It’s funny how some buildings take charge of the page before you’ve even uncapped your pen.
A weathered window frame. A sunlit wall. A rusted rooftop. They don’t just sit there politely – they nudge your hand, influence your colours, change your pace.
Some days, sketching in a new place feels like learning a dialect. You’ve still got your pen, your paints, your love of observation – but suddenly, the rhythm is different. The lines ask to move another way.
And it’s not your imagination. Buildings do shape how we sketch – how we see, what we choose to include, and even how loose or careful we feel on the page.
Let’s explore how that works in real locations.
Barcelona: When the Architecture Loosens Your Line
Barcelona doesn’t whisper – it beams. The light bounces, the buildings twist, and the stone itself seems to glow. If you’ve ever sketched here, you know it changes how you draw. Those curving Gaudí rooftops? They practically ask for exaggeration. Ian often pushes rooflines, lets his lines wander, and stretches the palette to echo the vibrancy of the scene. And it works. That rebellion against right angles can be a gift for loosening up your own habits.
Warm stone, mosaic tiles, spiralling iron balconies – they all affect your line. You might find yourself using quicker, more fluid lines to capture the movement, or softening the detail with brush pens instead of adding more. Here, even the shadows feel more playful than brooding. The natural colour of the buildings seems to invite warm washes – ochres, siennas, gold tones that blend beautifully.
It’s a place that nudges you out of neatness. You may find yourself letting lines trail off or ignoring strict perspective, because in Barcelona, it feels right. It’s not about getting it “correct” – it’s about capturing energy. Barcelona reminds us that our sketchbooks aren’t technical diagrams. They’re reactions to places that make us feel something.
Brighton: Rhythm, Repetition and a Bit of Cheek
Down by the sea in Brighton, it’s a different sort of energy. The Pier with its endless supports and arches, the cheeky signage, the scruffy-painted buildings – all of it has a rhythm that pulls your eye along. There’s something delightfully repetitive about it, but not in a strict or formal way. More like jazz than a march.
The breeze adds urgency, the gulls add attitude. You might find your linework getting a bit more confident here, even a bit rebellious. Brighton tends to invite distortion, exaggeration, and looser layouts. Ian often leans into playful perspective shifts – it’s how he keeps the energy of a scene without getting bogged down in its complexity.
With so many textures and seaside reflections, Brighton sketches often benefit from an informal approach:
- Use splashy washes for surfaces that change with the light (like wet pavements or glass).
- Choose expressive outlines when structures feel irregular or weathered.
- If there’s a lot going on, lean more on brush pens for tone or strengthen your ink lines to hold things together.
Not to be arty – just honest. Brighton isn’t polished, and your sketch doesn’t have to be either.
If you’re used to sketching tidy town squares, Brighton might rattle your sense of order. That’s a good thing. Lean into the chaos. It sharpens your instincts, boosts your confidence, and makes room for more personal expression.
London: Layers, Motion and Knowing What to Leave Out
Sketching in London is an exercise in decision-making. The city’s constantly moving, the buildings are stacked on top of each other, and there’s never a quiet moment. Observation here isn’t about soaking in stillness – it’s about spotting patterns quickly and committing to them. If you hesitate, the light will have shifted and the crowd will have moved on.
This is where Ian’s 3-Step Quick Sketching method comes into its own. Strong verticals, compressed space, selective cropping – these aren’t tricks, they’re survival tools. You simplify not to cut corners, but because it’s the only way to keep up.
As Pam, one of our sketchers, reflected after sketching Trafalgar Square:
“Harder than it seemed. Ian approached it so quickly, and I can see the point — it’s about keeping such a busy scene really loose. And what to leave out!”
London’s architecture tends to feel heavier too. Thick brick, slate roofs, grey skies. You’ll likely shift your palette cooler – greys, blue shadows, deep contrasts. Even your tools might change. A finer-nibbed pen or a rigger brush can help with all that detail and geometry without slowing you down too much.
And yet, there’s beauty in the grit. A lamppost in silhouette against a cloudy sky. A glimmer of glass peeking through brick. A row of red buses you reduce to simple blocks just to make it all fit. London teaches you to let go of detail and hold on to structure. That’s a lesson you’ll carry everywhere.
Storytelling in Every Stroke: What Makes a Sketch Speak
Urban sketching isn’t just about what you see. It’s about what you notice – and what you choose to keep. That’s where storytelling lives.
It could be the way a shadow falls across a doorway. Or a bit of graffiti that reminds you of something. Or the fact that you left out three buildings because your sketch felt better without them. These aren’t mistakes – they’re choices. Every mark you make has meaning, whether you intended it or not.
Let’s say you sketch a run-down pub with a crooked sign. Your lines go a bit wonky. Your colours blur. But the sketch feels like the place. That’s storytelling.
Or maybe you’re drawing a crisp cityscape and you notice how cold it feels, so you layer greys and reduce the warmth. That’s storytelling too.
You don’t need to invent drama. The world already has plenty of it. Your job is to observe what’s already there, and give it a voice. Don’t be afraid to let your feelings show through your sketch. The place, the moment, and you – they’re all part of the story.
Try This: Sketch a Place You’ve Never Been
Even if you’re not packing your bags any time soon, your creativity doesn’t have to stay home. One of the best ways to build your observation skills and personal style is to sketch places you’ve never been – using your imagination or reference photos.
Picture a rooftop in Barcelona. Would you start loose and colourful, or carefully outline the curves? Imagine a rainy street in London. Would your lines hunker down too, dark and brisk? What if you tried sketching Brighton’s seafront without a single ruler-straight line?
Let your brain travel. These mental sketches aren’t just for fun – they help build instincts and flexibility. They prepare you for new scenes, and challenge you to adjust your style based on mood, light, and layout – not just habit.
And who knows? You might surprise yourself. Sometimes your best sketch doesn’t come from a place you’ve visited. It comes from imagining how it might feel to be there.
Let the Buildings Teach You: Mindfulness and Enhanced Learning
One of the most underestimated skills in urban sketching is listening. Not just looking – really noticing how a place feels. That’s where mindfulness comes in.
Some scenes are loud. Some are quiet. Some change as you draw them. When you treat each place like a collaborator, not just a subject, your whole approach starts to shift. Ian often adjusts his sketching kit depending on location – fast pens and light colour in busy places, more tonal layering and patient lines in quieter scenes.
This sensitivity to place doesn’t just make for better sketches – it deepens your experience as a sketcher. It keeps you present. It softens the need for perfection and replaces it with purpose.
And when you sketch like that – whether you’re in Barcelona, Brighton, London or your own high street – you start to realise that buildings don’t just shape the skyline. They shape you.
Final Thoughts: What the Buildings Ask of Us
Sketching isn’t about getting every brick in the right place. It’s about capturing how you felt standing there, pen in hand, trying to make sense of it all.
Some buildings will want structure. Others want speed. Some call for softness. Others invite boldness or spontaneity. And none of them are wrong. They’re just different.
So next time you’re out sketching and something feels “off,” try asking yourself – is it the building? Is it the light? What’s it asking of me?
Then go with it. You’re not drawing for perfection – you’re sketching for connection. And every building has a different way of showing you what matters.
We’re all learning – one crooked window at a time.
Why not share a sketch of a place you’ve never been in the student gallery this week? Real or imagined, it’s a great way to stretch your creativity and spark a new conversation.
Ready to learn more?
Interested in sketching architecture and buildings? Discover our full range of online urban sketching courses, designed to help you build confidence and skill – from capturing quick street scenes to drawing detailed facades. Learn at your own pace with guidance from artist Ian Fennelly
