Adventures in Urban Sketching

Posted on by Dan Tabata
Pen and watercolor drawing of Tenmimi restaurant
Tenmimi Restaurant
Montrose, California

A week ago, I started urban sketching. I drew my first urban sketch (above) and I had such a fun time that I just did it again!

Pen and watercolor drawing of Faye's
Faye’s Intimate Apparel
Montrose, California

What is urban sketching? It’s an artistic approach to engaging with the world around us. A global community of artists (sketchers) use drawings and storytelling to “See the World, One Drawing at a Time.” Urban sketchers agree to follow the spirit of the following manifesto:

  1. We draw on location, indoors or out, capturing what we see from direct observation.
  2. Our drawings tell the story of our surroundings, the places we live and where we travel.
  3. Our drawings are a record of time and place.
  4. We are truthful to the scenes we witness.
  5. We use any kind of media and cherish our individual styles.
  6. We support each other and draw together.
  7. We share our drawings online.
  8. We show the world, one drawing at a time.
Art tools for urban sketching Tenmimi restaurant
My urban sketching art supplies – (left to right) water brush, Winsor & Newton Cotman Water Colour Sketchers Pocket Box, Lamy Safari fine nib fountain pen with Noodler’s Lexington Gray ink, Pentel PS535 sliding sleeve pencil with 0.5 mm HB lead, Stillman & Birn Alpha Series 9×6 (landscape) sketch book.

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