Sketchloose – Line and Mark Making

I started this in February 2026 and I had not completed it before starting my first workshop with Sketchloose later that month – talk about being unprepared!
The course is at a beginner’s level and as well as Toby talks you through each exercise when it comes to actually doing the sketch and applying the watercolour, it is probably similar to asking someone to do brain surgery after watching a how to do it video on YouTube, but without the jeopardy.
I must admit I usually made several attempts of each challenge before I was happy to post my work back for Toby’s comments.
Toby must either be writing at such speed that the computer cannot keep up with him or he is doing his reviews at 2am, or his spelling is simply atrocious; I think it is the former! Once you have deciphered his response, his comments are spot on and positive. What I like about his reviews is that he is not training you to copy his style but point out things that will make your version better.
The course is not just about sketching an urban scene, I sketched a seagull and a coastal line as well. This makes you think a bit more than just doing rectangles and straight lines; I liked this aspect of the course.
This is a good little introductory course to sketching and as daunting as it was at the time, I could see progress in my work though I don’t think I have improved much since!
My course work is below; this is largely just the work submitted. I have several pages of draft castles, pubs and seagulls.