Sketching European Castles & Fortresses

Castles and fortresses have drawn artists for centuries, and it's easy to see why: the silhouette, the towers, the way the whole thing is perched on a cliff, rising out of an outcrop, standing over a plain. You look at one and your imagination wanders off into another century.

And then you want to sketch it, but you're not sure where to start. You've sketched architecture before, you know how perspective works — and this thing still looks far too complicated to take on.

That's what these six weeks are for: the techniques you already have, this time on breathtaking buildings and views.

Six fortresses, six challenges

Castles and fortresses from across Europe, one at a time.

Each one sets its own problem. A fortress that isn't one building but halls, towers and walls added over centuries, each turned a different way. A silhouette that reads from across the valley and falls apart the moment you start drawing it. A wall climbing a slope, taking the horizon with it.

How it works

Each session begins with the reference: what makes this one worth drawing, where the difficulty is, which techniques work here, and how to approach it. Then a step-by-step demonstration — pencil, ink, then watercolour in several passes, each stage shown and then drawn together — with personal guidance and feedback throughout.

Recommended experience

You don't need to be good at these — you need to have met them before:

• One- and two-point perspective
• Light, dark and midtone values
• Basic watercolour: flat washes, gradients, wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry

If some of it has gone rusty, that's fine — we'll refresh as we go. If most of it is new, start with our Architectural Sketching course; you'll get far more out of this one afterwards.

Six evenings, six sketches, all materials provided.