New course: Drawing with Style
Develop your own illustration style, one subject at a time.
I thought that drawing with “style” was supposed to come naturally, and because it didn’t, I assumed I just didn’t have the talent.
I’ve decided to create the drawing course I would have loved when I was starting out.
For years, I could draw photo-realistically, but I longed to draw more playfully, from my imagination. The trouble was, every time I tried, it looked nothing like what was in my head. It felt impossible.
Then something shifted: I realised I’d been trying to figure it all out on my own, because I thought that drawing with “style” was supposed to come naturally, and because it didn’t, I assumed I just didn’t have the talent. So I hadn’t really tried to learn.
But here’s what I now believe:
Everyone can develop a unique, stylised way of drawing by exploring, experimenting, and practising regularly - with guidance. And I’d love to be your guide to help you find your way of drawing stuff.
So I’ve planned an illustration adventure: a short series of online workshops starting on the 6th of October 2025, where we’ll explore a different subject each week, but always with your personal direction in mind: that sweet spot where what you love overlaps with why you want to draw. That’s your compass.
We’ll look at things like shape, line, exaggeration, texture, emotion, and character. And as we travel together through the Land of Illustration, you’ll fill up your backpack with techniques, experiments, discoveries, and sketchbook treasures to help you develop a style that is unmistakably you.
This series is for anyone who is eager to enjoy drawing and build a unique visual language through playful detours and mad experiments, but always travelling in the right overall direction. You don’t need to know how to draw realistically. You just need to be curious and ready to make some marks. Each session will help you focus, try new things, and rediscover the fun of drawing.
We’ll explore six themes, starting with the plant world to grow our confidence (yes, I’m cringing too), and ending with landscapes, so our characters have somewhere to live.
This is the very first round of the course, so things may shift as we go. That’s part of the adventure! You’ll be part of a small, intimate group helping shape the future of this series, and it’s currently included in Scribble Club membership: just £4 per month or £12 for the full 8 week course.
Each live session will last around 1.5 hours. If you join live, you’ll get instant feedback and can ask all your burning questions. But if life gets in the way, don’t worry, each session is recorded so you can catch up anytime.
There’ll be a bit of homework (because I’m a mean homeschooling mother), but nothing scary - just some playful prompts and reminders from the course pack to help you keep exploring. They are opportunities to play with what you’ve learned and make it your own.
I’m not claiming to be a perfect or wildly successful illustrator - rather, I am an enthusiastic illustrator who is working toward my goals and enjoying a style of drawing that is comfortably my own. (That’s my idea of success!) So I would like to help others by passing on some of the stuff I’ve discovered for myself.
This also means that as I continue to learn and change, this course will too! So I’m planning to run it once a year until I can develop it into a fully fledged video course on Skillshare or something… We’ll see where it flies off to, but for now, would you like to join me in some fun trial and error, where we embrace the joy of drawing together?
What to Expect
Drawing with Style is a 7-week online illustration adventure (plus an exciting bonus expedition!) designed to help you build your own playful, expressive visual language, one subject at a time.
Each week (except during our mid-course rest stop), we’ll gather around the virtual campfire for a live 1.5-hour workshop on Google Meet, where I’ll guide you through:
Checking your compass: We’ll keep bringing the focus back to our own personal direction, so that no one gets lost in the weeds.
Making some discoveries: We’ll experiment with all sorts of materials, tools and techniques, and see which ones light your creative fire. (Sorry. I need some better metaphors…)
Wilderness survival training: (I’m still being metaphorical - please don’t try this in the wild.) This is where I teach you everything I know about creative drawing, simplification, character, exaggeration, and all that stylistic stuff.
Sharing snacks: Anything extra, like sharing inspiration, chatting about our discoveries, and a chance to ask questions or share your thoughts around the fire. (I’ll bring the cookies, you bring the marshmallows.)
In between our weekly campfires, you’ll be encouraged to keep exploring. You’ll receive a course pack to guide you through each subject, with room to reflect, experiment, and collect all your discoveries. Think of this as your map through the Land of Illustration, guiding you down sketchbook detours, taking you sightseeing, and helping you chart your own creative route as you go. Or something like that. I might be stretching the metaphors a bit…
Each week, your map will prompt you to:
Gather inspiration: Use your metaphorical binoculars to seek out inspiration from other artists. Really study and think about their work so that it sparks ideas, but also put pen to paper: create master-studies and take notes.
Get your hands dirty: Try out your own tools, techniques and materials in new ways, and draw the subject of the week using the references provided or - even better - from real life.
Grow your visual database: All that scribbling, inspiration and note-taking will help you build up a library in your head of your own way to draw all the things.
