The Urban Sketcher - by Marc Taro Holmes (Paperback)

About the Book

You'll love this drawing book if: You want to learn urban sketching techniques You like to make pen and ink, watercolor, and pencil art Join the Urban Sketching movement and capture the bustle and beauty of life around you. From coffee shops to busy streets, you'll learn from author Marc Taro Holmes how easy it is to get started in urban sketching and how quickly you'll find a passion for drawing on location in the cities and villages you live and travel in. This workshop book will teach you how to draw inspiration from real life. Learn to capture not just what you see but also the energy and what it feels like to be there in the moment. With this guide you will learn what minimal supplies you need to get started, practical advice for working in the field, choosing subjects, capturing people in motion and more. Whether you are a seasoned artist or habitual doodler, The Urban Sketcher will have you out in the world sketching from the very first page. Inside The Urban Sketcher you'll find: 15 stepbystep demonstrations covering techniques for creating expressive drawings using pencil, pen and ink, and watercolor Expert tips for achieving balance of accuracy, spontaneity and speed Daily exercises and prompts for everything from improving essential skills to diverse approaches for montages, storytelling portraits, and onepage graphic novels A Word from the Author "If you work through the exercises and stepbystep demonstrations in order, using places and things found in your daily life, you'll gradually be introduced to all the essential skills of urban sketching. What's even better is that you'll be out in the world sketching from the very first day. You'll experience your city in a new light, you'll get better drawings by working first hand, and you'll bring back stories to go with them."

Book Synopsis

Make the world your studio!

Capture the bustle and beauty of life in your town.

Experience life as only an artist can! Join the rapidly growing, international movement of artists united by a passion for drawing on location in the cities, towns and villages where they live and travel. Packed with art and advice from Marc Taro Holmes, artist and co-founder of Urbansketchers.org, this self-directed workshop shows you how to draw inspiration from real life and bring that same excitement into your sketchbook. Inside you'll find everything you need to tackle subjects ranging from still lifes and architecture to people and busy street scenes.

- 15 step-by-step demonstrations cover techniques for creating expressive drawings using pencil, pen and ink, and watercolor.
- Expert tips for achieving a balance of accuracy, spontaneity and speed.
- Practical advice for working in the field, choosing subjects, coping with onlookers, capturing people in motion and more.
- Daily exercises and creative prompts for everything from improving essential skills to diverse approaches, such as montages, storytelling portraits and one-page graphic novels.

Whether you are a habitual doodler or a seasoned artist, The Urban Sketcher will have you out in the world sketching from the very first page. By completing drawings on the spot, in one session, you achieve a fresh impression of not just what you see, but also what it feels like to be there . . . visual life stories as only you can experience them.

About the Author

Marc Taro Holmes has enjoyed a 25-year career as a professional sketch artist designing creatures and characters at video game and animation studios including Microsoft, Electronic Arts and Disney.
Along the way he joined the international sketching collective UrbanSketchers.org as a founding board member, city-correspondent for Montreal, and eventually, a globe-trotting USK workshop instructor.

Marc keeps an ever-growing blog of free drawing and painting lessons at CitizenSketcher.com, home of the annual events #OneWeek100People and #30x30DirectWatercolor. He is also the author/presenter of two online sketching courses for Craftsy.com.

Today, Marc is painting in the studio, developing new work in oils and watercolors. Find out more at MarcTaroHolmes.com