I regularly download royalty-free photos from Unsplash and websites to draw when I’m creating pen & ink urban sketching watercolors. I’ll spend an hour searching for images of streetscapes, cities, ruins, lighthouses, farms and restaurants to use as inspiration.
My technique is to simplify the image first with an ink sketch. Then I sketch in details that will make it pop. I might add flowers or people or birds. I might add textures and colors. I’ll add shadows, crevices, reflections and architectural details.
Sometimes a piece requires only 2 sessions – one for drawing and one for painting. Other times, a piece will require several sketching and painting sessions to complete.
Yesterday, my photo was of a fishing pier. When I studied the image, my first thought was “Wow – this is complex.”
My second thought was, “I can draw this.”
30 minutes later I had.
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It was then that I realized I have reached a level of competence and confidence with pen & ink urban sketching. I’ve been doing this for about a year. I’ve created 100s of pieces. Many are hanging on my walls.
I love the learning process. For me it goes something like this:
Interest – Research – Attempt – Frustration – Marginal Success – Competence – Satisfaction
I have this saying, “I’ll be better at this once I’ve done a hundred of these.”
That rule of thumb has set a reasonable expectation for me.