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.

Day 76, 77, and 78 of sketching people. Urban Sketching people and statues I encountered in London, and sketching the audience at the Royal Albert Hall during a concert. Merging colour and monochromatic sketches to increase the focal point, add depth, and simplify the composition.

Experimenting with a comic strip style page composition to document an urban sketching day out. I evaluated the story thread, the subject matter diversity, the strength of the focal point, and my use of colour and text.

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.

Day 73 of sketching people. Got some continuous line practice in by sketching a crowd scene at an airport, from a photo. And a couple of urban sketches at the local cafe.

Day 72 of sketching people. Urban Sketching people at the cafe at the end of the street. Playing around with compositions to leave enough negative space so my sketches can breathe. Also added text, social commentary, and overheard conversations to turn these urban sketches into reportage.

I use the definition of a vignette from well-known urban sketchers to figure out how to improve my building sketches. I evaluate a recent vignette urban sketch of a church that wasn’t successful, and a couple of other urban sketches that were.

Day 71 of sketching people. A morning urban sketching people at cafes and a mobile screening unit in Tavira. Experimenting with different backgrounds and page layout compositions.

Day 70 of sketching people. Urban sketch in ink and watercolour of some players taking part in a Pétanque match in the village. Also a couple of portrait sketches to finish of my latest A6 people sketching sketchbook.

Day 69 of sketching people. Traveled to Ayamonte Spain for a day of urban sketching. I sketched people at the cafe, a few buildings and an iconic statue in the square in old town. My watercolour pencils saved the day, and I used this day trip to experiment with page layout ideas and using spot colour for areas of focal point.

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.

Urban Sketchers Org daily prompt list calendar for March 2026

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.

Day 66 of sketching people. Urban Sketching afternoon at the Tavira Plaza to capture people in ink and watercolour. Experimented with a V-shaped Composition, tonal shading with a spot colour background, and creating depth with desaturated colours.

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.

Day 64 of sketching people. A sunny day so I headed to the Algarve town of Olhão for a full day of urban sketching. I sketched on public transport there and back, and at the market, and a local cafe. There was also a surprise Carnaval parade that had taken place, and that greeted me when I arrived. Another interesting sketching opportunity.

Day 63 of sketching people. Urban Sketching at a local cafe at the end of the street. Today the focus was just about sketching people, and I didn’t get too hung up on communicating a story. Although for the dapper gent in his sports coat, a story evolved as I sketched him.

Day 62 of sketching people. An Urban Sketching trip to Tavira. Captured the Uber driver in a photo booth sketch series. Sketched in two cafes to finish one sketch. And drew a man in the park because I liked the way he posed his legs, but I ended up cutting his feet off.

Day 61 of sketching people. Urban Sketching at a cafe, I used a comparison between objects to build a composition and plan the story I want my sketches to tell. Then Urban Sketching at a Pétanque game, where I had to rely on capturing a scene that developed organically into a pleasing composition. On this sketch I also used a collage element to fill some negative space.

Day 59 of sketching people. A reportage sketch with a restaurant bill as some collage fodder, and a Valentine’s Day Poem to develop a story around a scene I only saw for a couple of minutes. Sometimes you need to invent your own story, when you have no idea what’s going on.

Day 58 of sketching people in ink and watercolour. A visit to the Tavira Municipal Museum with the Urban Sketchers Algarve chapter of the Urban Sketchers Org. A warm-up sketch of Tavira rooftops and washing line, and while other sketchers were sketching the Tile Exhibition, I focused on sketching my fellow sketchers.