The Urban Sketching Handbook Sketch Now, Think Later: Jump into Urban Sketching with Limited Time, Tools, and Techniques (Volume 5) (Urban Sketching Handbooks, 5)

The book was great! ALOT smaller than I expected for the price but it's very helpful and fun to read. Mike makes sketching on location quite understandable from points to notice about the scene, your surroundings, points of reference, perspectives, angles, where to start and why plus tools, tips and helpful suggestions. I gave it 4 stars and the only reason was because the measurable gutter of the book was too narrow and I actually had to pull the book open with both hands to read what was printed in the gutter. Spiral bound would have helped or just a bigger size book with more space for margins and gutters. I attached pictures where you can see many pages were just too tight.

What an excellent resource for beginners and not-beginners alike! I’m an illustrator by trade who stumbled on this book as recommended by another artists blog (James Richards). This book lists out exactly what you need to start your own watercolor sketches and imparts how important mistakes are. Beginners often think that they need to make the final product with the first stroke, and immediately erase to get that line perfect. Don’t! Create that bad line, then create another bad line, then maybe make a good line or two and pretty soon you’re gonna have a page filled with visual texture, so then fill in some lighting with color that is based on an existing scene, and voila! You now have a finished piece! It’s okay if it sucks, if we’re being honest, most art does! But you learn something!I bought this originally because it is a medium that I have wanted to try since it is such a “portable” medium. However, as I was thumbing through, not only did I learn a bunch, but Mike laid out everything for the beginner and I realized this would be perfect for my retired dad who is just now beginning to paint. Well, sometimes, we don’t take to advice from our closest relatives and friends, and I anticipate that, so I look for other sources that can articulate my own thoughts. Mike does way better than I could ever attempt, so, full disclosure, there are now two copies owned by our family!When most of us start our journey we strive to produce representationally accurate drawings and pride ourselves in the technicality that can bring. This book is great because it depicts “loose drawing” which is where true emotion is born. The novice will get caught up in detail, and detail is fun to show off to friends; realism is a great way to show how technically good you are. But to capture a scene that conveys emotion and the whimsy of the movement in a band of musicians, THAT is created through wandering ink paths, and I believe that’s what this book is a great example of. It is a broad guide for you to choose your own path, and Mike lays out the tools you need to create your own trail.In my years at art school the most beneficial lessons I was taught were by my peers and their sketchbooks and processes. Luckily Mike took the time out of his life to display his. Brilliant book, brilliant images, and it is phenomenal that we get to enjoy his efforts.

I have a large collection of how to books on urban sketching and watercolor. Some are better than others. I am a student of landscape sketching and watercolor. I have taken classes for a several years now, I am always looking for a teacher who can show me how to draw and paint better. Most books on urban sketching say they are for beginners as well as experienced artists. The books assume way to much on the part of the student. When it comes down to it these books are showcases of the authors artwork, not how to. They all start out with the same thing, here are some nice photos of the equipment I use, paints, pencils, blank sketch books etc. Some give a few step by step illustrations then take off with beautiful finished paintings. I love looking at the paintings but I want to learn how. This author shows you how to. Mike is opinionated and tells you exactly what he uses then how he carries his kit around. Next he goes into a very clear simple 2-3 pages on perspective, basically all you need to know. He uses a pen, not a pencil because he uses artists to keep going even if they make a mistake something every professional teacher I have had urges. All of my teachers have said to always keep going on a sketch or drawing, never tear it up there is always a way to keep going and finish. Mike is an author but he is also a teacher. His art is really wonderful and enjoyable and he shows you how to do it. Not that he wants you the student to copy his style, on the contrary he urges you to keep going, sketch sketch sketch. Always carry your sketch book. I really appreciate his teaching style or should I say his writing style. I think my search for instruction books is over. Buy the book, it is a convenient size, just like a sketchbook.