Push the boundaries: There are always more rules to break and boxes to think outside. You’ll be encouraged to keep pushing and keep playing to make new discoveries.
You’re welcome to share your creations with the group, or just with me - I’ll be offering personal feedback via email or WhatsApp, whichever you prefer.
Each subject brings another landscape to explore - new challenges, possibilities and opportunities - and part of the fun is seeing how you interpret them in your own evolving style.
Cost and FAQs:
Cost & Membership Details
The Drawing with Style course is currently available exclusively through The Scribble Club, my paid subscription, hosted on a platform called Substack (think blog-meets-newsletter-meets-Patreon. If you sign up before 1st October 2025, it’s just £4/month or £40/year, and that price stays locked in for as long as you keep your membership active. So if you only want to join for the course, it’s just £12 for October to December.
Your membership gives you full access to:
All live workshops and recordings
The Drawing with Style course pack: your trusty map on this adventure!
Personal feedback from me via email or WhatsApp
Our cosy community space for sharing work and encouragement
Plus all other Scribble Club goodies: drawing prompts, tutorials, behind-the-scenes posts and more… all you might need for your illustration journey.
You’re very welcome to join just for the two months of Drawing with Style. I won’t guilt you into staying, I promise!
That means you’ll get the full 7-week course (plus all the Scribble Club perks) for just £8 if you join before 1st October. Not bad for a whole creative adventure!
Not sure what Substack is?
It’s a simple platform where I post all course materials, bonus content, and links to our live calls. You get new posts straight to your inbox, but you can also log in and browse everything on a private, members-only webpage - like our own, secret creative library.
If you're curious but hesitant, just get in touch and I’ll happily set you up with a free 1-month trial of The Scribble Club. That way, you can explore the clubhouse, peek at the archives, and decide whether or not my voice annoys you before committing. 😉
FAQs
Who is this course for?
Anyone who wants to develop their own illustration style in a relaxed, playful setting! You don’t need to be able to draw realistically. Whether you’re a beginner or have been drawing for years but want to loosen up or rediscover joy in your style, you are welcome.
What are the dates?
Our first live call is Monday the 6th of October at 6pm GMT+1. Then:
13th and 20th of October,
3rd, 10th and 17th of November,
Bonus call on the 8th of December.
What if I can’t join the live calls?
No problem! Each session will be recorded and shared with the group, so you can watch anytime. You’ll still be able to send me your work and receive personal feedback.
What materials will I need?
Nothing fancy! Just bring paper or a sketchbook and whatever you like to draw with - pencils, pens, crayons, pastels, ink, that crusty old paint that’s been sitting in the attic for years… You’ll be encouraged to try new tools and techniques during the course, but you can use whatever you have lying around.
What exactly happens each week?
Here’s a quick overview of the themes:
Week 1: Nature – Plants, leaves, flowers, trees… a gentle start and a great way to explore shape, rhythm, and texture.
Week 2: Buildings – We’ll look at structure, perspective (don’t panic!), and geometric versus organic styles - all while simplifying with shapes.
Week 3: Animals – Vertebrates and invertebrates, flying, crawling, or trotting. All creatures great and small will get simplified and stylised.
Week 4: Rest Week – Time to put into practice, reflect, catch up, or just nap.
Week 5: People – This could be a whole course in itself, but we’ll keep it simple! Facial features, personality, and poses. No pressure to get it “right” - we’re here to push limits and discover new things.
Week 6: Gadgets – Think inventions, vehicles, technology… lots of opportunity for creativity in character, shape, and movement.
Week 7: Landscapes – Putting it all together! Literally setting the scene for your characters to live, roam, or adventure.
Bonus Week: A Surprise – In early December, we’ll meet one more time to put everything we’ve learned into practice with a fun creative challenge. It’s a light-hearted way to explore the overlap between stylised drawing and symbols, and you’ll come away with a potential portfolio piece that can fit into any illustration field.
You’ll get all the exciting details during the course!
How much does it cost?
The course is included in Scribble Club membership, which is my paid tier on Substack. If you sign up by the 1st of October 2025, it costs £4/month or £40/year.* You’ll get access to all the workshops, recordings, personal feedback, and community space, plus all other Scribble Club perks. You’re welcome to join the Club just for the two months of Drawing with Style.
What if I feel a bit nervous about sharing my work?
That’s totally okay. There’s no pressure to share publicly. You can send work to me privately for feedback, or just keep it to yourself. This is a supportive space: no deconstructive criticism, just encouragement and helpful suggestions.
Will there be a next round?
Probably one per year. But I’ll be tweaking and improving it based on this one. So if you want to join the founding group (and get the lowest price it’ll ever be), now’s your chance!
*Scribble Club prices go up in October 2025, but if you join before then and keep your membership active, your price stays the same forever.
