DRAWING ON
NATURE
COURSES

Learning inspired by nature

This collection of courses is curated for those who appreciate our natural surroundings and love replicating it in your art! We call upon Mother Nature not just for inspiration – but to teach us what ‘realistic’ truly means as we pursue our artistic adventures.

More courses will be added to this page, and in various collections of topics. Feel free to weigh in on the discussion at Artventure with what you’d like to learn; I’d love to know what the community wants to learn to draw or paint!

Sandy Allnock, instructor

A Year of Nature Journaling

Dedicate yourself to a year of learning from Mother Nature, close by where you live!

In 2026, monthly wash-and-ink video lessons plus 3 pictorial lessons will guide you through ways to collect references, design pages, and tackle seasonal subjects that you find in your own neighborhood. Lessons will be released in “real time” as Sandy creates them; once 2026 is over, the course will be available for new students but not updated. (Although watch her social media since Sandy’s always painting and drawing things!)

If you’d like to try just one season, tap through to the one you’re looking for, as these are offered separately too.

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Nature Journaling: Winter only

Explore your chilly, frosty, or snowy surroundings and capture precious details in your sketchbook.

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Nature Journaling: Spring only

Get outside and sketch the buds and blossoms that show up in the area where you live!

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Nature Journaling: Summer only

The heat of summer brings all kinds of subjects to the foreground – and it’s often a great time to sketch outside with pen, brush and paper!

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Nature Journaling: Autumn only

Changing colors, migration of birds, and cooling temperatures can make a cup of tea your best companion for fall sketching.

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Standalone courses that are not part of a series:

Phenology Wheel 101

Join Sandy and Marion as they teach you the ways of daily nature journaling! Whether for a month or a season or a year, learn to study your local environment and create a gorgeous piece of art at the same time.

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Tree-Mendous Sketches

Get out your alcohol markers and learn to draw leaves, trees, and tree-scenes. You’ll study deciduous trees of all types, and learn a method to study those near you as well!

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Powellswood Sketches

Virtually visit the Powellswood Gardens near Sandy’s home, and learn how simple wash-and-ink sketching can be! Explore flowers, greenery, creeks, and more in a simple style.

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Wildflowers I

Use your alcohol markers to sketch freeform wildflowers!

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Wildflowers II

A sequel to part 1 – more beautiful wildflowers, but in bouquets!

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Watercolor Bouquets

Get out your alcohol markers and learn to draw leaves, trees, and tree-scenes. You’ll study deciduous trees of all types, and learn a method to study those near you as well!

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Drawing on Nature: Animals and Fur

Learn to draw 10 animals with alcohol markers and pencil together…plus a bonus black bear to make it 11! Each is taught in real time, showing techniques to draw from photos and layer colors to make wildlife come alive. 

The total cost is pricey but the lessons are each about $27; they can be purchased individually for $34.99 each; scroll through this slider to choose from all 10. (The bear is only available in the complete course.)

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Drawing on Nature: Fox

A fuzzy young fox kit will teach you techniques to make fur change from rusty to grey to white and back again. Create this drawing from a reference photo, observing carefully the value changes across the animal’s body. Taught in alcohol markers and colored pencil.

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Drawing on Nature: Goat

Who doesn’t love a goat?  This friendly little guy is looking UP so we’ll talk about ways to make each part of the body “separate” from the others, and create layered fur that looks pettable! Taught in alcohol markers and colored pencil.

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Drawing on Nature: Beaver

Learn to draw a beaver with dark, wet fur! Learn to create tips to wet clumps of fur using pencil details, but retain the depth of the color at the same time. Taught in alcohol markers and colored pencil.

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Drawing on Nature: Fawn

A relaxed, resting fawn chills out in the sunlight – and you will too as you learn to build up colors. You’ll even find out what color those white spots REALLY are! (Spoiler alert: not white!) Taught in alcohol markers and colored pencil.

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Drawing on Nature: Wolf

This curled up sleeping wolf has varied colors in the fur – which can be hard to notice until you’ve begun assessing the reference photo for a drawing! Learn to create various types of fur, following the direction it flows. Taught in alcohol markers and colored pencil.

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Drawing on Nature: Rabbit

Create a sweet grey rabbit that just glows in the sunlight! Learn to balance the richness of color in shaodws while preserving the dawn light illuminating the fur and ears. Taught in alcohol markers and colored pencil.

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Drawing on Nature: Mouse

An adventurous mouse is climbing to new heights in this course! Learn to draw him realistically, creating shadows in the white underbelly that will surprise you – and undulating muscles that will make him look like he’s climbing off yuor paper! Taught in alcohol markers and colored pencil.

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Drawing on Nature: Duckling

A waddling mallard duckling will win your heart with yellow feathers that turn into a pale brown then boom right into black – amazing transitions that create a striking realistic look. Taught in alcohol markers and colored pencil.

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Drawing on Nature: Chipmunk

Learn to draw a realistic tiny chipmunk! You’ll be hiding your picnic lunch from him as you discover how to create his fur with an undercoat of marker and detail in pencil on top. Create a tinted glow around him to let the white fur pop! Taught in alcohol markers and colored pencil.

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Drawing on Nature: Lamb

A cuddly soft lamb will steal your heart! Learn to handle white fur with ease in this course, creating a “curly” look, and creating great dimension even on a white animal! Taught in alcohol markers and colored pencil.

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