So you’ve started your figures too long on the page, and you don’t have room to sketch the feet? It’s a common problem. Here’s a review of how to use ink lines and watercolour to approach the problem of running out of room at the bottom of the page when people sketches. My thoughts on which approach works best, and what doesn’t look good.

Feature Sketch: my Urban Sketch of a man with big ears at a cafe in Tavira Looser Urban Sketching Lines…

Day 7 of the 365 day challenge doing two days of the Earthsworld Challenge. An emphasis on colour palettes for skin and hair colour, and creating colour harmony between the face and the clothing to ensure a clear focal point.

On Day Six of my people sketching challenge, I sketched people in a café, and considered how to find the story I want to tell. I also sketched people at the till in a supermarket.

New beginnings. A fresh start to building skills for urban sketching people by putting a methodical plan in place for sketching focal point people, supporting character people, and background shapes for context and scale.

How to use watercolour backgrounds in your sketches to supplement the story you’re trying to convey.

Here’s some tips for sketching groups of people, without getting overwhelmed by the crowds and complexity in your scene.

A day out at the Vila Real beach fair to sketch people, and using it to learn what art tools I actually need in my urban sketching kit.

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

Urban Sketching during our trip to Turkey. In Istanbul, and at the beaches and cafes of Bodrum. Also sketched during a windy ferry ride to Datca. All Ink Sketches, no Watercolour.

Here’s how to use a Colour Triad to create colour harmony in a complex beach scene.

Travel Urban Sketching at Lisbon Airport and a scene from my hotel window in Istanbul. Pen and Ink sketches.

Want to loosen up your sketching lines? Here’s some simple tips to help beginning sketchers build this skillset.

Putting Perdo Lureiro’s sketching tips into practice on a couple of sketches I did during my trip to London. Loose ink and watercolour sketches of Borough Market and Tower Bridge. Leaving out more than I put in.

Sketching our local delivery man transporting potatoes to a local restaurant in Cabanas.

So good to break my people-sketching drought. I much prefer capturing people to buildings, and these people were sketched in local restaurants and cafes.

Taking time to sketch visual reminders of our 4 weeks in Turkey. I sketched using a paired down urban sketching kit. And sketched people on ferries, in cafes, on beaches, and some business offices. A real variety of locations and people sketches.

I’ve always thought Life Drawing was so different from urban sketching. But recently I’ve realised there is an overlap.

Sketching on different papers is an interesting way to experiment with different tools and techniques with great results.

See what inspired me to draw during a day out at Loulé Market with the Urban Sketcher’s Algarve group.

Sometimes you don’t go looking for your watercolour style choices, they’re just happy accidents.

Find out what I learned from Andrey Shmatnik’s Urban Sketching Tutorial on Etchr, and how he sketches different versions of people in the foreground, mid-ground, and background. Including how he stylises his carrot people for more character.

Find out how I overcame by creative block by using Blind Contour sketches to get inspired and motivated to sketch again.

The first 32 people sketches for this year’s One Week 100 People.