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What’s Inside This Free Guide to Urban Sketching?
Are you new to the urban sketch scene or want a refresher on the fundamentals? Well, the free Urban Sketching 101 guide covers everything there is to know, including what it is, where to go and starter techniques and tips for the urban sketcher on the go.
From finding that perfect location to getting your sketch just right, this ebook is filled with the information you need to make all your sketching adventures successful. Read on for a sneak peek into what’s all included.
What is Urban Sketching?
Drawing our life stories seems to be a universal part of human nature, going all the way back to prehistoric man in caves. At Artists Network, when we talk about urban sketching, we don’t put the emphasis on anything city-centric. Instead, we focus on sketching in urban sketching as a creative and fun activity — a way to capture the people, places and things around us — in our sketchbooks.
You can urban sketch in your car, your backyard, on a mountaintop, in the hustle and bustle of a city and in the mall. What’s more, you can use the art materials you choose, and your sketchbook can come in any shape or size.
What urban sketching really is, is making sketching a daily part of your life, so that your creativity and your art-making becomes folded into all that you do. When you look through the pages of your sketchbook, you see your explorations, memories, creative moments and artful adventures all in one place. A diary of your artistic journey.
Where to Urban Sketch?
Since urban sketching is a great way to connect with others, you can most likely find urban sketcher groups in your hometown and definitely in most major cities — with more forming every day. There are free sketching outings, organized weekend workshops, and sketching conventions and symposia that bring you and the sketching community together.
You can also find a community of urban sketchers online. Social media groups come together on various platforms, with sketchers from every corner of the world sharing their work and covering every possible subject.
Need an idea for your next out-and-about sketching exploration? Try starting with a museum! You can find an array of interesting and professionally displayed subjects. Be sure to travel light, most museums only have room for standing — and typically only permit pen and ink.
Why Should You Become an Urban Sketcher?
What could make you feel even more present in a moment than capturing it in a sketch? Certainly not snapping a quick photo or selfie and moving on. With urban sketching from life, you get to tell a story in the moment, recording your own unique artistic impression.
Give it a try! You can achieve a freshness, a direct impression that can’t be replicated any other way.
How to Urban Sketch?
For starters, knowing which materials you want to use is easy. Basically, choose some of your favorites, and go, go, go! From choosing a favorite art journal, to working with watercolor or just pen and ink, find what works with your needs, and get to sketching.
But if you need a little help with your material selection, this ebook has you covered. From an assortment of art journals to various media and brush pen choices, Urban Sketching 101 is filled with suggestions.
Mix materials together, and don’t worry about whether your drawing is “right.” It’s more important to capture a focus. What do you want a viewer to see? Start there and work out.
And, once you have your supplies packed up and ready to go, here are a few key urban sketching tips to keep in mind:
- 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.
- Be prepared: If you don’t have your kit with you, you can’t sketch when the opportunity arises.
- Be flexible: Draw on a paper napkin with a borrowed ballpoint.
- Be alert: Keep an eye on what’s going on around you.
- Sketch what you see: Don’t confuse that.
But Wait! There is SO Much More to Explore!
If you enjoyed this inside look of Urban Sketching 101, then be sure to enter your email below to start enjoying all this free download has to offer! From a general overview, material recommendations, and tons of techniques and tips, this urban sketcher’s guide has you covered. Download your free copy now, and get to sketching!