SeeTheLines TOP 10 Sketching Challenges to Overcome To Succeed

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Commonly we obsessive types can get fixated on one object before mov-
ing on to the next fixation. This can cause our sketches to take a long time 
and end up never finishing them because you used up all your creative 
juice too early on. Try working through your sketch in “layers of depth”. 
In 4-5 passes. Start with a larger scale and work your way to micro scale 
with each pass through the entire sketch. Do a scanning method working 
from one side of the page to the other. If you’re right handed, from left to 
right, and vice-versa.
Sketching detail could be represented in a number of ways. If there are a 
lot of detailed elements in your scene, you could choose to focus on one 
part and do it well with finite detail, and the rest would be suggestive/ 
loose. Consider holding your pen with a different grip in the lesser de-
tailed areas. A loose grip, gracefully laying in your hand - this grip will 
translate into your sketch as a confident relaxed sketch.
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Learn exactly what people just like you are struggling with when it comes to 
sketching and how you can overcome these obstacles with intuitive understanding. 
TOP 10 Sketching Challenges To Overcome To 
SeeTheL inesSeeTheL ines and Become A Super Sketcher
How do I strengthen my ability to SEE 
and produce detail? 
I struggle to finish a sketch because I overthink it, 
how do I simplify sketching and finish it?
Being an introverted urban sketcher can have it’s fears with being seen 
and observed whilst sketching. Here are a few ways to help this:
 1. Make a game out of it by assuming an alter ego when sketching, i.e. 
envision yourself as a superhero sketcher, dress differently, even with a 
“sketching name”. 
2.Situate yourself with your back against a wall so you see who is near/ 
no one can peek or look from over your shoulder.
3. Wear headphones 
And lastly, maybe this fear is actually a sign for you that it could be the 
very thing that you’ll love when you accomplish it.
The best times of day to capture a dramatic shadow is early in the morn-
ing and later in the day near sunset hour because this is when the sun is 
closer to the horizon. This will cast long shadows and interesting details to 
enhance in your sketch. When finding your scene whether from a photo 
or on-location it’s important to be aware of where the light source is com-
ing from and that most of the building faces you sketch are in the sunlight. 
Sketching most of the building in shade can tend to be a challenge and is 
considered an expert level representation.
This is commonly a challenge. We tend to want to sketch every single 
leaf or even that classic cartoon tree. One suggestion for this is to bring 
select leaves to focus, defined, then the rest as suggestive. In real life our 
eyes don’t see every single leaf in its detail all at once, we see by focus-
ing on one thing after the other. There are quite a bit of dark values and 
shadows in trees/plants, so it’s okay to darken those tones with either a 
solid brush stroke or pen hatching.
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I am very shy to be watched urban sketching… 
I would rather be the one watching
How do I capture the best light and shadow?
I get anxious sketching trees and plants, how do I 
sketch trees not too detailed or too cartoonish?
There is a simple rule of thumb when it comes to understanding perspec-
tive: as long as you apply these principles intuitively you will consistently 
create eye-catching sketches. 
1. Find your eye level on the page.
2. Whatever is above the eye level line is going to be drawn down to-
wards it, think of this bar as a magnet. The higher the view, the sharper 
the angle the line is drawn DOWN. 
3. Now that you know where all lines vanish towards, you know that any 
line below the eye level magnet is going to be drawn UP towards it. 
4. Rule of thumb: “Whatever is up is down, and whatever is down is up.
First create a grid on your paper with your pencil as a grid square di-
mension. This will be your ruler and boundary. If you stick to your pencil 
sighting tool as a guide throughout the first step of capturing your scene 
you will be set for the rest of the sketch. For example, a door can be half 
a pencil height (grid) tall, and from there on forth you can connect pro-
portions like a puzzle.
When urban sketching, people are just a figure for scale. They’re sugges-
tive rather than super realistic - but it all depends on the style you’re go-
ing for. If you want emphasis on the architecture and scene then it’s okay 
to let the people in the sketch be back drop drawings. I recommend look-
ing at these examples for people sketches: @jrsketchbook; @marekbad64
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Drawing perspective is a challenge, how do I 
sketch confidently from any viewing angle?
I have a hard time fitting my view onto the 
page, how do I make sure the sketch fits?
Drawing people is a challenge, 
how do I overcome this difficulty?
1. Upon the arrival of discovering your scene to sketch before doing any-
thing, stop and close your eyes and take three deep breaths. With your 
eyes continued closed, process in your mind your experience of arriving 
to where you are now. How did you get there? By car, train, or walking? 
How did that feel? Did you graze your fingers along the brick wall or feel 
the leaves of that tree as you passed by? What is the scent in the air? The 
feeling of the sunlight on your neck? This is a mini meditation to practice 
appreciation of the moment and to truly get you to imbue your sense of 
place in your sketch. If you are sketching at home from a photo refer-
ence you could use your imagination to visualize - go wild, envision your 
dream reality and open your eyes and experience the sketch you are 
about to create.
Try the “7 minute Super Sketch” exercise. Fast in the moment, cap-
turing the energy of the space and drawn in color pencil so you can’t 
erase. This sketch is supposed to “fail”. It’s meant for you to get it out 
of your system and all on the page. That way when you tackle the more 
polished sketch you’ll have a strong sense of what you are sketching in a 
mind/body muscle memory kind-of-way. This exercise also can be used 
to do several times over and over. They will eventually be the sketch you 
really look forward to doing because there is no pressure at all for it to 
be a failed one or not. This helps with building confidence and speed!
First, you have the right intention knowing that sketching is about living in 
the moment. This can be difficult when we don’t have it as a natural habit, 
being pulled left and right by distractions. The best ways to increase your 
experience of true appreciation, it is suggested to do the following:
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Lack of Confidence & Finding the Time to Sketch 
I struggle with being present and rush myself 
through the process while urban sketching...
seethelines.com let’s sketch!