Urban Sketching for Self-Care

We all need activities to help with our self-care practice. I recently took up urban sketching for self-care and I’m finding it’s a great tool for exercising mindfulness.

What is Urban Sketching?

What is Urban Sketching? If you are not familiar with the practice, it is about drawing on location and sharing the stories of the places you live and travel. I started exploring Urban Sketching just over a year ago when I met the  Calgary Urban Sketcher group at a demo at Kensington Art Supply & Instruction in Calgary.

At the demo I was able to meet the members of the group, browse their sketchbooks and talk to them about their passion for sketching. We talked about the tools that they used and how they went about sketching the world around them.

What I found interesting was the intent behind urban sketching. Instead of seeing a place, taking a quick picture and moving on, Urban Sketching is about immersing yourself in the surroundings. It is about taking the time to sit, observe your surroundings and sketch what you see.

We all have a different point of view and different style. Urban sketching is an opportunity to draw from your point of view. What was interesting about viewing sketchbooks from the members of the Calgary Urban Sketchers was the variety of perspective and style, even though the sketches were all at the same locations.

Materials for Urban Sketching

When choosing materials for Urban Sketching, there are many different options available. From a practical perspective, all you really need to sketch is a pen or pencil and a piece of paper. But investing in high quality materials can make urban sketching even more enjoyable.

Choosing a Notebook

Traveler Pocket Journal

I enjoy using notebooks to sketch in and I have several different ones that I use. I usually have one in my purse just in case there is a moment or two to sketch in my day. The small notebook that I carry is a 4” by 6” Pentalic Traveler Pocket Journal. They come with a variety of paper types, the ones I have are plain sketch paper and dotted sketch paper. The dotted sketch paper helps when learning to draw with perspective. It is the perfect size when I only have a few moments to draw and don’t have a lot of time to commit to a drawing. The small size is less overwhelming for me than using a large notebook. I generally use this notebook for pen and ink drawing.

Mixed Media Notebook

I have a variety of different notebook sizes, from the small 4” by 6” up to 8.5” by 11.” My 8.5” by 11” sketchbook is a coil bound Pentalic Multi Media Sketchbook. This sketchbook has paper that is 130lb (212 gsm) which handles a variety of mediums well.

Generally all my notebooks have fairly heavy paper that is smooth but also takes paint and water well. The key is having paper that is smooth enough to sketch and write on that will work with your pens while also strong enough to handle water and paint. I generally try to run my hand over the pages of a notebook before I buy it to check smoothness and weight. If you are unable to see the sketchbook in person before purchasing, I would suggest a hot press watercolor paper or a smooth multi-media paper that like what can be found in the Pentalic Nature Sketch sketchbook.

Sketching Pencils

I have a set of Faber Castell Graphite Pencils that I always use to start my sketches. As I am still learning to draw with perspective, I start out a rough sketch in pencil to get the proportions correct. I do not do the full drawing in pencil, but I use it as a guideline so that I can draw with my pen confidently. I use a medium hard pencil so that I avoid strong pencil lines and this makes it easier to erase. My favorite is a HB or B graphite pencil.

Sketching Pens

I have a collection of pens that I use for sketching that allows for more variety in my mark making. There are few things to consider when you are purchasing a pen.

Is it Waterproof?

There are many pens to choose from and not all of them have waterproof ink. If you plan to only do pen and ink drawings on paper, this is not something you need to consider. But if you plan to use these pens with wet mediums like water or paint, you will need a waterproof ink to prevent bleeding.

What Type of Sketching Strokes?

The other thing to consider is what type of sketching strokes will you be creating with the pen. I generally like to keep my sketches loose, so having a pen that allows me to have a generous amount of hand movement is important. But if you are doing detailed work, the pen that is useful for keeping strokes loose may not be the best for meticulous drawing. This is why there are so many pens to choose from in a variety of nib styles and widths.

My Favorite Pens

Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen

When it comes to keeping my hand loose while sketching, the Tombow Fudenosuke brush pen is my favorite. It has a brush nib, but has a fairly firm tip which allows for variation in my strokes. This pen will allow you to do both thick and thin lines and is easy to control. The Fudenosuke brush pens are also waterproof and work well with watercolor mediums.

Sakura Pigma Micron Pens

I enjoy using the Sakura Micron pens as they are great for detailed drawing and come in a range of sizes. These pens are filled a waterproof pigment ink which makes them ideal for sketching. The only thing to consider is that I find it challenging to get looser strokes with them due to stiff, fixed width nibs. I find that they are really great for precise drawing and detailing, but they aren’t my go to for bold and loose strokes.

Faber-Castell Pitt Artists Pens

I enjoy using the Faber-Castell Pitt Artists pens in my sketches. They are filled with India Ink which makes them waterproof and they come in a variety of sizes. I like these pens as they are reliable, wear very well and work on a variety of paper types.

Lamy Safari Pen

I love my Lamy Safari Pen. I wrote in depth a few weeks ago why I love these pens. For sketching they are excellent, but are not waterproof. I have not yet discovered a waterproof ink that I can use in this pen without damaging it. When I use the Safari Pens in my urban sketching, it’s generally for pen and ink drawings. I also use it on my colored drawings after I’ve added in color.

Adding Color to Your Sketches

I love a nice pen and ink drawing but I often add color to my sketches. My favorite medium for use in sketches is watercolor. I love the transparency of watercolor, how quickly it can be applied and how quickly it dries. You can also use other materials, such as markers, colored pens, pencil crayons and gouache to get watercolor affects.

Watercolor Paints

My favorite watercolor paint set for urban sketching is the Sakura Koi Water Colors Pocket Field Sketch Box. These sets are meant to be portable and are created specifically for travel use. The set I have has 36 pans of paint, but these sets range from 12 pans to 48 pans of paint. They come with a water brush and small sponge for cleaning paint off the water brush. This kind of setup is the easiest way to get color down without making too much mess. This is the set that I primarily use for water coloring in an urban setting.

Markers, Pens and Pencil Crayons

There are lots of other mediums that you can use on your sketches. I occasionally use my colored pencils, which are a mix of Pablo Caran d’Ache, Derwent and Faber-Castell pencils. Depending on the subject matter, I will also use my colored Sakura Pigma Micron Pens, Tombow Dual Brush Pens and Faber-Castell Pitt Pens to color images.

How does Urban Sketching Help with Self-care?

So how does urban sketching help with self-care? My experience with the practice of Urban Sketching is that it helps me to go slow and practice mindfulness.

It takes discipline to make time to sketch and have creative time. I often will only have 15 minute or half an hour windows to do creative practices. By choosing to urban sketch, it can be a practice that can help you immerse in creativity for a longer period of time. Ideally getting away from your home environment and setting a few hours aside to complete a sketch is a great way to connect with your environment.

That being said, we don’t always have unlimited time to sketch, so it forces us to make opportunities where we can be creative in our day. Perhaps it’s sitting in a park during your lunch hour and sketching the world around you. It can be using the time where you are waiting at an appointment to pull out your sketch book and draw.

There is something about being centered in your environment that can aid mindfulness. It slows the pace, uses focus that is different than our other activities, and allows the brain to find quiet.

How about You?

Have you tried Urban Sketching before? If you haven’t, I would suggest that you try it out. I hope that you have found this article helpful and that the materials that I have suggested can help you enjoy urban sketching. I hope that you have a great week full of mindfulness and self care. If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to include a comment below or to contact me directly.