13 Tips for Urban Sketching

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Take to the Streets With Pen and Brush

Urban sketching isn’t just about drawing buildings. It’s about life and capturing the vibrancy of that life between the pages of your sketchbook. Artists Cathy Johnson and Liz Steel both take to the streets to do just that and have learned tons of urban sketching tips worth sharing.

Take inspiration from their different points of view and be sure to claim your free paper sample giveaway from Winsor & Newton that will jump-start your next urban sketch.

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Steel doesn’t worry about producing a perfect image; instead, she looks for subjects that will get her “in the groove,” as did the scene for this depiction of an afternoon in Lisbon.
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Art in Motion

“People at work, play or repose” — that’s what catches Johnson’s eye when she is out sketching. “It’s about history and progress, opulence and urban decay. Teeming markets, public transportation, cafes, museums, jazz clubs, street performers — all are fair game.”

And if you don’t live near a major metropolis, don’t fear. “There’s no hard rule about what is and isn’t urban,” says Johnson. “Small towns have their urban areas, as do places I call ‘ancient urban’ — like the mission of San Juan Capistrano in California, Colorado’s Mesa Verde National Park or Pompeii.”

13 Ways of Urban Sketching

Discover 13 more urban sketching tips developed by Johnson to make your experience both productive and fun. Intrigued? Grab a sketchbook and take to the streets!

1 – Keep it simple

A pencil or pen, a journal or sketchbook, and a small set of watercolors are the go-to choice of many sketchers. Brushes and a water container, or a water brush, will see you through any sketching opportunity.

2 – Be prepared

If you don’t have your kit with you, you can’t sketch when the opportunity arises.

3 – Be flexible

Draw on a paper napkin with a borrowed ballpoint.

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“I often sketch in ink and wash when traveling,” says Liz Steel. “But drawing the elaborate details of a fancy Baroque building, such as Santa Maria della Salute in Venice, can easily become an never-ending task. So, instead, I started with paint, using a few watery washes for main shapes. I then painted windows and details with quick, decisive strokes. No need at all for ink!”

4 – Draw what speaks to you

5 – Ask permission

Let your sketching subjects know they are your impromptu subjects, if necessary.

6 – Be alert

Keep an eye on what’s going on around you.

7 – Keep a low profile

If you prefer not to be noticed, wear dark glasses or a broad-brimmed hat, or choose a position in a booth or against a wall.

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Sketching in a big city can be intimidating, says Steel, who nevertheless braved the chaos of sketching in New York City’s Times Square. “Sketching with a group can help build confidence.”

8 – Find a sketch partner

9 – Don’t worry about the end result 

Focus on learning to see what’s around you.

10 – Don’t shy away from mixing media

11 – Stop sooner rather than later

That way you don’t overwork a drawing.

12 – Embrace the rich, varied urban life

Not all urban sketchers are architects, and not all urban sketches are drawings of elaborately lined buildings.

13 – Sketch what you see

Don’t confuse that with what you think you see.

Bonus Tip: Get Your Sketch On at SketchKon

Love sketching? Who doesn’t?! Artists Network and Sketchbook Skool have teamed up to present the first ever SketchKon: a big, unkonventional konvention devoted to drawing, painting, creativity, and friendship with other art-loving individuals, just like you!

Join us for three, fun-filled days in Pasadena, California, Nov. 2-4. SketchKon will include visual presentations, inspirational talks, collaborative art projects, technical demonstrations, sketch crawls and one-on-one advice. So, if you live sketching, painting, drawing and art, then you just gotta come join us! Learn more and register here.

Open Your Sketchbook

Did you enjoy these urban sketching tips? Show us a page from your sketchbook! Share it with us on Instagram by tagging @artistsnetwork and using #everywatercolor.

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At Winsor & Newton, we’ve been creating the world’s finest art materials since 1832. Our introduction of Winsor & Newton water colour papers is testament to this commitment to art and science. All of our papers are made on a traditional cylinder mould at the paper mill, following a practice that dates back to the 19th century. But don’t listen to us, try it for yourself.

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Join the Conversation!

  1. Your 13 Tips for urban sketching are great. I will add another tip. I’m old. (the biblical three score year & 10 plus ten – yes!) NOW FOR MY ADDITIONAL TIP……. I carry a folding stool to sit myself down whilst I sketch. I’m too old to stand ……teetering from foot to foot. Lightweight, folding stools are not the comfiest sit-downs but adequate for a fast sketch while distracted by a most satisfying creative endeavour. Mary

  2. As a former Combat Artist with the USAF in Afghanistan, #6 is, to me, the most important. We call it SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. Cell phones, wallets, expensive sketch materials, cameras, all fair game. In the military we pride ourselves in the knowledge we’re protecting each others backs (watching your’6′), rare in the civilian world, but artists look out for each other – have a buddy with you, keep each other safe.

  3. Thank you for the sketching tips; they are very helpful and has calmed me down about doing this. Looking forwarded to free sample and do more helpful tips and guidelines.

    Thank you

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