Equipment for sketching and tips for ‘on site’ drawing

Listen, keep it simple.

When drawing out and about use as little as possible in terms of equipment. I need it to be quick easy and accessible. I usually like to sketch busy places, train stations, bus stops, parks, pubs.

Some have coined this ‘Urban sketching ’. Have a look at this book about urban sketching, which is full of some immense urban sketchers around the globe - (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Urban-Sketching-Drawing-Location/dp/1592537251), very inspiring.

I like to work in pen straight onto paper rather than pencil. I use the grey ‘Staedtler’ pigment pens, popular amongst graphic designers and technical drawers. I switched to using pen as oppose to pencil because it helped me to LOOK at my subject more closely and really makes me study the perspective in front of me, thus improving accuracy. I sometimes also use a classic biro pen as the pigment liner pens can get a bit pricey when using them regularly and on a budget!

I don’t like using too many colours, maybe 3 or 4. Keep it simple, just change their tones for shadow areas. Ideally use 1 watercolour brush (filled with water) and one pen. Here is my simple field kit:

Sometimes I mix it up and paint straight on with a watercolour pen which this makes me work faster as the paint will dry quickly. I like that I don’t have to worry about detail as people are moving quickly, just get an impression of the figure down as best you can keeping it in proportion, this will come with time and I am still a way of mastering this! It enables you to see your work as an impression rather than a chocolate box drawing, loosen up your wrist, get the shapes down on paper!

Keep learning from your mistakes and most of all enjoy making something new, your own creation that didn’t exist before, that’s time well spent if you ask me! Remember that you don’t have to love everything you draw, in fact I’m sure you won’t, but you will always improve!

Me sketching on site at Angkor Wat temple, Cambodia - what a place!)

One more important tip: don’t worry about what people think of you when drawing in public. I used to think people would think it’s a bit pretentious to be swanning around the streets with a sketchbook like some kind of Van Gogh wannabe, but I soon realised life is short and that it not worth giving a shit about. I was happy with the results.
I will post some examples soon to explain my use of colour and depth in a simple sketch.

Happy drawing!!

Peace
Sam