Combine loose ink sketching with watercolor to create beautiful buildings that leap off the page
Architectural sketching is a wonderful way to truly experience a place, discovering new details in each glance. Renowned storyboard artist Alex Hillkurtz finds a sense of fulfillment in discovering the hidden corners of the city that sketching allows. You can find some of his storyboarding work in films like Argo, Almost Famous, and It’s Complicated, among many others.
In this course, Alex will show you his approach to capturing the depth and feeling of a place using watercolor and ink and translating that onto your page, because it’s one thing to depict a scene accurately and another entirely to portray the character and mood of a place. Learn to sketch and use watercolors to infuse your paintings with new life.
Content
- U1Introduction
- Introduction
- Influences
- What we will do on the course
- U2Preparation
- Presentation of Materials
- The Basics of Perspective
- Creating Dynamic Compositions
- Where are the Vanishing Points?
- Finding the Horizon Line
- U3Production
- Creating Textures with Color Washes
- Color Mixes
- Choosing the right view/picture
- Creating a Thumbnail Sketch
- U4Putting it All Together
- The Pencil Sketch
- Sketching with Fountain Pen and Ink
- Watercolor! The First Wash
- Watercolor! Shadows and Details 1
- Watercolor! Shadows and Details 2
- Watercolor! Shadows and Details 3
- U5Variations of Style and Presentation
- Style and Finding your Voice
- Work presentation
- FPFinal project
- Architectural drawing with watercolor and ink
This course starts with an overview of how Alex has been influenced by his past experiences and you’ll take a look at a collection of artists who have influenced his traditional approach to painting. He also shares additional resources, images, and links to books.
In the next unit, Alex presents all the materials you need for architectural sketching with watercolor, as well as tips on where to find the best art supplies. He also gives lessons on linear perspective and composition, so you have a solid foundation moving forward.
Learn the foundational techniques you need for a lifetime of successful watercolor sketching. Start slow with washes of color, then move on to mixing colors. These may seem like basic techniques, but when combined they give you everything you need to create beautiful paintings.
Next, apply all you’ve learned about composition, perspective, and color mixing to create a painting of a beautiful Parisian building. Alex explains how to capture light and shadows to create a stunning architectural watercolor piece.
Finally, Alex shares some final thoughts on finding your own voice, as well as tips on how to care for and preserve your watercolor paintings.
What is this course’s project?
You will create a finished painting using watercolor and pen, which depicts a beautiful building leaping off the page with light and shadow.
Who is this online course for?
This course is for watercolor artists, urban sketchers, professional illustrators, and anyone who would like to improve their architectural sketching and watercolor techniques.
Requirements and materials
Alex guides you through everything you need to know, so no previous experience with watercolor sketching is needed. He also provides some reference images and invites you to use your own images as well.
As for materials, you need a sketchbook, pencils, three different watercolor brushes (one round, one flat, and one mop), an ink pen or a fountain pen with waterproof ink, paint, and a few other painting basics that Alex reviews in detail throughout the course.
