Urban Sketch series
Day One Hundred and Twelve of Sketching People
Continuing on with day 112 of my #Kick365 sketching challenge to draw people in ink and watercolour. Started off the day by sketching MOH hard at work plastering the wall. He moves quickly, so I had to sketch quickly. Good practice for my speed sketching session on Zoom later in the day.
Drawing is Free Speed Sketching
Drawing is Free live sketching event is a one-hour speed sketching session, with each pose the length of a different music track, so each pose ends up being between 2 1/2 to 5 minutes. The first sketch of each session is always of Chloe the organiser, and then we sketched mostly women, but also a few guys.
I left at the 45m mark because I got tired and my concentration started to wane. I fully intended to incorporate what I learned about sketching eyes in Dylan’s facial features class, about not sketching the lower lid in full. But as soon as that timer for speed sketching starts there’s a tendency to go into automatic pilot mode, and you just start sketching intuitively. I guess the trick is to incorporate new skills into the intuitive side of the brain, so I don’t need to consciously think about incorporating them into my sketching practice.
I sketched in ink during the session and added watercolour to the portraits afterwards.
Urban Sketch Study Sequence
I had to sketch this sketch study sequence quickly because he was constantly changing positions. When it was just an ink sketch it didn’t look like much, but as soon as I added colour it elevated it from a scrappy ink sketch to a colourful story. A moment in time captured.
When you’re sketching in these types of scenarios you have to let go of that desire for perfection, because it just isn’t possible – especially when you’re subject is moving so much.
I really like how Barbara Luel explained this concept:
Breaking Free from Perfection
Barbara Luel
Perhaps most liberating of all, urban sketching teaches us to let go of perfection. When you’re drawing in the real world, conditions are constantly changing. Light shifts, people move, weather happens. You learn to work with imperfection, to capture the essence rather than every detail. This acceptance of imperfection is profoundly healing, especially for those of us who carry the weight of others’ expectations. Your sketches don’t need to be gallery-worthy; they just need to be honest records of your experience. In this honesty, you find freedom.
When you sketch quickly, you’re in the moment. There’s no time to judge your lines or your composition. As soon as your nib hits the page – you just have to go with the flow. I really like this kind of in-the-moment sketching. No planning, no forethought, just a blank page, a pen full of ink, and a subject to sketch.
