How to Urban Sketch Using Pen and Watercolors: Full Process with Tips.

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Hi everyone, today I'm sharing with you my full process of how I compose an urban sketch in my art journal. This sketch took me 35 minutes before I go grocery shopping. First of all, I show you how to simplify an complex scene. Please watch the video until the end for lots of sketching tips with pen and watercolor. 😊
Every day is a good day to make art. We don't need fancy subjects, but we need to pay attention to the beauty in the mundane.
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We don't have to go very far from home to make art. Opportunities are everywhere. All we need is an appreciation of life. 😉
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#artjournal #urbansketching #watercolor

[@BeckyCao]

Hi everyone! If you've been enjoying my KZbin videos, consider supporting me by tipping on my Ko-fi page to help keep these helpful tutorials coming: ko-fi.com/caobecky You can also join my live online classes on Zoom every weekend to learn more in-depth techniques and truly improve your skills: ko-fi.com/caobecky/shop I truly appreciate your continued interest and support for my art and teaching!

[@joseager5533]

very helpful, I always get quite scared when I see a very busy scene and don't know where to start. Thanks.

[@ladyhollman9534]

Wow!!! That ink sketch …. Amazing!

[@corncobpipe4]

Wow, Becky! You are such an amazing teacher! I know I would feel too overwhelmed to try a scene like this, but when you break it down in steps, it seems possible. Your advice about trusting your eyes, looking at shapes in relation to each other, and connections between objects is so incredibly helpful. Thank you so very much for making these videos. They are like a master course in sketching! 😀👍💖🌷🌟

[@BeckyCao]

Hi Tess, I'm glad it was helpful! Thank you for your compliments! ☺️❤️

[@paza65]

First time watching you and I'm so impressed. I was seriously just thinking to myself about the main thing that stops me from doing more sketching; that is my being to literal, when you mention focusing on shapes and forms instead. It's very hard for me to see a 3D scene in terms of 2D shapes so I get frustrated at my results. You will be inspiring me to do more- thank you.

[@busra8844]

Çok yeteneklisin ve sanata bakış açını seviyorum

[@BeckyCao]

Çok teşekkür ederim!

[@cazkiwinz4300]

Totally enjoyed this and your process....and yes, I’d love to see more! 🥰🥰🥰

[@wenDesigner]

I absolutely love your sketch journals!! Thank you for inspiring my inner artist again, Becky! ❤

[@angeloc4192]

Beautiful sketch. Thank you sharing your work, and especially all the thoughtful commentaries. Very helpful!

[@claireglendenning1]

Your artwork is sublime! Thank you for the inspiration. So calming and therapeutic to watch in these crazy times. 😊

[@marielouisedavidson4834]

Soooo helpful! I very much appreciate this! Just what i needed!

[@robertcook2572]

Amazing! You've turned a humdrum and uninspiring scene into an attractive and interesting sketch. That's some skill!

[@BeckyCao]

Thank you so much 😀

[@leslie-annepepin8927]

Wow! So amazing how it all comes together! Thank you for sharing.

[@clairebradbury11]

Thank you for the useful tips. I loved seeing your sketchbook at the beginning. Very inspiring!

[@joywhitley3141]

Love watching you. Your cars come together so easily as does the building. It’s very loose and beautiful.

[@brunonorte2004]

I loved your tips. Thank you for them!

[@pastichehaus]

This was so enjoyable to watch and to listen to. Beautiful sketch. 🥰

[@desireevidal5164]

Your work is truly inspiring. I appreciate your calm yet methodical approach to capturing the beauty in the everyday.

[@julanmar]

Oh, I love this. You have cause me to think of a whole different way to look at a sketch. Thanks so much!

[@louannroach1826]

Such an inspiration. I hope to some day be able to do sketches half this good.

[@juliejacobs6070]

Absolutely beautiful!

