I didn’t always carry markers in my urban sketching kit. For a long time, I leaned heavily on ink and watercolor because that’s what everyone else seemed to use. But one day, I grabbed a couple of markers I had lying around in the studio, tossed them into my bag, and headed out. I didn’t expect much. Turns out, urban sketching with markers opened up a new rhythm for me—something quick, vivid, and surprisingly flexible.
Markers bring something different to the table. They force you to commit, simplify, and move fast. There’s no erasing. No water to spill. No brushes to clean. They let me focus on shape, contrast, and gesture without getting bogged down by process. This makes them especially useful for sketching on the go—in cafes, on street corners, or while standing in line.
Whether you’re brand new to sketching on location or just looking to shake up your process, markers can be a great way to experiment and bring a different energy to your work. Below, I’ll walk you through some of the tips and techniques that have helped me make the most of markers in the field.
If you’re just getting started with urban sketching in general, I recommend checking out this urban sketching guide and this collection of easy beginner sketching tips to help you get your bearings.
Key Points
- Bring a warm/cool marker pair for each primary color to keep your palette flexible without overpacking.
- Use gray markers (cool or warm) to map shadows fast and bring a sketch to life without committing to full color.
- Try layering markers on top of ink or pencil sketches to keep things loose and spontaneous.
Why Urban Sketching with Markers Works So Well
Markers have a speed advantage. You can block in color fast, and because there’s no drying time, you're back to drawing in seconds. This is especially helpful in busy environments like city sidewalks or crowded squares where I can’t sit for long.
They’re also lightweight, and many modern marker sets are refillable or designed for travel. I like keeping just a few key colors on hand. When paired with a reliable pen (I go over my favorite pens here), it gives me a lightweight setup that still gives me tons of range.
Compared to watercolors, there's less fuss and cleanup. I still love painting, but there are plenty of times where I just want to sit down and sketch without setting up a full kit. Markers have become my go-to for those spontaneous moments.
If you’re looking for ways to keep your kit minimal, you might find this post on urban sketching supplies helpful too.
Choosing the Right Markers for Urban Sketching
Not all markers behave the same. Alcohol-based markers like Copic, Ohuhu, or Winsor & Newton are my go-tos. They blend smoothly, dry quickly, and work well over most ink lines. Water-based markers can work too, especially for layering and light washes, but they sometimes pill the paper or warp thinner sketchbook pages.
Tips for Choosing Marker Colors
I try to limit my palette to 6-8 markers:
- Two grays (cool and warm)
- A warm and cool version of each primary (red, blue, yellow)
- Optional: a deep black or brown for punchy contrast
By focusing on warms and cools, I can mix with contrast rather than needing dozens of shades. This approach helps me keep things simple and travel-friendly.
When I was sketching in New York, this limited palette helped me capture the city’s light and shadows without getting overwhelmed. You can see how I approached those city scenes in this post.
Favorite Marker Brands
- Copic Sketch: Great blendability, refillable, long-lasting, but expensive.
- Ohuhu: Affordable, strong color range, surprisingly good quality for the price.
- Winsor & Newton Promarkers: Vibrant, consistent flow, and they handle well on smoother sketchbook paper.
Don’t feel like you need a massive set to get started. You’ll learn faster by working within limits.
How I Use Markers in My Urban Sketching Process
Most days, I sketch with ink first, then layer in color with markers. Sometimes I reverse the process and use markers to create large abstract shapes first, then draw into them. Either way, the goal is to keep it fast and expressive.
For city buildings, I often sketch in pen, add a light gray shadow for depth, then finish with color accents. For parks or trees, I start with blocks of green and work dark-to-light with line and details.
When I’m sketching organic elements, I keep the strokes loose. The vibrancy of marker ink can overpower a sketch if I’m too detailed, so I try to let some of the marker strokes stand on their own. You can see how I do this when drawing trees in this article.
Marker Techniques That Work
- Layer with purpose: Add depth by layering a cool gray shadow under your color layers. It gives a quick sense of volume.
- Let shapes bleed: The slight bleed and blending is part of the charm—lean into it instead of fighting it.
- Avoid overworking: Paper will only take so much before it looks muddy. Two passes is usually enough.
These techniques take practice, but once you get the feel for your tools, you’ll start developing your own rhythm.
Keeping Your Marker Kit Lightweight
Carrying too many markers defeats the purpose of a mobile setup. I keep mine in a pencil wrap that fits into my urban sketching bag. When I want to travel even lighter, I just take a warm gray, cool gray, and one accent color—usually a strong blue or rust red.
Keeping things minimal also helps reduce decision fatigue. I don’t want to spend five minutes picking the perfect green while the light changes or people walk away. Limiting options speeds me up and makes each stroke more intentional.
If you're just setting up your gear, here's what I recommend packing into a full urban sketching kit.
Where to Practice: Finding Good Subjects for Marker Sketching
Architectural elements with strong shadows work great for marker sketching. Alleyways, staircases, rooflines, or fire escapes offer clean shapes and contrast. Busy intersections and coffee shop scenes are fun too, especially if you want to focus on capturing people and movement.
Some of my favorite sessions were done while walking around Seattle. The mix of old brick buildings, evergreen trees, and occasional rain reflections made it ideal for playing with tone and texture. I shared some sketches and reflections in this post.
If you need ideas for what to draw, check out this list of urban sketching ideas or grab some reference photos if you're stuck at home. There are lots of ways to keep practicing even when you're not out in the world.
Helpful Resources if You Want to Go Deeper
If you're looking to expand your skills or develop a more consistent habit, here are a few options that helped me a lot:
- Urban Sketching Course: A full video course to help build confidence and style.
- The Urban Sketcher: A beautiful book packed with inspiration and techniques.
- Quick and Lively Urban Sketching: Focuses on speed, gesture, and expressiveness—perfect for working with markers.
- The Urban Sketching Handbook: Working with Color: Practical, color-focused tips that align well with marker techniques.
- The Urban Sketching Handbook: 101 Sketching Tips: Great for bite-sized advice you can take on the go.
If you're more of a workshop learner, there are also urban sketching workshops and online urban sketching classes that dive deeper into composition, technique, and creative habit building.
Urban sketching doesn’t have to mean watercolor washes and perfect perspective. With markers in your kit, you can work faster, get bolder with shape and color, and discover a style that’s all your own. If you’ve been stuck in a routine or just curious about switching things up, give markers a try on your next outing. You might surprise yourself with how fun and freeing it feels.