Urban Sketching: Embrace the Unexpected
Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday!
In today's video, I’m sketching a coffee truck in Lisbon, on location, just outside the Botanical Gardens. I show you how I build the sketch bit by bit, starting loose and letting the drawing grow as I go. Unexpected, halfway through, the rain starts pouring. I get rained on, drops land on the paper, my ink bleeds. Instead of stopping, I keep going after finding shelter from the rain. And those imperfect moments become part of the memory.
That’s what urban sketching is all about: capturing what’s in front of you, even when it doesn’t go as planned. And it NEVER goes as planned - that's part of the adventure.
You’ll see the whole process, from pens to watercolor, and hear thoughts on staying loose, letting go of perfection, and embracing and enjoying what happens around you while you draw.
If you'd love to do this too (but with better weather!), come sketch with me in Spain this September! I’ll be teaching a travel sketchbook workshop where we’ll draw what we see, fill the pages with memories, and celebrate the joy of drawing in real life. Find out more and sign up here.
Materials used in this video:
Hahnemühle Nostalgie sketchbook, size A5
Sailor DeMannen fountain pen with 55° nib angle, filled with Platinum Carbon Black ink
Pentel Pocket Brushpen (with watersoluble ink cartridge that comes with it)
Daniel Smith Watercolors
Pentel Aquash Water brush
Your assignment this week:
Pick a moment from your day. Anywhere, any weather. And sketch it just as it is. Don’t wait for the perfect light, the right tools, or an ideal scene. Start with what catches your eye, keep going no matter what, and let the unexpected become part of your story on the page.
