Toby Sketch Loose

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Sketch Loose: En Plein Air Urban Sketching Workshops
Join me for a variety of on-location sketching workshops in some of the UK's most inspiring towns and cities. These workshops are designed to help you loosen up your lines, simplify complex scenes, and capture the essence of a place with confidence and creativity.
Who is Toby?
I’m Toby — artist, teacher, and sketchbook obsessive. Through SketchLoose.co.uk and UrbanSketch.co.uk, I help people gain confidence with ink and watercolour, whether they’re just starting out or looking to loosen up their style.

My focus is on practical sketching with personality — thoughtful marks, lively scenes, not perfect lines.

Alongside online courses and videos, I run in-person workshops around the UK. When I’m not sketching, I’m usually talking about it — or drinking coffee somewhere I can sketch.

in person workshops

Available to book are a range of one day workshops, and two (or more) day retreats!

One Day Sketching Workshops

One Day Sketching Workshops

Join me for a relaxed, friendly day of urban or landscape sketching from 10:00 to 15:00, suitable for all levels. These are small-group workshops I run solo, and they’re all about drawing from life, building confidence, and enjoying the process—always outdoors (or in a cosy café if the weather turns). We keep it simple, focused, and fun.

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Weekend (or longer!) Sketching Retreats

Weekend (or longer!) Sketching Retreats

For something bigger and bolder, spend the weekend sketching with me and Colin Woodward, a brilliant Northern Irish artist who shares my love of expressive linework and loose watercolour. These weekends are action-packed—two full days of drawing, painting, experimenting, and exploring. Perfect if you want to immerse yourself in creativity and push your sketching further with the support of two tutors.

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Book Launch Special Event! 25th October 2025

Book Launch Special Event! 25th October 2025

To celebrate the launch of my new book, 'Sketching in the City'. I'm hosting a couple of workshops, and a drop in session in 'ArtSpace' Cambridge. The workshops will be 2 hours long, and very affordable. Whilst you are also welcome to come by in the drop in hours where I'll have a small exhibition up, and signed copies of my book available to buy.

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here are all the bookable courses

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Weekend Course

11-12 April 2026, Cotswolds Weekend Retreat

£200

Join Colin and Toby for a fun and invigorating weekend of sketching both indoors and en plein air in the amazing Lower Slaughter, near Cheltenham in the Cotswolds. An exact schedule will be released around 2 weeks prior to the event by email, but a typical outline is viewable below, including an optional Friday meet up, and activities all day Saturday and Sunday! We can’t wait to sketch with you!

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Book Launch

25th October 2025 10AM-12PM, 'ArtSpace' Cambridge

£20

To celebrate the launch of my new book, 'Sketching in the City', I'm hosting a couple of workshops in Cambridge. The workshops are two hours long, and during that time we'll go through a couple of loose sketching studies inspired by topics from the book. Signed copies of the book also available to purchase at the workshop.

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Book Launch

25th October 2025 2PM-4PM, 'ArtSpace' Cambridge

£20

To celebrate the launch of my new book, 'Sketching in the City', I'm hosting a couple of workshops in Cambridge. The workshops are two hours long, and during that time we'll go through a couple of loose sketching studies inspired by topics from the book. Signed copies of the book also available to purchase at the workshop.

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Weekend Course

6-7 June 2026, Mevagissey Weekend Retreat

£200

Join Colin and Toby for a fun and invigorating weekend of sketching both indoors and en plein air in the charming Cornish harbour, Mevagissey. An exact schedule will be released around 2 weeks prior to the event by email, but a typical outline is viewable below, including an optional Friday meet up, and activities all day Saturday and Sunday! We can’t wait to sketch with you!

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One Day Course

23 August - En Plein Air in Durham

£75

Join me (Toby) for a day of sketching in Durham. With amazing architecture offering us a lot of variety, we'll have loads of sketching opportunities. An exact meeting spot will be sent by email a couple of weeks before the event and we'll be intending to be outside the whole time - expect a mix of short exercises and longer scenes to boost your en plein air creative confidence!

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Course Full

11 August - London Kings Cross Workshop

£75

Join me (Toby) for a day of sketching in London. With amazing architecture offering us a lot of variety, we'll have loads of sketching opportunities. An exact meeting spot will be sent by email a couple of weeks before the event and we'll be intending to be outside the whole time - expect a mix of short exercises and longer scenes to boost your en plein air creative confidence!

previous workshops - here's what happened

St Neots June 2025

A beautiful day in amazing sunshine. Check out this blog post to read (and see) what we got up to!

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Lower Slaughter 2024

A four day workshop in the Cotswolds with an amazing and enthuastic group. Check out what happened in the VLOG linked below.

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Bath 2024 Weekend Retreat

Here is a 'behind-the-scenes' of a sketching weekend we Colin and I. Here we had 16 wonderful artists join us in the epic Bath. The link will take you to our VLOG.

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SketchLoose.co.uk
​If you're looking for friendly sketching courses, with hands on ​feedback on all your art. Then join my online courses on SketchLoose.co.uk!

contact

  • St Neots, Saint Neots, England, United Kingdom

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