Plans and layouts. Tricks and techniques for sketching 'the view from above'
Speaker: Anna Ribo
Date: Monday 10 November 2025 (previously 27 October 2025 - rescheduled)
Time: 15:00 - 18:00
Please note that this event will be recorded and will be made available to delegates after the event. For more information on recording and privacy please click here. Once you have booked onto the event an invitation register to the Zoom meeting will be sent via email, including information on how to join the meeting.
Overview
This course focuses on tricks and techniques for exploring different styles and ways of communicating your ideas to your clients via your plan drawings.
We will explore how to make a variety of pen and pencil marks, look at ways of capturing textures, surfaces, different styles of planting and adding shade. And we will look at depicting the character of plants. There will be exercises to improve your confidence and you will be encouraged to explore different styles to find one that sits comfortably with your ideas. While there are conventions for graphic symbols, there is scope for creativity within these. We will look at adding colour but also simple graphic sketches. The aim of the course is to give you the courage to explore different styles and to have the confidence to present your ideas to clients using hand drawn sketches.
Hand drawing can be more expressive than a computer drawing and being able to quickly sketch ideas allows you to explore a space and to be creative. With a bit of practice, you will be able to quickly sketch out ideas while on site when your ideas are fresh to refer to later. It is also a very useful skill to be able to sketch an idea when with clients.
Materials:
You will need pencils, fine liner pens, paper, a scale ruler, compass, circle templates and your preferred form of colour i.e. watercolours, coloured pencils etc. This course can be done as a stand alone or with Anna's other CPD sketching courses (Sketching plants, sketching in colour, perspective) but please note that it will not go into specifics about how to paint with watercolour, please refer to the colour course for this.
This course is aimed at beginners to intermediates and anyone who feels they need a little new inspiration.
Anna Ribo is a planting designer, garden advisor and gardening and sketching teacher. She used to be head gardener at the gardens at Long Barn but now focuses on her own practice and projects as well as offering sketching lessons 1-1 and in small groups and freelance planting plans for other professionals. Her work is unashamedly plant based