[@brigittenorris6534]

Amazing! I’m just started out, and your video was one of the best I’ve seen yet. Thank you 😊

[@manjarisivakumar3279]

This is absolutely fantastic

[@ShanaGlee]

Beautiful! Inspiring!

[@johnpradarelli9991]

Lovely sketch. I really enjoy your approach and style!

[@scottmerriman8549]

Love this, very helpful!

[@neidedegouvea]

Thank you very much for this beautiful artwork ❤🙏

[@sketchninja7005]

Nice! Amazing style! Love your art and technique

[@shie4697]

Thank you so much Becky for sharing this! I learned a lot. Now I’m more encouraged to do urban scenes!

[@darcyreads]

I saw this in your IG and I was in love!! Thank you for this Becky ❤

[@jonathanbaron7614]

Becky - love watching your videos. Thank you for sharing tips about how to ink and then apply watercolor.

[@ualman]

Really really like it. It’s inspiration to go out and sketch. Thank you very much for all the tips.

[@anne-mariemarshall3105]

Wonderful sketch book.

[@Heidi.M]

I really like when you show your sketch books in the beginning. They’re so beautiful. Keep up the good work.

[@deborahbickmore3743]

I love to watch you paint. But I like it better when you tell us what you're doing, rather than listening to music.

[@emmavj6120]

Really helpful and inspiring video, thank you. I love your style.

[@martinmcconnell4872]

Love this video, I'm new to your channel and find your approach very inspiring, look forward to more. Thank you 😊

[@darlenemc3586]

Thank you for being so open about your thinking process. You are a wonderful human and teacher, plus an amazingly good artist! You are an inspiration to all artists!! 🌿🌺💖 God Bless

[@iruleba]

Hi, Becky! I have been seeing your work all over the internet. It is so good to put a face to the name. Thanks!

[@lauralu4175]

Beautiful!!! 🎉🥰🌺💖🌸💐

[@priscillawarren9979]

Remarkable ability. Thank you for the lesson. Drawing cars has been hard.

[@katsmith8263]

Enjoyed the video, especially the sketchbook flip through in the beginning!

[@hiddenrhythmsmusiccircles]

I’m just starting with sketching and watercolor. This video, seeing your process step by step has been AMAZINGLY helpful. Thank you so much!

[@scottkendall5655]

I enjoyed watching your process, very useful and intructional.

[@donaldlahti1882]

Wow!! Incredible art skills

[@joankazanowski461]

Wow! That is so good! Very involved❤

[@suzanneboily5224]

Love your works

[@KizetteandTotoro]

I like to paint landscapes mainly. Just recently, I have started looking into urban sketching. I’m so glad your video poped up on the recommended list. I would have never thought that watching someone paint a car park would be so compelling. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. I love your style, the limited palette you use and I think you are a great teacher. You broke down the steps you use to simplify and convey what you see onto paper, beautifully. Wonderful! (Subscribed immediately)

[@taraburke9282]

Love it! Thank you!

[@sakuraochida]

Deine Zeichnungen sind wunderschön.

[@beatrizhosken4258]

Thank you it was good to know the perspective and techniques you use. I am knew to urban sketching and I love your demonstration

[@suzanneboily5224]

You inspire me! Your wonderful.

[@colourwheel5703]

You make it look so easy Becky. Nicely done. Thank you. Hello from southern Ontario. 😃

[@thcdenton]

Never done this before, never been good at art, but I've started to practice. Your style is really cool so I'm gonna try to do it this way.

[@NanciesArt11]

Delightful music to accompany the Urban Sketching. Are You or Your Mum playing? Thanks for sharing.

[@redcoralstrand]

Awesome!

[@elizabethpaints]

Hi Becky, Really enjoyed your video, especially your tips. I never thought of beginning a composition with the smaller components first, ie the light pole. But watching you progress through it certainly makes a lot sense. I definitely gained more knowledge from you today, and so much appreciate it! Will be applying your tips to my next session of urban painting, and looking for more of your videos!

