Sheffield Beginner Urban Sketching No Leaning Walls

Sheffield Beginner Urban Sketching No Leaning Walls runs at 49 New Rd on Saturday 24 October, a session for anyone who's ever wanted to draw the city but didn't know where to start. The title gives away the main thing you'll be working on: getting your walls to stand straight. It's one of those basic hurdles that trips up almost everyone starting out in urban sketching — you spend half an hour on a building only to realise it's tilting at a precarious angle, and the whole thing looks like it's about to slide off the page.

That's exactly what this is for. It's a beginner's session, so you don't need to be coming in with a portfolio under your arm. The focus is on the practical side of urban sketching: how to look at a street scene and translate it onto paper without the perspective going wonky. If you've spent your time drawing from photos or in a studio, sketching out in the open is a different beast entirely, and having someone show you the ropes makes a world of difference.

It's a short one, too. The session starts at 20:30 and runs for about an hour, so it's something you can fit into a Saturday evening without it taking over your whole day. It's an easy way to dip your toe into sketching without committing to a full-day course or a long-term class.

It's held at 49 New Rd, Sheffield, S61 2DU, and costs £40. If you've been meaning to pick up a sketchbook and actually use it, this is a good place to start.