Mediums: Ink & Watercolor
Level: All levels welcome
Class Dates: Thursdays, January 29-February 19, 2026
Time Times:
• 3:00 pm-5:00 pm Pacific Time
• 6:00 pm-8:00 pm Eastern Time
• 11:00 pm-1:00 am UK Time
Don’t let the cold months ahead dampen your nature sketching and painting habits. Grab your sketchbook and join Jean Mackay for inspiration and techniques for sketching both inside and out throughout the winter. We’ll consider ideas for winter subjects and practice techniques for sketching with ink and watercolor. This class will help you keep a regular painting practice going through the winter. No jacket or gloves required.
Week 1: Bare Branches- Winter is the perfect time of year for observing and sketching trees. We’ll focus on capturing tree forms and shadows and how to use negative shapes to your advantage as we paint birch trees in winter.
Week 2: Snow Buntings- These “snowbirds” present a good opportunity not only to practice painting birds, but also to focus on how to capture white subjects and subtle details. Snow buntings breed in the high arctic and winter in Canada and northern parts of the U.S. where you may catch a glimpse of small flocks along the roadside or feeding in open fields or crop lands with grain stubble.
Week 3: Artful Details- Make a fun illustration of your art supplies. Because it can be hard to get outside to focus on nature subjects all winter long, we’ll sketch what’s right in front of us. You’ll find that there’s real value in sketching everyday objects for learning different textures and techniques.
Week 4: Natural History Museum- Take a virtual trip to a museum where you can discover an incredible wealth of subjects and work in warmth and comfort. We’ll focus on combining a variety of subjects into a cohesive composition.
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