Class Details

Ages 16+ – $350/semester
Monday Evenings, 4p-6p – 10 classes total
Sept 14-Nov 16, 2026

What is it? 

• It’s all about storytelling: Think of it as creating a visual journal of your travels and daily life without needing a camera. 
• “En plein air” vibes: Basically, we’re taking the art studio outside into public spaces to document the world around us. 
• Total creative freedom: You get to decide what’s important! Choose exactly what you want to show, how you want to show it, and what you’d rather leave out. 
• Super social: You won’t be alone! You’ll be learning and sketching alongside a friendly group of fellow creatives. 
• Cool subjects: We’ll practice sketching everything from local buildings and moving people to the very spaces you spend time in. 
• The perks: It’s a fun, low-pressure way to build your drawing and painting skills while making new friends and keeping an awesome visual journal. 

Monday evenings from 4-6pm. 

One hour in the studio and one hour out and about! 

Tentative Syllabus: 

September 14: Introduction to Urban sketching and overview of techniques for capturing scenes in varying mediums, choosing the right spot, and how to create engaging compositions. *Sketching Location outside SBDAC 

September 21: Overview and crash course in atmospheric and linear perspective. *Sketching location: TBA 

September 28: Basics in human proportion, and combining human proportion with linear and atmospheric perspective *Sketching location: TBA

October 5: Crash course in basic color theory *Sketching location TBA

October 12: class Critique and media exploration *Sketching location TBA 

October 19: Sketching location TBA-class critique

October 26: Sketching location TBA-class critique

November 2: Sketching location TBA-class critique 

November 9: Sketching location TBA-class critique 

November 16: Last class/Show and critique!

SUPPLY LIST: 

*Multimedia sketch pad: at least 90lb paper (The heavier the better) 

Size varies, I like working larger, so 8 ½ X 11 or 9 X 12 Hard cover 

*Set of waterproof ink pens or an ultra fine sharpie and a fine tip sharpie *small ruler 

*Pencils (Mechanical is good to keep you from having to sharpen in the field)

*small tupperware container to hold water 

*small set of pan watercolor paints 

*White gel pen

BIO:

Melissa Phelps is a local artist whose path has evolved from working in commercial art—including graphic design, marketing, and illustration—to art education.  It was as a teacher that she was able to share her passion for visual communication and creativity with high school and college aged students.  Throughout her 25+ years career of teaching, she also raised her own children and has maintained an active studio practice, exploring diverse 2-D mediums like watercolor and acrylic, producing murals, portraits, and narrative illustration. Her love for traveling has led her to “urban sketching” where she learned to keep a visual diary of her trips and the people and places she has been.