All tagged urban sketching

How I Sketched This Italian Scene

Join me in Orvieto, Italy, for a coffee and sketch date in this Draw Tip Tuesday episode! I sketch at Piazza del Popolo, using ink, watercolor, and colored pencil. I'm capturing buildings, people, and dramatic skies. I share tips on using negative space, adding color for light and shadow, and working quickly when sketching on location. This spontaneous drawing session shows how fun and doable urban sketching can be. Want to sketch together? I’m teaching a workshop in Spain!

Summer Sketching Tips and Travel Drawing Ideas

Traveling with others can make it tricky to find sketchbook time, but even five minutes a day can turn moments into lasting memories. In this post, I share tips for drawing while on the go, how to communicate your creative needs, and a free downloadable guide for Patreon members. Sketching isn’t extra, it’s part of how you travel.

Filled in Just One Week!

Join me for a double sketchbook tour from two creative workshop weeks in Lisbon. See how I filled two accordion sketchbooks with maps, bold brush marks, café scenes, and colorful experiments. From market sketches to a citywide power outage, every page tells a story. I share tips, prompts, and a pro tip to help you build a daily drawing habit.

Thinking of joining a travel workshop? Now’s the time: Spain and Paris are coming up. Don’t wait for “someday”!

How I Use My Sketchbook While Traveling

Join me for a sketchbook tour filled with travel sketches, playful experiments, and everyday moments. From Oslo to Lisbon and beyond. I share how I make time to draw while traveling, how I got out of a creative rut, and how trying new materials keeps things fresh. You’ll see ink, watercolor, gouache, and more, plus get a fun assignment to try in your own sketchbook. If you're looking for drawing inspiration and sketchbook ideas, this video’s for you!

What to Pack for Travel Sketching

Traveling this summer? Pack smart for sketching on the go. Learn which sketchbooks, pens, and inks are best for location drawing, plus get tips for flying with art supplies. Keep your sketch kit lightweight without leaving behind your favorite tools.

Wonky Lines in Lisbon

Join me for a relaxing sketching session in Lisbon, where I draw one of the city’s charming pink kiosks at Príncipe Real Park. Filmed during a day off between teaching two urban sketching workshops, this Draw Tip Tuesday video shows how I build up a scene using pencil, watercolor, and colored pencil - embracing imperfections along the way. Watch the process unfold, and get inspired to fill your own travel sketchbook. Next workshop coming up: Paris Sketchbook! Join me!

Urban Sketching: Embrace the Unexpected

Urban sketching rarely happens under perfect conditions—and that’s exactly what makes it interesting. In this urban sketching tutorial, I draw a coffee truck on location in Lisbon. Rain starts to fall, ink smears, and I keep going anyway. Watch how I build the sketch step by step, embrace the imperfections, and let real life shape the page. This is what on-location sketching is all about.

Pro Tip: Use Boxes to Sketch What Catches Your Eye

Feeling overwhelmed by a blank page? Try this sketchbook tip: draw boxes first. Use different formats: landscape, portrait, round, and fill each one with a small sketch or note. It’s an easy way to tell a story, one box at a time. Keep your tools consistent for a unified, creative page.

Urban Sketching Tip: Don’t Color Everything

Want to make your urban sketches more vibrant without coloring everything in? In this Draw Tip Tuesday, I show you how using less color can actually make your drawings stronger. It's all about making conscious choices: what to highlight, what to leave out, and how that tells a clearer story. I sketch two musicians in Spain and share tips on simplifying a scene, creating focus with color, and letting go of perfection. Plus, I share a little teaser about my upcoming Costa Brava workshop with The Blue Walk this September. Tune in for sketchbook inspiration!

Drawing with Just One Color! Here's What Happens

Discover the power of drawing with just one color! In this Draw Tip Tuesday, I’m using a Sailor fountain pen with water-soluble ink to create a monochrome drawing. This minimal setup is perfect for sketching on location or at home. Learn how focusing on contrast, light, and shadow can simplify your drawing process and make your artwork even more striking. You might be surprised by your results.

Want to Get Better at Drawing People?

Struggling with stiff figures, slow sketching, or capturing movement? My “Let’s Draw People” workshop helps you loosen up, draw faster, and make your sketches more lively. These are a few demo drawings from my live classes. Want to improve your people-drawing skills? Join my interest list to be the first to know when the next session opens! Let’s draw people together!

Travel Sketching - What to Pack

Want to know what art supplies to pack for travel sketching? Keep your sketch kit lightweight and compact while bringing everything you need. In today’s video, I share travel sketching essentials, urban sketching tools, and packing tips to avoid overpacking. From sketchbooks and pens to watercolors and a sitting mat, I cover it all. Plus, a pro tip: skip the 'just in case' supplies!

Why Fewer Art Supplies Make You More Creative

Feeling overwhelmed by too many art supplies? Try limiting your tools! In today's Draw Tip Tuesday video, I use just three simple tools to show how constraints can spark creativity. With fewer choices, you focus on the essentials and make bolder creative decisions. See how it works, then apply what you learned by following the assignment!

Tip To Get Out of a Creative Funk

Are you in a bit of a rut?

Or do you inspiration but don’t know where to get it? First of all - don’t worry. We’ve all been there - staring at a blank page, unsure where to begin.

Here’s a simple trick to get started: draw frames first.

Drawing Lisbon: a week to remember

Last year in Lisbon, my sketchbook came alive with memories—busy pastelerias, calm gardens, and inspiring moments. Teaching Capture the Lisbon Wow with my friend Cynthia Morris was a dream, and even on breaks, we couldn’t stop sketching.
If this seems like a fun adventure to you, join us for a magical week of drawing, exploring, and creativity this April!