What I do
I sketch urban perspective mostly in South Devon, England and also other places that I visit.
I have been sketching for many years - it seems like forever and my style has always been evolving but the style I find the most enjoyable is what I now do with minimal materials - it gives me a sense of freedom.
And I always think it looks best if I just draw what I see (or pretty much) - it has to encapsulate how it makes me feel rather than just be a copy of what's there. But It helps if the subject of the sketch is easily recognisable (at least to me) or it is likely to lose some of its impact.
Sketching as opposed to drawing
I always say I'm a sketcher - I don't draw, it's too formal. And I don't consider myself to be an artist.
A sketch is not a finished piece - it is more of a spontaneous action. A drawing is a destination, a sketch is a recording of the journey which may, or may not, end up as a finished drawing at some point - in my case, usually not. Sketching is about freehand interpretations that don’t take long to do, capturing the feeling rather than any form of realism, and free from too many pressures for artistic merit.
Perspective
I like sketching in perspective - it's what gives things a true sense of depth and helps to read the sketch. It's what you actually see.
It's all about the eye line (horizon), and the vanishing points. One point perspective, in particular, guides the eye through the sketch to the single vanishing point - if a sketch is drawn in perspective, and the perspective is roughly right then it’s half way there to telling the story and making it easier to understand.
Often, it's people that matter the most
The thing with urban and landscape sketching it’s often too hung up with the buildings and landscapes - when often it’s the people that matter the most.
The Reasons for People
The Reasons for People
There are two main reasons for the inclusion of people:
to add a sense of scale and to add a sense of actually being there
And they don’t have to be complicated - I have a simple way of doing people (I have a simple way of doing everything, it seems) - just a small oval for the head, rectangle for the body and lines for the legs - and arms, if I actually do arms.
to add a sense of scale and to add a sense of actually being there
And they don’t have to be complicated - I have a simple way of doing people (I have a simple way of doing everything, it seems) - just a small oval for the head, rectangle for the body and lines for the legs - and arms, if I actually do arms.
What I Use
I use minimal materials that are easy to transport and very cheap.
I use a fountain pen and, for colour, I use granules of instant coffee and a few drops of red wine that I apply with an Escoda travel brush. But the principles are the same for other materials - just two watercolours for example.
This frees you up to be more spontaneous and not have to think too much about colour choice.
Thank you!
