Travel Sketching Essentials: An Urban Sketching Course

Learn to see an elevation view and measure it with accurate proportions. Then apply these skills to draw an elevation sketch of a window.

Explore elevation view, the straight-on architectural perspective that reveals true shapes using horizontal and vertical lines, basic forms, and simple rectangles on facades and interiors.

Identify elevation views and master accurate proportions by using a pencil as a measuring stick to compare height to width, establish a ratio, and translate it into a believable sketch.

Apply elevation drawing techniques to a Versailles window using a measuring line and a 1:1.5 ratio, starting with simple shapes and light lines, then add mullions and eight panes high.

Find a door or window you like, view it as a straight-on elevation with flat horizontals, measure proportions with your pencil to sketch, then draw the face of a building.

Begin your urban sketch by blocking in simple shapes, using the shape of the face or the shape of the space, then build your sketch in layers.

Learn to simplify on-location sketches by starting with basic shapes—rectangles and squares—for elevation view, measure proportions with a pencil, and map space before detailing.

Carry a minimal set of materials for on-location sketching—Pentalic Aqua Journal, a 0.5 mechanical pencil with soft lead, kneaded eraser, clips, and an architect's triangle. Build the sketch in light construction lines, measure with the pencil, layer detail, and emphasize perspective and composition, sometimes adding a few figures for scale.

Practice sketching the front of a building, measure proportions accurately, break large shapes into smaller shapes, and layer the detail; next lesson introduces basic perspective principles for accuracy.

Explore how three dimensional space is conveyed on a two dimensional surface, and learn basic principles of perspective, depth convergence, the horizon line, and finding high levels.

Explore depth and perspective depth by sketching boxes to show objects receding, smaller, and spaces narrowing. Relate these ideas to chairs by a cafe and to a colonnade in Paris.

Explore the convergence principle in perspective drawing, where parallel lines like rails or road edges appear to meet at a single distant point, guiding accurate sketching of buildings and trains.

Master how the horizon line, or eye level, anchors vanishing points and converging lines in street-scale sketches, using foreshortening to identify eye level and the presence of two vanishing points.

Learn three eye level views—aerial, eye level, and worm's eye—and how vanishing points on the eye level line establish perspective and space in sketches and photos.

Practice identifying principles in your surroundings and create quick sketches that illustrate each concept, as we prepare to explore one and two point perspective in the next urban sketching lesson.

Master one-point and two-point perspective, then apply on location to set up the foundational lines of a perspective view in three simple steps.

Master one point perspective by drawing from an elevation view with a perpendicular line of sight to create a single vanishing point, where horizontal lines converge toward eye level.

Explore two-point perspective, vanishing points, and eye level lines to create three-dimensional urban sketches. Learn to compare one-point and two-point perspectives, measure angles, and apply foreshortening in field drawing.

Learn a three-step boilerplate to on-location one-point perspective drawings: establish the space with a rectangle, find the vanishing point and eye-level line, and block the basic shapes.

Complete a simple one-point perspective sketch of a room you live or work in as homework, then learn watercolor mixing to enhance your sketches in the next lesson.

Explore watercolor techniques on location, learn the materials I use for on location sketching, practice mixing watercolors, and distinguish shadow from shade in your sketches.

Explore essential travel sketching materials, from a compact backpack toolkit of watercolor supplies, brushes, sketchbooks, palettes, and on-location setups, to protective cases, testing scraps, and lightweight gear for urban sketching.

Learn to ease into watercolor as a beginner by building a simple color wheel from three primaries, mixing to warm and cool colors, while managing water for transparency.

Distinguish shade from shadow and learn how light interacts with surfaces in architectural sketching. Practice mixing cool and warm purples and simple palette techniques to depict light, shade, and shadow.

Practice mixing colors, paint your own color wheel and color cubes, then head out into the world to sketch on location in the next lesson.

Learn on-location sketching by focusing on perspective and what to look for to avoid overwhelm, then set up foundation lines in three steps, and add layers and final details.

Apply one-point perspective to interior architecture by identifying an elevation, establishing eye level and vanishing point, and building a believable space from simple shapes, beams, and details.

Go out on location to sketch a one point perspective, building your urban sketching skills. In the next lesson, apply the same process to sketch a busy street.

Travel sketching essentials teaches you to act on location to capture a place's energy in a sketchbook, and to select a view, lay down foundation lines, and develop your sketch.

Sketch the streetscapes by planning a thumbnail, establishing perspective with a vanishing point and eye level line, then measure proportions and finalize with watercolor to capture brick and alley shadows.