The Urban Sketching Handbook 101 Sketching Tips: Insights

If you've been exploring the world of sketching on location, chances are you've already stumbled upon The Urban Sketching Handbook 101 Sketching Tips.

I picked up this compact guide on a whim while browsing through art books, and it turned out to be one of the more practical, densely packed sketching references I’ve used in a while. It’s not a step-by-step how-to manual, and that’s actually what I love about it. Instead, it’s full of quick, sharp insights that work like reminders or nudges—especially when I’m feeling stuck in the field or rusty between sketchbook pages.

I’ve been sketching for years and tend to revisit the same recurring problems: inconsistent perspective, compositions that feel flat, and a nagging sense that I overthink everything before I put pen to paper. This book doesn’t solve those problems for you—but it does offer a solid push in the right direction, again and again. It’s best suited for intermediate sketchers or beginners who have already started making marks and now want to improve their instincts, troubleshoot common frustrations, or just shake things up creatively.

When I first flipped through The Urban Sketching Handbook 101 Sketching Tips, I’ll admit I didn’t expect to use it much. It seemed too small. Too quick. But that turned out to be its strength. The book respects your time. You can digest a handful of tips in five minutes and carry them with you all day.

On one trip to Mexico, I actually carried it in my sketching bag and would glance at a tip or two before I started drawing at a new location. It helped me enter a sketch with more clarity and less pressure.

The Urban Sketching Handbook 101 Sketching Tips: First Impressions

The format is approachable and digestible. Each “tip” is essentially a short idea, often illustrated with a sketch—sometimes Stephanie Bower's, sometimes from other urban sketchers. It's visually inspiring without being overwhelming. The tips are grouped into loose themes (composition, perspective, values, linework), and I often flip through it in small bursts, especially before heading out with my sketchbook.

The size and portability are a huge plus. It fits easily into a bag or even a jacket pocket, so it’s actually usable in the field—not something that sits on a shelf.

If you’re familiar with the broader world of urban sketching, you know how easy it is to feel bogged down by tools, rules, and techniques. This book cuts through that noise and keeps things simple: small tips that trigger big realizations.

Key Points

Here are three tips from the book that have made a lasting impact on the way I sketch:

• “The eye level line is everything”: Understanding how your eye level (or horizon line) affects every element in your drawing is a game changer. It helps make your sketches feel grounded and believable, especially with architecture. This one tip helped me stop fighting with wonky buildings and start enjoying cityscapes. It ties directly into what I teach in my urban sketching course too.
• “Draw the big shapes first”: Instead of chasing details right away, focusing on getting the large shapes and proportions right first has helped me avoid awkward fixes later. I used to dive into windows or signs right away and then realize the building shape was off. Now, I start broad and work my way in. This shift alone has made my sketches feel more composed and confident.
• “A tower is like a wedding cake”: I’ll never forget this visual metaphor. It helped me understand how stacked structures taper and vary in scale—super helpful when sketching churches, domes, and even trees with tiered branching.

Who This Book Is (and Isn’t) For

If you're just starting out and looking for a linear, instructional path into urban sketching, this book might feel too scattered. You’re better off starting with something like the beginner’s guide to urban sketching or easy urban sketching for beginners.

But if you’ve already filled a few sketchbooks and want to take your drawings from “pretty good” to more grounded and intentional, 101 Sketching Tips can help you build better habits. I’d say it’s especially helpful if you’ve ever asked yourself questions like:

• Why does this building look crooked?
• Why do my trees feel cartoonish?
• Why does my sketch feel cluttered, even though I drew everything correctly?

That’s where this book shines. It doesn’t just tell you what to do—it gives you mental models that help you see differently. I return to it when I feel stale or overworked in my sketching. It gives me a fresh angle, or reminds me to simplify.

Highlights from the Book

The Urban Sketching Handbook 101 Sketching Tips is broken into “Keys” instead of traditional chapters, which keeps it modular and easy to browse. Some of the tips overlap with what you might find in books like The Urban Sketcher or Urban Watercolor Sketching, but Bower’s take always brings clarity.

Emphasis on Perspective

Stephanie Bower is an architect, so it’s no surprise that many of the best tips are perspective-related. Her advice on using the eye level line and locating vanishing points quickly helped me decode confusing street scenes. If you want to go deeper into this area, her Understanding Perspective book is a solid next step.

When sketching in cities like Paris or London, I’ve leaned on her tips to anchor my sketches in believable structure. Even just remembering to trace lines back to a vanishing point keeps the drawing from spiraling into chaos.

Helpful Visual Analogies

The book is full of sticky metaphors that just make sense. Things like “arches are like ellipses” or “towers are like wedding cakes” helped me visualize forms more clearly and draw them with more confidence. When I teach drawing animals or structures, I find myself using similar analogies now because they work so well.

Contributor Variety

I also appreciated that the book features sketches from multiple artists, not just Bower. You get exposed to different styles, from precise linework to loose and expressive ink-and-wash. This echoes what I enjoy about the broader urban sketching world: no two artists approach the same scene the same way.

That said, if you prefer super-polished examples or one cohesive style, it might feel a bit disjointed. Personally, I loved the range. It helped me see that there isn’t one “right” way to urban sketch.

How I Use This Book in Practice

When I go out for a sketching session, especially in new cities like New York or Seattle, I’ll flip through this book in the morning for a mental warmup. It reminds me to:

• Keep compositions simple
• Look for dark/light balance early
• Use a light pencil framework before committing to ink

I also reference the book during casual sketching days when I’m testing out new urban sketching supplies or trying different pens and inks. Sometimes I’ll pair a tip from the book with a small 15-minute exercise, especially when I’m short on time or energy.

If you're building your own practice, I recommend pairing this book with:

• Urban sketching reference photos for at-home practice
• Loose urban sketching ideas to avoid getting too tight
• My full collection of urban sketching tutorials if you want more structured guidance

One thing I didn’t expect to enjoy so much was how fun it was to revisit forgotten tips. Even if I already “knew” something, seeing it presented in a different way sparked something new. This is what makes the book worth rereading.

Final Thoughts

The Urban Sketching Handbook 101 Sketching Tips is not a flashy or trend-driven book. It’s a workhorse—a compact, affordable guide full of bite-sized wisdom. It’s helped me reinforce things I already knew but forgot to practice, and it's introduced me to ways of seeing and simplifying that I now use constantly.

I keep my copy on the same shelf as my sketchbooks and often toss it into my bag when heading out. It’s lightweight, inspiring, and packed with practical reminders that I’ve come to rely on. For the price of a few coffees, it delivers years' worth of insight and sketching advice.

If you're interested in learning more, I’ve put together a list of my favorite urban sketching books, including others in the same series.