed paintbrushes approx size 8 or 10 OR a waterbrush pen
•  A water pot

What people are saying:

'I wanted to thank you for organizing such a lovely presentation... Alice Melvin was brave, charming, open, knowledgeable, and helpful. 

I so very much appreciated her sharing her difficult journey, and of course, in particular how it changed her art. Her sharing of pages in her many sketchbooks and how she works was so very insightful.

While this workshop was organised differently from your other workshops it was inspiring in a different way and, in addition, we all love a good discussion of art materials, which she was so willing to present in detail.  Of course, I've now gone out and bought new colour pencils and a few Posca pens to try out, thanks to her!  I also loved her book, Mouse's Wood, and will be buying it for my grandson for his birthday' 

- PAMELA