Quick Café Sketch in 5 Minutes

Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday!

Yes, you can capture a café scene quickly and loosely.

Let's sketch a barista in just a few minutes, using a water-soluble pencil and a simple waterbrush.

It's not about perfection, but about energy and flow. Let's go.

Today, let's focus on simplifying shapes into confident lines, and adding light washes for depth. Choose to leave out details so the drawing stays fresh and alive.

You can draw in a café or work from a photo, the process works the same way. A few squiggly lines are often enough to tell the whole story.

Materials I used

• Hand-Book Journal, 8.25”x5.5”

• Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer Watersoluble colored pencil

• Pentel Aquash waterbrush

Your assignment this week:

Go to a café, make yourself comfortable, and do a quick 5-minute sketch of the barista. Sure, 10 minutes is also fine! Just don't fuss over details, don't slow down.

Work fast, leave out the details, and focus on shapes and movement.

Pro tip!
Simplify what you see into shapes and marks. The viewer’s eye will fill in the rest, which keeps your drawing lively and helps you work with confidence.

Grab a coffee, open your sketchbook, and enjoy this sketch date.