Essential Techniques for Sketching the Energy of Places (DVD + Streaming)

Start with how to select your scene and draw believable crowds with proper proportions. Next, Jim will share his urban sketching tips for breaking down large buildings into basic shapes and textures. Ready to tackle placing and drawing trees, cars and other urban features with confidence? Let Jim be your guide. Then, bring your work to life as you discover how to illuminate your sketches with watercolor washes and use opaque colors to refine the details. Jim will even help you use a step-by-step process to avoid being overwhelmed by complex city scenes.

NOTE: If you’d like to purchase only the DVD for this class, you may do so through this link. (Please note, any class PDF materials are not on the DVD itself. You must have streaming access to download those materials associated with the class.)

Drawing People in the City (19:50)
Public spaces wouldn’t exist without people. Learn some basic building blocks for drawing believable people and crowds. Learn proper proportions and understand how to create a sense of depth within a crowd using your eye level line, diminishing size and overlapping. Learn a quick shorthand for capturing people on the move.

Buildings as Backdrop (20:52)
Learn to draw large impressive buildings without getting overwhelmed by the architectural details. Follow along as Jim takes you through drawing Denver’s Union Station by first breaking the building into basic shapes and then simplifying details into a visual texture.

The Entourage (20:52)
The entourage is the supporting cast that brings visual energy to a scene. In this lesson, learn to draw trees and cars step by step. Then, look for elements that are unique to your city or space. Plus, learn how to position elements within your frame to better serve the drawing.

Adding Color (22:36)
Color can really bring your sketches to life. In this lesson, you’ll learn to make strategic decisions about where to add darks and colors. Use watercolor washes to create a vibrant look to your drawing. Then, refine the details with more opaque colors.

Hitting the Streets: On Location (19:03)
In this lesson, hit the streets and put it all together. Get over your fears about sketching in public as you join Jim on Denver’s 16th Street Mall. Learn helpful hints and tools and get tips on determining where to start. Plus, get a step-by-step approach to bringing a lively city scene to life.

As an artist, James Richards crosses many creative boundaries. His work has been shown in numerous exhibitions and he’s a designer, an author and an Urban Sketchers correspondent. Jim’s book Freehand Drawing and Discovery won a National Honor Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects. He also teaches urban design and drawing at the University of Texas at Arlington as well as in international workshops.

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No, you do not. Every DVD purchased on Craftsy.com includes both the physical DVD in the mail and unlimited on-demand streaming access at Craftsy.com. These benefits are yours with or without a Craftsy membership.

Are DVDs included in a Craftsy Membership?
No, they are not. DVDs can only be purchased on an individual basis and are not included in Craftsy memberships. For non-members, DVDs are a flexible way to purchase only the classes you love best. For members, DVDs are a great choice to build an at-home library you can keep forever and enjoy any time, with or without Internet access.

Do you ship internationally?
Yes, we do ship most physical products, including DVDs, to several International destinations. In addition to the USA and Canada, we ship to Australia, Brazil, India, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, and most Western European countries. If you live outside these countries, you can still purchase digital items including memberships, individual streaming classes, and pattern downloads.

Do your DVDs work on international players?
Yes, our DVDs should be compatible with any DVD player in use today. All our videos have been created with all current Region Codes (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8). If you have trouble viewing a DVD purchased from Craftsy.com, please contact Customer Service.

What is your return policy?
We want to be sure you’re satisfied. If you have trouble playing your DVD, if the content is not correctly presented on the DVD, or you are dissatisfied with the content of your class, we will work with you. Contact Craftsy customer service via email or phone. Upon your request, and upon your return of the DVD to us, we will refund your purchase price or send you another DVD to replace a damaged or incorrect DVD, whichever is your preference. If you do receive a full refund, your streaming video class will also be removed from your Craftsy account, so on-demand video access will no longer be available to you.