This is a wonderful book showing everything I always wanted to know about urban sketching. Mike takes us to places all over the world, including Peru, Maine, Egypt — to museums, ancient sites, coffee shops — with tons of information about what to take, how to go about sketching, coloring with water color, and finishing sketches. And he does it in a very kind, informative, encouraging and humorous manner. You won’t go wrong if you get this book to learn the basics of urban sketching. Also, I absolutely love his style of sketching.In reading some of the reviews I was surprised to see that some people were disappointed with this book. I think what they may have expected is a how-to-draw book. This is not that, but if you keep doing as Mike shows us you will be learning to draw anyhow.Hint: His drawings and lettering are small but if you can get the Kindle version you have the opportunity to view each one enlarged, which I did. Quite satisfying.

Mike keeps it simple but his tool suggestions offer a lot of variability in technique and thus learning opportunities. His suggestions lower the bar to getting started and making time for sketching without lowering the potential for creating some really nice sketches. His organization sets up a structure that is really nice - and creates goid guide posts - for those of us who are not so organized.

I have purchased many art books over the years and this is my all-time favourite. I refer back to it often. It rightly advises that the best way to enjoy sketching and get good at it is to get out there and do it. It begins with excellent advice about a simple and portable set of tools to use and get to know very well. It also recognizes that sketching a living and moving world rewards quickness, which also helps fit sketching into a busy life.The book is very informative and holds nothing back in terms of specific suggestions for materials, subjects and techniques. Yet it is also very well organized and avoids overwhelming the reader.The author's tone is friendly and encouraging. He is a superb sketcher and the book contains many examples of his work that are well connected to the text. More examples of his work and other information are to be found on his website. My favourite quote from the book encourages sketchers to dive in, trusting to instinct and experience and the feeling of the moment: "Don't overthink; you know what to do."I have been an en plein painter and sketcher off and on for many years, but this book encouraged me to do more of it and provided much helpful guidance. As I result, I have happily sketched 139 scenes in the seven months since I purchased it, using the equipment and techniques he recommends.If you want to have fun sketching your world, then this book is an excellent choice, even if you already lead a busy life.

I stopped sketching on the subway to read this book so I can sketch faster! The book has a dynamic and colourful layout making it a breeze to read. The notations on the illustrations added a feel that you're browsing through the author's sketchbook. It contains information on starting and quickly finishing a sketch by letting your pen glide on the paper especially if you have limited time. The book prompted me to rearrange my watercolour palette and removed unnecessary items in my art bag making it lighter. The lesser the tools, the easier the setup, the faster you can sketch! You can get a lot of drawing tips and techniques from this book. A must read for newbie or experienced sketchers.

From a third year art student's perspective - I really like this little book. I really enjoy the size of it and the illustrations. This is mostly what I buy these books for now, looking at other people's illustrations and notes, I have a real think for that. Love it. I think this book would really work for a beginner to the urban sketch scene as it has many key pieces of information every beginner must know. It's a little too small to really enjoy the illustrations in full; due to the tiny printed size it's really difficult to read the words - but it's still very enjoyable to check out and I love to have these books with me when I simply don't have time to sketch as at least I can look at others' works.

Sehr schönes Buch, gibt Mut einfach drauf los zu skizzieren. Sicher, der Autor versteht es schönes Skizzen anzufertigen. Aber es macht Mut selber den Stift in die Hand zu nehmen, nicht so viel nachzudenken und einfach machen. Wenn die Perspektive nicht stimmt ist es nicht schlimm. Ich mag diese Art von Büchern, sie helfen mir mit dem -zu sehr denken- aufzuhören.

I love this little book! Easily carried and has a great strong binding with a rubber band to keep track of what you’re currently reading. It’s different in that it’s a tool that encourages you to just get out and sketch...anywhere without worrying about the process. Full of tips that are easily accessed and that aren’t too wordy. I can’t think of anything that it doesn’t cover..... just fabulous!