Who is this course for?

This course is designed for anyone who wants to loosen up their ink sketching and stop overworking their drawings. You might be a complete beginner, or you might be an experienced artist looking to simplify complex scenes and find a more expressive style.

Unlike my foundational courses, this one dives deep into specific concepts like the continuous line, economy of line, and using composition to map out your page. You will get feedback on your art from me as we work through these ideas together.

The paid courses are designed to work together and not overlap. While there is naturally some overlap in the fact that we are using a pen, this course is uniquely focused on building your confidence to do less on the page while saying more. If you are eager to embrace a looser style and start experimenting bravely with your linework and subtle ink washes, this is for you.

What supplies are suggested?

For most of this course, I use beginner-friendly supplies, but you will notice I have a particular love for fountain pens! We cover tools in more detail later, so there is no need for an exact shopping list right now. However, here are some broad guidelines for what you will need.

Supplies can often be a source of anxiety - rest assured, there is nothing you NEED for this course except for pen and paper. And if you have any questions, send me an email: toby@sketchloose.co.uk

• Firstly, pens ... you will need one of either:

  • A fountain pen: This is my personal tool of choice. Fountain pens are wonderful because a single pen can give you a huge variety of marks. You can get light, scratchy lines (sometimes just by flipping the nib upside down) and bold, juicy lines simply by changing your drawing speed or pressure.

  • OR Alternative pens: If you do not use fountain pens, that is absolutely fine! You can just use a fine pen (like a 0.03mm or 0.1mm fineliner) for your light, searching lines, and a bolder pen (like a 0.5mm or 0.8mm) for your structure and deep shadows.

• Water-proof ink: You can find exact examples of this on the supplies tab above. Most fine liners are water-proof anyway, whilst if you are using a fountain pen you may want to invest in some fountain pen safe ink.

• Water-soluble ink: Standard fountain pen ink is naturally water-soluble, which is perfect for the wash techniques we use in this course. If you are using waterproof fineliners instead, try to have a basic rollerball pen or some watercolor pencils on hand for the ink wash experiments.

• Paper: A sketchbook with decent-quality paper that can handle a light wash of water (e.g. 150gsm minimum)

• A brush: A simple wet paintbrush (or a water brush) to activate your ink. Specific size is absolutely not important.

There are no hard rules here. This course is not about having the perfect kit; it’s about making the most of what you already have. There’s no need to buy anything new, just bring your current materials, your curiosity, and a willingness to experiment!

Is there a time limit?

There’s no time limit on this course. Work through the lessons at your own pace, and feel free to revisit any part of the course as often as you like to refresh your memory on a specific technique.

Sharing your art and getting feedback

Part of the fun of art is learning through sharing, receiving feedback, and taking the time to reflect on your progress. For any questions and sketches relating to the course, the best place to post is right in the comments section underneath each specific lesson.

Keeping feedback focused

I keep my feedback in the lesson comments specifically focused on the aim of that exact task. This ensures the comments and advice stay relevant and useful for everyone reading through the course. That means I provide the most detailed feedback on the scenes I have set, and the tasks I have set.

While I absolutely love seeing your own personal scenes and side projects, I cannot provide full, detailed feedback on everything outside the scope of the course. The scenes have been selected for specific reasons, to fulfil certain learning goals, and it's important that I know the scene well to be able to provide feedback. If you have personal sketches you would like to share, I highly suggest using the reflective lessons at the end of each workshop. This is the perfect space to share your outside pieces, which helps keep the main lesson pages encouraging and easy for everyone to follow.

When to expect feedback

I usually go through and provide feedback on a weekly basis. Sometimes I am able to jump in more often, but please note that if I am on holiday or dealing with family matters, my replies may be delayed. I really appreciate your patience during those times!

If it has been a while and you think I might have accidentally missed your sketch, please do not worry. Just reply to your own comment or post it again, and it will ping me with a fresh notification so I can take a look.

Common FAQs and where to find answers

👉 The big FAQ list!

👉 View the supplies I use most often

👉 How to log in and find your course dashboard

👉 How to post your photos and get feedback

👉 My photos are too big to post, how do I make them smaller?

What is the quality of the videos?

All videos are available in full HD or 4K quality.

To make sure you're watching in the best resolution, click the ⚙️ settings icon in the bottom-right corner of the video player and select the highest quality available (1080p or 4K).

If the video looks blurry or out of focus, it may be due to a slow internet connection, so try adjusting the quality manually using the settings menu.