Have you wondered how you can practice your watercolour skills but not in a boring traditional way? Well, check out these 5 gems to get you comfortable with those tricksy paints… 1. Make a Mixing chart Before you do anything. Make a watercolour mixing chart (see my post on how to do this here). Ok, …
5 Awesome Watercolour Exercises to Improve Your Urban Sketching Read More »
First things first, go and get a cheap exercise book with plain paper in it, like the ones that school kids use. They are cheap and you won’t mind filling the pages with nonsense – otherwise known as drawing exercises. In this post, we are going to go over a number of drawing exercises that …
One of the keys to a successful urban sketch is drawing elements in perspective. Perspective is a fundamental skill in drawing in which we can make objects on a 2D surface appear 3D. This makes the results of learning perspective super satisfying. Most urban sketchers are not slaves to perspective. We are not architectural illustrators …
Beginners Guide to Perspective for Urban Sketchers Read More »
In this post, we are going to explore 3 different ways you can experiment with the line and wash technique. By the end of this post, you will be inspired to try all 3 ways yourself, I’m sure of it! Combining ink lines with watercolour in one sketch is also known as ‘line and wash’. …
Ink & Watercolour Styles To Experiment With Right Now Read More »
Have you ever wondered how to create beautiful watercolour splashes and splatters to give your artwork that extra little something special? In this post, we will look at 3 different techniques of splattering watercolour paint, why water to paint ratio matters and how your choice of watercolour brush can affect the splatters and splashes you …
How to Create Watercolour Splatters and Splashes Read More »
As you have probably noticed, most urban sketchers seem to use ink and watercolour for their on-location sketches. The reason for this is predominantly because it is convenient. Watercolour paints are fairly low maintenance. Pull out your paints, get a brush and a little pot of water and off you go. If you have a …
What You Need To Know About Urban Sketching with Gouache Read More »
Using a limited a palette (especially when it comes to urban sketching) is an excellent strategy to combat certain issues that may otherwise spring up and take time away that could otherwise be used for sketching or painting. Putting a limited palette together can be super useful for people who feel they want more of …
How to use a limited palette for urban sketching Read More »
As of August 2020 I have released my very own illustrated book out into the world: Sketchy Adventures Around The World Volume 1. This book is a collection of my ink and watercolour illustrations from the last 3 years of my travels around the world. There are over 130 illustrations from 15 countries across 4 …
There are so many ways of sketching trees and which technique you prefer will depend on your style and the medium you prefer to work in. For example, if you work in pen and ink, the method of sketching a tree is going to be a little different to someone who wants to sketch a …
Have you seen urban sketches on toned paper? How great do they look? I tend to see urban sketchers use tan or grey coloured paper, a minimal colour palette and some form of opaque white medium, such as a gel pen to make certain parts pop. I absolutely love the look of these sketches so …
