Urban Sketching: What You Can Learn from Sketching in Public

Poulomi
23 hours ago
5 min read

Sketching in public or on the streets can be fun! The joy of visiting a café with a cup of coffee by your side and quietly sketching the crowd is truly special for all urban sketchers.

Although some artists might feel self-conscious in the beginning, with consistent practice, they’ll take urban sketching as a pleasant activity. Plus, urban sketching has better lessons to impart, ones that you cannot afford to miss.

This blog will walk you through all the lessons that you can learn while trying to master the art of urban sketching. If you’re not looking for a café to get your artwork done, you can refer to other fine locations mentioned in this blog. Before all of that, let us talk about…..

What is Urban Sketching?

Urban sketching is sketching the life that one sees around in a public place or a specific location. It is different from the traditional studios that need a proper setup, like a canvas, palette, easel, and others.

The subject of urban sketching could be strangers in a café, a commute, a park, and everything in between. The concept of “urban sketching” is really old, as artists in the past often drew portraits or buildings either as a pastime or to upskill themselves.

Nowadays, creators can be found urban sketching random strangers with simple ball pen art while travelling, surprising them later with their candid pieces. Painters also prefer urban sketching with watercolours, which is tricky on the paper, or may use something as simple as a pencil to have their final sketches ready.

Best Spots for Urban Sketching

Sketch In a Café

Urban Sketching In a Café — **Sketch In a Café**

Urban sketching is best done in places that invite people, and the ideal destination is a café where people come to chat, work, or simply enjoy their food.

You can choose to draw people busy with their laptops or the soothing ambience of the café if you are looking to capture the static life around you. In case you’re ready for a challenge, why not have a quick sketch of someone dropping in for a takeout coffee?

You can also try urban sketching the cup of tea or the latte on your table, or the beautiful view from the café window.

Sketch on the Beach

The beach is one of the most beautiful destinations to relax and unwind with your family and friends. It is also a great place for an artist to urban sketch people sunning themselves, reading a book, or simply enjoying the weather.

Such still moments allow artists to slow down and enjoy the creative process rather than trying to sketch running kids in a jiffy. In case you prefer capturing movements, a beach volleyball game can be your choice.

Have a walk and see if you can find shells or seagulls on the beach that can be the ultimate inspiration for your urban sketches.

Sketch in the Airport

The waiting room in an airport is the place where you can breathe life into your urban sketches. Artists in the contemporary world prefer telling a story through their artworks by capturing snippets from the scene right in front of them.

You can also include their thoughts in speech bubbles to make the picture narrate an interesting tale. Travellers waiting to board their planes are almost non-moving, reading a magazine, and capturing these moments can be a source of pure joy for the artist.

Sketch in the Park

Sketching in the park with fresh air and greenery all around is the perfect getaway for most artists. Plus, if you can have an interesting conversation with someone interested in your art, then the fun will be amplified.

Try urban sketching trees and flowers, with watercolours, without judging yourself on how it may turn out at the end. You’ll feel fresh and enjoy your time with art and nature by your side.

What You Can Learn from the Art of Urban Sketching?

Overcome Fear in Sketching in Public

Urban sketching can be challenging if artists are intimidated by the idea of drawing in public. People are often curious, and they feel interested whenever they spot an artist outdoors.

While some might be complimenting the artworks, others might scrutinise a lot. The artist under such a scenario feels the pressure of being under watchful eyes, which makes them feel self-conscious.

However, if you look carefully, sketching in public can equally be an exciting affair, as that constant scrutiny will help you in getting things done. You’ll be motivated not to leave your artworks half-baked, and that is what makes these contradictory feelings all the more adventurous.

Overall, make your fear stronger than your passion for art so that you feel confident in what you do.

Expand Your Observational Skills

With urban sketching, you draw what you see, which empowers your observational skills. If you learn to work faster, employ mixed media, and use stronger compositions, your artworks will reflect your power of observation.

Depending on the time that urban sketchers have, they’ll have to make choices on what elements to keep and what else to ignore. Creating rough sketches, identifying the values, and focusing on important details are important for such artists.

Drawing in situ is mostly advantageous as your visual awareness expands, and you can capture the scene more accurately. However, be sure that you learn to observe and not stare at your subject to avoid making them uncomfortable.

Develop Curiosity

When artists start urban sketching real-life characters at a location, they might come up with several thoughts in the process. There may be an inner desire to get to know the person in their portraits, or wonder about their name, place, or personal stories.

This builds curiosity and can be a great starter for a conversation if both parties are welcoming. While for some, the story might end with the finishing touches, for others, it may lead to personal relationships as well.

Engage in In-situ Drawing Experiences

When an artist experiences urban sketching for the first time, they will realise that it is way different from artworks created from photos. When sketching a person in real life, you’ll start noticing each gesture, movement, and behaviour that shapes the character or the personality.

Movement is natural to humans, and when you do not have a model, you cannot ask them to sit quietly and pose. In such situations, an artist has to improvise their drawing from pure recall, which can be an interesting experience for them.

Escape Perfectionism

Urban sketches teach artists that the journey matters more than the destination. It imparts the lesson that your sketches are not going to be perfect all the time.

Sometimes, you need improvisation to suit the composition that is not a replica of the character you are drawing. What matters is that art is an honest translation of a real scenario, but may be subject to refinement under certain circumstances.

Conclusion

Urban sketching is an interesting concept that might seem intimidating for beginners due to the attention and scrutiny they’ll come across.

Even some professional urban sketchers also take the process to be challenging, as they do not want to invite viewers to have a lingering gaze in their direction. However, it's their passion for art that exceeds every other thing, making the art of urban sketching an enjoyable process.

Likewise, drawing in the streets has other advantages that will make you crave visiting a location for urban sketching your way to artistic glory and brilliance!