Another look at Andrew Tan’s (dreamscape) concepts and approaches for his comic strip style page layouts. This time around we’re looking at his use of limited colour and negative space.

Thanks to some inspiration from urban sketcher Roger Klaassen, I’ve been evaluating his people sketches where he’s included blocks of colour behind his figures, and then experimenting with this technique of adding blocks of colour to my urban sketches to see how they can be improved by the background method.

Using a sketchbook page full of overlapping people from a cafe during a recent urban sketching outing, I’ve analysed the different ways to improve the composition and layout of the sketch using thumbnail sketches. Experimenting with different layouts by adjusting focal point, increasing negative space, and creating a dynamic shape on the page, and making sure to leave space for a title.

I delve into Andrew Tan’s (dreamscape) concepts and approaches for his comic strip style page layouts. He’s an urban sketcher and comic book artist based in Singapore. I also summarise his Skillshare class which covers how to sketch quicker and more simply using contour lines.

Santi Sallés’ YouTube channel has examples of him sketching using a comic strip style layout, and a more organic page layout. But use the inclusion of small vignettes to capture his urban sketched scenes.

We take a look at the different way Don Low sketches people on a double page spread using negative space, tonal shading, and high contrast in his comic book spreads. He creates impactful scenes with no use of colour. I evaluate how he uses these elements to lead the eye through the panels, and how he varies his panel layouts across both pages.

Day 75 of sketching people. Urban Sketching people in the departures long of Faro Airport, and on the plane from the front row – so lots of toilet queue sketches. Experimenting with different compositions using an outlined oblong shape in the background to tie people and objects together on an A6 page layout.

We take a look at the different way Don Low sketches people using negative space, tonal shading, and high contrast in his comic book spreads. He creates impactful scenes with only a minimal use of spot colour. I evaluate how he uses these elements to lead the eye through the panels, and how he varies his panel layouts.

Day 68 of sketching people. Urban Sketching at a local cafe at the end of the street. Combining people sitting in different parts of the cafe together at a table, and experimenting with compositions for a reportage post.

We take a look at two different approaches that Santi Sallés uses when using a comic strip style layout. One to tell a story, and the other to connect different locations and capture small details. I evaluate how we could use these approaches when urban sketching people.

My triptych sketch series in a photo booth style is inspiring me to explore more options for using grids and comic book style page design that is easy to read and not confusing or overwhelming.

Day 65 of sketching people. Not much time today, but enough time for a quick coffee at a local cafe and a quick sketch, about being in a foreign country but still able to order scones and clotted cream. This was an experiment in reportage and page composition.

Some ideas and inspiration for creating interesting sketchbook page layouts when urban sketching people.