{"id":1644,"date":"2022-07-23T14:46:11","date_gmt":"2022-07-23T14:46:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/urbansketchingworld.com\/?p=1644"},"modified":"2024-02-26T15:06:27","modified_gmt":"2024-02-26T15:06:27","slug":"get-faster-at-urban-sketching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/urbansketchingworld.com\/get-faster-at-urban-sketching\/","title":{"rendered":"5 BEST Strategies To Get Faster at Urban Sketching"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It’s an issue that comes up time and again. How to find time for urban sketching<\/strong> (which I have a specific post on here<\/a>) and how to get quicker at sketching<\/strong>. Many people don’t have 2-3 hours on a regular basis to commit to urban sketching. And if they do, they want to achieve more than one sketch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have somewhat made my peace with the fact I am a slow sketcher and that one sketch will take me 2 hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, there are scenarios where I am travelling and I am with other non-sketchers yet I want to sketch as much as possible and I don’t have hours and hours to spend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have found the following strategies have helped me sketch quicker and capture more when time is of the essence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How to get faster at urban sketching<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first thing we need to talk about is expectations<\/strong> and managing them. You simply cannot produce what you can in 2-3 hours in the space of 30 minutes. It\u2019s just not possible. Simply speeding up your tempo of sketching is not going to help, it\u2019s not what the issue is. It has taken me a long time to understand this.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Certain styles<\/strong> lend themselves to speed. Quickly painting blocks of watercolour and adding a bit of line work over the top is ALWAYS going to be quicker than a carefully rendered architectural drawing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just a quick interruption – if you would like a structured course that guides you step by step to sketching quirky ink and watercolour scenes then my course Sketch Your Adventures<\/a><\/strong> will be right up your alley. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you would like to chat and ask questions then just drop me a line taria@urbansketchingworld.com<\/a> – my passion is to encourage everyone to start their own sketchy adventure and then help guide you along it any way I can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Strategies for Faster Urban Sketching<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Overview<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here’s a summary of the strategies we are going to look at in this post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Draw on site and paint later.
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  2. You don\u2019t have to draw everything.
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  3. Loose contours drawings
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  4. Sketch directly in watercolour and add some defining lines over the top in ink or watercolour pencil
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  5. Negative space
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  6. Bonus strategy…read to the end to see! <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    Draw on site and paint later<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Urban sketcher John Harrison draws everything on location, however, he told me in this interview<\/a> I did with him, that he adds his watercolour later at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This makes sense having seen John\u2019s work (check out his Instagram here<\/a>). He has a very distinctive way of painting. I think this is a great strategy. It means John only has to carry his sketchbook and pen when he goes out to sketch the Yorkshire landscapes he is surrounded by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Phil Dean (a.k.a Shoreditch Sketcher)<\/a> is another urban sketcher who often uses this strategy. He tends to draw on location and then adds colour with alcohol markers later. Again, this makes sense rather than carting a whole bunch of markers around with you at all times. This could become a little cumbersome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    By the way, Phil has two books on the matter of urban sketching, one called Urban Drawing (which you can find here<\/a>) and the latest one (which will be released in the UK in Autumn 2022 and the US in March 2023) is called Urban Watercolour (you can find it here<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Some urban sketchers are very strict about their sketches – what they do on location is what they do and that\u2019s how the sketch stays. That\u2019s fine but that\u2019s their personal rule. Don\u2019t let this put you off doing whatever is most comfortable for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you would prefer to draw on location and then add colour later from either a photo, your memory or even your imagination, then do that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    You don’t have to draw everything<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    If you want to sketch quicker, forget drawing the entire scene in front of you. What\u2019s most interesting to you? Are you sat in front of a cool building? What makes it interesting to you? Is it one particular section? Just draw that. Forget the rest of the building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    A post shared by Taria\u2019s Sketchy Adventures (@tarias_sketchy_adventures)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>