[@BeckyCao]

Thank you for your appreciation! I’m glad that my techniques are helpful for you. ☺️

[@caroladams2222]

I cam amazed by how good your sketch book is. You are an amazing illustrator. You have a good eye because that parking lot was not interesting looking until you painted it. I will definitely be looking you up in the future. Keep up the good work.

[@patroach1863]

I enjoy watching your videos and hope I can learn your techniques as I progress. You make it look so easy.

[@IvanGonzalezUK]

Beautiful! I feel peaceful...Thanks

[@krystalannawilliams2653]

🙏

[@jonatasvalentim5188]

Amazing!

[@nadjabezjak9663]

This is exactly what I was looking for. I love this video 🤩🤩🤩

[@BeckyCao]

I'm so glad! 😊

[@jerrykeeton6607]

Very nice , thanks for sharing .

[@river2711]

Becky thank you for sharing your talent! You are an amazing instructor and artist and I'm sure your gifts will help so many people going forward. Shalom

[@BeckyCao]

Thank you so much for your appreciation, Shalom! 🥰

[@Papercitystudio]

Love it!!

[@carlosschubert1659]

Gracias maravilloso!!!!

[@nacanakryzmir4981]

You really inspired me

[@user-jz6ws4el9y]

Nice 👍

[@rebeccawilliams4010]

WOW this was so insightful. I am such a perfectionist with my art and I struggle to draw and paint loosely but this really inspired me and your sketchbook/ journal is absolutely incredible. You are so talented. love from beki xx

[@BeckyCao]

Glad it was helpful Becca! 🥰 Thank you for your appreciation.

[@bcrem67]

Great instruction Becky, thank you! Just dipping my toe into urban sketching - followed along with this video and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. :) Well, except for the cars, mine really suck. And the trees, too, a bit - but they're not as bad as the cars, good god they're awful. But the sign's not half bad, and the building itself is (relatively) awesome!!! Thoroughly recognizable as a man-made structure. :P Please keep it up!

[@kaygroft8135]

Great stuff!

[@Janartable]

Just fabulous. Watching it again….and of course I just subscribed!

[@BeckyCao]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it! 😀

[@brittamai5367]

Very cool explanation of one-point-perspective. Thanks so much!

[@BeckyCao]

You're very welcome Britta ☺️

[@rinavogels2712]

Thanks so much for sharing 😊🙏 It really helps, also with the text under your video!

[@BeckyCao]

Glad it was helpful! You are welcome 😊🌼

[@getsomecolourinyourlifedav2478]

I love this urban sketch style, I'm going to do more like this for my youtube channel, its lovely and free 👌👌👌

[@bassemb]

So many good tips! the connection technique especially... and when you said not to worry about small overlaps. I am trying to learn how to sketch loosely but efficiently, without doing a pencil sketch first and without making perfect lines. This is very helpful, thank you!

[@BeckyCao]

Glad it was helpful! 😊 Thank you for your appreciation.

[@wizalnahian]

That’s amazing 🤩

[@Yohualli]

I like your video. I’m trying to get into urban sketching, and your video helped me learn new things. Maybe it’s just because I’m a newby, but I would have liked to see a reference photo on a corner of the video while you worked on your sketch, just to see more clearly how you were translating what you saw out there into a watercolor painting

[@peterlennig]

Calming, instructive and most inspiring. Happy to have found your channel. Peter 🌱

[@BeckyCao]

Thank you and welcome! 😊

[@AngieMaeart]

Love your work! You are so delightful!

[@BeckyCao]

Thank you so much! ☺️

[@cheryls_creative7048]

Thanks so much, this was really helpful! Subbed!

[@vinsenanda]

Lovely drawing... I like this video.. 😇

[@OscarRios]

Beautiful

[@llucas2008]

One thing I noticed with your art journaling is that you are very good with page layout proportions. Yes you add different elements like your cups of coffee and fruits etc but then you add the sceneries for your urban sketching. I’m still trying to figure layouts with my journals. I love to watch job’s journal for his layout for his ephemera But I admire your watercolour layouts too. They complement each other. Kudos!

