Sketching on location can be nerve-wracking particularly if you don't know where to start. Through the advice and support given in this course, I'll ease you into finding your feet and enable you to grow comfortable sketching out on location.

You'll be introduced to Cornwall's wild and rugged landscapes alongside quaint Cornish fishing towns. You'll come along with me as I sketch around the lizard peninsula's coves and Porthleven's harbour town. I'll share tips and ideas for capturing details, buildings and landscapes.

If you think sketching is just using a graphite pencil on paper then you're missing out. Sketching can be expressive, lively, and bold! In this course, I'll be sharing a range of mediums that you can use to capture the landscape around you in a dynamic and fresh way.

"I'm a serial workshop and online course goer and I've got to say this is one of the best I've been on in a long time...

We came to the sketch walks and wow there was a lot of wonderful content here with Mel showing her approaches before timed drawing to follow along.

This was a dynamite session I really loved it. It was like hanging out with Mel doing some sketching, marvellous."

"To say that I have loved every second of this beautifully filmed and written course would be underselling it!

From the very first lesson, I was hooked.

It is a resource that I will consult again and again and it has brought out a style in my sketching (thanks to speeding things up a bit) that I didn't know I had."

"I've not done a lot of outdoor sketching, but this course has given me the confidence to do so.

The structure of the tuition is so good. The sketch walks are such a unique experience. You can walk the coastal paths, see the towns and explore the landscape along with Mel, then do the same scenes yourself in the timed sketch sessions.

It's been a wonderful experience and I feel I'm ready to go outside and sketch!"

"I was excited to join this course because I love Melanie’s dynamic and colorful sketches, loose and free and full of life.

I found this course to be very useful. It’s beautifully filmed and of course Melanie’s soothing voice helps to see the beauty in the simplest surroundings.

Melanie introduced the usage of various materials that I didn’t have in my sketch-kit before and I think those are exactly what I need to create sketches that I want to achieve.

Really enjoyable course!"

"For a beginner like myself, it can be very overwhelming to draw outside when there is so much visually to capture. Mel's warm up exercises were super helpful. 

I'm also really loving the timed drawing exercises. I especially love them as companions to Mel's sketch walks, so I can first see how she approached a particular sketch and then take time to do it on my own. 

Seriously, this all may seem basic but as a beginner, I really appreciate it. It has helped me to loosen up and relax when I'm sketching."

"This course will definitely benefit me over the coming months when I get to practice more and comeback to review. 

I can say straight away the best moment was the zoom class. I am already a fan of Mel's and can say decisively that her voice/advice and encouragement is perfect. 

The live-action video stills are wonderful too as they give an authentic taste of sketching outdoors. 

Overwhelming response is positive"