How to Embrace Looseness in Your Urban Sketching
Have you ever found yourself gripping your pen too tightly, obsessing over every detail, or feeling frustrated that your sketch isn’t “as loose as Ian”? If so, you’re not alone. Many urban sketchers, especially beginners, struggle with the pressure to get everything just right while maintaining character and fluidity in their scene. But the truth is, the magic of urban sketching lies in its energy, flow, and imperfections.
Learning to let go and loosen up can transform your sketching experience from stressful to joyful. By embracing freedom and spontaneity, you’ll not only improve your art but also rediscover the simple pleasure of creating.
Here’s how to start letting go, in 5 simple tips…
#1 Break Your Subject into Basic Shapes
Complex scenes can feel overwhelming, as can that blank piece of paper. Try taking a step back and simplify them by reducing what you see into basic shapes:
• A building becomes a rectangle.
• The roof becomes a triangle.
• Trees become circles or ovals.
• Windows become loose squares.
• The road becomes a line across the page.
Sketch quickly and loosely, focusing on the overall composition. Small details can come out to play in later stages.
Tip: Hold your pen loosely, like you’re gently stirring a cup of tea. Avoid the urge to clutch it tightly – this helps keep your lines relaxed and free-flowing.
#2 Use Continuous Lines
A fun and freeing technique is to create a sketch without lifting your pen off the page.
• Spend a few minutes mentally analyzing your scene.
• Start at one point and let your pen wander as you “trace” the scene in front of you.
• Tackle each object as your pen approaches it.
• Don’t worry if lines overlap or if proportions are off — this is part of the charm!
Continuous line drawing encourages flow and prevents you from hesitating or second-guessing. Plus, the final result often has a beautiful, energetic quality that perfectly reflects the liveliness of urban spaces.
#3 Embrace Imperfection with Colour
Loosening up doesn’t just apply to your pen techniques, it also means embracing colour in an expressive way.
• Instead of meticulously colouring inside the lines, use loose, bold colour splashes. Let your watercolours or markers spill beyond the edges of your sketch.
• Use splashing techniques to imitate pebbles, rockery, leaves, chewing gum, the sky… the possibilities are endless
• Try adding only 2-3 colours to your scene – this simplifies your palette and keeps things fresh.
When you embrace imperfection in colour, your sketches take on a spontaneous and lively quality. Remember: urban sketching is about storytelling, not realism.
#4 Practice Daily, Even if It’s Tiny
The more you sketch, the more relaxed and confident you’ll become. Commit to a daily sketch, no matter how small:
• A quick drawing of your morning coffee.
• The view from your window.
• A bustling street corner you pass on your walk.
The act of sketching regularly — not perfectly — is what will loosen you up over time. Each sketch builds your muscle memory, your style, and most importantly, your enjoyment.
#5 Let the Scene Guide You
When sketching on location, let go of control.
• Don’t try to “fix” everything. Let lampposts be crooked, roof lines to slope or pavements to crack. Capture what’s interesting to you, not what you think the scene necessarily looks like in reality.
• Take in the atmosphere: the sounds, the weather, and the movement around you. Sketch how the moment feels, not just how it looks.
This mindset will free you to enjoy the process rather than stressing over the result.
Ready to learn more?
Learn the art of urban sketching with Ian Fennelly in our Beginner’s course as he guides you through 47 easy-to-follow lessons, with practical exercises, that transform you from complete beginner to skilled urban sketcher!
