Etchr is an online art supply company. I’ve been following them since I began my watercolor journey just a few years ago, and I’m pretty sure they were brand new at the time. They have quality, innovative items. Their thinking-outside-the-traditional-box-products continue to make an impression on me.

Recently they started twice-weekly online demos with popular artists doing a sort of paint-with-me tutorial… 1 hour zoom sessions, free to those who can catch them, then available on Youtube (Also free: go search them. Go. I’ll wait. They have a pretty impressive group of offerings. But come back, don’t forget about me)

(piped in elevator music while we wait. And here is a picture of my dog for you to enjoy.)

(And my messy house. Okay, everyone’s back, let’s continue.)

Each artist offering the free demo also has a 90 minute mini workshop you can purchase from Etchr… a live zoom session 300 people can participate in, which is recorded, so each person can refer to it multiple times… and if the class is sold out, we can also just buy access to the recorded video.

FOR FIVE DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS.

I’m serious. These are some internet icons, too… and a bunch of really good artists I just unfamiliar with because my scope is limited. $5.50. Did you get that? FIVE. DOLLARS. And change.

So… I have purchased a few and have been waiting for the workshop dates to arrive. Today was my first one (though I think they’ve been going throughout 2021), with an artist named Paul Kelley. “Urban Sketching with Ink and Watercolor.” Oooooh… that does sound like something I’d like! And I did.

My video cut out partway through… I could still hear but had no idea what he was doing which started to hinder my successful participation, so after about ten minutes of struggling, I logged out and back in (reboot is always the answer, right? But I’m always too stubborn to try it right away) But it was really fun AND I LEARNED STUFF. So, win all the way around.

Here is the reference photo we used (Except I didn’t really, I just mostly did what Paul Kelley did as he did it …with the exception of those *ten critical moments in the middle, when I was more or less on my own.)

*My computer’s issue, not Etchr’s

Here is what I ended up with after about an hour of work:

Mine didn’t come out quite as I’d hoped, and I didn’t see some things accurately on the tiny photo I tried to access on my phone (again my fault not Etchr’s) but I learned a lot of things and am really happy with my attempt. I feel much more prepared for my next urban sketching session.

We used only three colors, and a pen, and no pencil sketch first. I actually prefer to sketch in pen, but sometimes am not brave enough to do, and I find myself wanting such perfect lines. Learning to make something nice without perfect lines was really good for me.

You can find this workshop at Etchrlab.com, and lots of others, too. I am not (yet!! ha!) affiliated with Etchr, although I own a lot of their products, and plan to review their Perfect Sketchbook soon. (Spoiler alert IT IS, INDEED, PERFECT!!)