Urban sketching has become one of my favorite ways to slow down and truly see the places I explore. As someone who primarily draws animals and keeps nature journals, you might not expect me to spend much time sketching cities.
But the truth is, every time I travel to a wilderness area—or even remote places—I inevitably pass through cities, towns, or villages. Over time, I started seeing these urban spaces not just as stopovers but as sketching opportunities.
I first leaned into urban sketching while spending time in Thailand and India. The way temples, shrines, and marketplaces blended into the natural environment fascinated me. Drawing them allowed me to explore the intersection of nature and culture—my two main artistic interests. What began as a way to pass time between nature trips soon became its own rewarding practice.
If you’re just starting with urban sketching or looking to refine your approach, this guide will help you avoid common pitfalls and enjoy the process more.
Why I Love Urban Sketching (and Why You Might Too)
The appeal of urban sketching is simple: it makes you notice things. Instead of breezing past a row of old buildings or a quiet alleyway, you pause and take it in. It’s a visual journal that combines art, observation, and sometimes even storytelling.
It’s also one of the most accessible forms of art. You don’t need a huge kit or fancy supplies. In fact, I often recommend starting simple. (If you want to see what I carry, here’s my urban sketching kit.)
What surprised me most was how it deepened my understanding of the places I traveled through. Sketching cities like Chiang Mai or Varanasi not only helped me appreciate the architecture but also how daily life, animals, and nature wove into the urban landscape.
Key Points
- Start small and simple: Use a compact sketchbook and one or two pens to stay portable and avoid overwhelm.
- Sketch people and trees early: They bring life to your scenes and aren’t as difficult as they seem. Urban sketching people and urban sketching trees are good places to start.
- Let go of perfection: Capture the mood and feel of a place rather than worrying about exact proportions or perfect perspective.
Urban Sketching: How to Get Started
If you’re wondering how to begin with urban sketching, my advice is to start with what you already have. Don’t feel like you need a fancy setup or expensive tools. A basic pen and a sketchbook you’re comfortable carrying around are more than enough. I started this way myself because I was already traveling light for nature journaling and didn’t want to weigh myself down.
Before heading out, I usually warm up with a few simple urban sketching exercises to loosen up. These might be quick contour sketches, drawing a few trees or architectural lines, or even scribbling shapes to get my hand moving. It helps me settle into the mindset of observing without overthinking.
If you’re brand new, my easy urban sketching for beginners guide can help you get started without any pressure. It breaks down simple ways to capture a scene without feeling overwhelmed, which was a big help to me when I started blending urban scenes into my travel sketchbooks.
Choosing Your Tools
Your tools will evolve over time, but I suggest keeping your setup light in the beginning. Here’s what’s in my usual bag:
- Small sketchbook (preferably one that handles ink and light watercolor)
- Fine liner pen (urban sketching pen)
- Water brush or small travel watercolor set (urban sketching watercolor palette)
- A simple pouch or urban sketching bag
If you want to explore beyond pen and watercolor, I’ve also enjoyed experimenting with gouache and markers.
Finding Subjects and Locations
Some of my favorite urban sketches come from ordinary places—a café, a park, or even a quiet street corner. You don’t need a dramatic skyline to create an interesting drawing.
Because I usually travel for wildlife and nature journaling, I tend to seek out parts of cities where nature and culture meet. That’s why sketching in places like the temples in the tiger sanctuaries of Ranthambore, or even Angkor Wat in Cambodia felt so natural to me. Trees growing out of old walls, birds weaving through alleyways, and animals living alongside people—all of it became part of my urban sketching ideas.
If you want location-specific inspiration, I’ve written guides on urban sketching in New York, Seattle, Paris, and London. You can also browse my urban sketching reference photos for practice at home.
Techniques That Work in the Real World
Urban sketching isn’t about creating perfect, polished art. It’s about speed, expression, and adapting to your environment. Here are a few approaches that have worked for me:
- Use a loose style. If you’re interested, I share more about loose urban sketching techniques.
- Start with the big shapes first—buildings, streets, or whatever frames your scene.
- Add people or trees to add scale and movement.
- Layer in details last, only where they matter.
For more technique tips, check out my urban sketching tutorial and urban sketching exercises.
Classes, Workshops, and Books
If you want structured learning, I’ve put together a curated list of urban sketching courses and urban sketching classes.
These aren’t classes I teach myself, but ones I’ve personally selected because they’re practical artists who want to branch into urban sketching. Whether you’re interested in quick, expressive techniques or more detailed approaches, these options can help you build both skill and confidence.
I also highly recommend browsing through my curated list of urban sketching books. I chose these titles because they cover not just technical tips but also the creative mindset and travel-oriented approaches that have helped me grow my own sketching practice.
Inspiration and Community
One of the best ways to stay motivated is to connect with other sketchers. Events like the urban sketching symposium and local meetups are great for building community.
If you’re traveling, it’s worth checking if any sketching groups or workshops are happening where you’re headed. I’ve joined informal sketch crawls in a few cities just by asking around at art supply shops or posting in local art groups online.
You can also explore the work of urban sketching artists to get ideas and see different styles in action. I find this especially helpful when visiting a new place—studying how other artists approach the same scenes gives me fresh ideas and helps me think beyond my usual style.
Final Thoughts
Urban sketching has become a natural extension of my travel and nature journaling practice.
Even though my main focus is often wildlife or natural landscapes, sketching cities has helped me capture a fuller picture of the places I visit. It’s a habit that grows richer the more you practice. Some days your sketches will feel rushed or messy. Other days, you’ll capture something you didn’t think you were capable of. That’s part of the adventure.
If you’re curious about more drawing topics, I also cover drawing basics, how to draw animals, and nature journaling. They all complement and feed into your urban sketching journey.