[@cazkiwinz4300]

This is my fave video, imma keep watching over and over!

[@BeckyCao]

Yay! Thank you for your appreciation!

[@cazkiwinz4300]

I keep coming back to it, I told ya.....haha, I love it so much :) it’s so inspiring 🤗🤗🤗 I like to watch it while falling asleep, it makes me want to paint

[@cazkiwinz4300]

Still coming back regularly! 🤗🤗🤗

[@joneal8698]

Thanks for the advice to connect things together as you go and to see with the innocence of a child, and hatching the trees!! My trees always fall flat and now I see why! Your sketchbook was so delightful too. Thank you!!

[@BeckyCao]

My pleasure! Thank you for your appreciation 😊🎨

[@krystalannawilliams2653]

📊

[@filipecalixto7440]

MUITO LINDO ❤️🇧🇷

[@ginnysullivan5507]

First time I've seen your work, but it won't be the last time. Thank you. wonderful and inspiring. I don't see the pen you used listed anywhere. What kind please? lovely teaching style

[@BeckyCao]

Hi Ginny, thank you for your appreciation! 😊 I used a uni-pin 0.5mm drawing pen. They come with a bundle of different tip sizes. I bought them on Amazon.

[@joanpringle-canning2834]

🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗

[@manfredorth9555]

Hallo Becky , ich bin ein Fan von Dir aus Germany, ich frage mich ist be euch noch kein Winter oder Weihnachten.

[@getsomecolourinyourlifedav2478]

Wow great video, I'm new to your channel "subscribed"

[@OkieSketcher1949]

I enjoyed watching you sketch and paint this scene. Really good. My only complaint is the captions on the screen. For me the font is much too small to read, especially when you used white letters. Next time, can you make the font a bit larger and use a color that really contrasts with the background? Other than that, this was a very good sketch and watercolor. You did simplify the scene but did not do it so much as to lose the the scene. Thank you.

[@helenpark6330]

Hi Becky thank you for the paintings. What sketchbook are you using in this video? It’s looks nice and white and lays very flat. Thanks!

[@BeckyCao]

It’s the Arteza Watercolor sketchbook. I bought it on Amazon.

[@helenpark6330]

@@BeckyCao thank you!!

[@robinwild1]

Beautiful, Becky. In one of your videos you used a fountain pen instead of a fine liner. I am curious why did you choose to stick with the highliner as your pen of choice?

[@BeckyCao]

Thank you. The fountain pen got clogged with the ink I was using ( even though it says non-clogging on the ink package, it still clogged up the pen over time). So I just went back to regular fine liner pens. No hassle.

[@robinwild1]

@@BeckyCao thanks for your feedback. I have heard fountain pens get clogged a lot, even with care. I never know what to think when I read about sketchers online always promoting them. I often think it might be because they are wanting bonuses for the promotion.

[@agyflo286]

Hi! what is the brand of those watercolours? They look very good and handy to take anywhere.

[@BeckyCao]

It is a Mungyo watercolor box with 12 colors in it.

[@alissaglover8562]

You make it look so easy 😆❤️ May I ask what sketchbook and pen you use?

[@BeckyCao]

Thank you. I am currently using Arteza watercolor sketchbook, and Etchr drawing pens.

[@krystalannawilliams2653]

😁

[@emmacampsvera7594]

HI Becky, amazing sketch!!, which sketchbook is? Thanks

[@BeckyCao]

It's an Arteza watercolor sketchbook. :)

[@sschwarz2547]

Ver y helpful. Thank you. What is the name (brand) of your palette? thank you

[@BeckyCao]

Thank you! I was using Mungyo watercolors.

[@sschwarz2547]

Thank you Becky.

[@nikkiwells1688]

How do you create the very loose lines. No matter how hard I try I can’t do it.😩

[@BeckyCao]

It's the mindset that create loose lines. I think we need to be relaxed and open-minded when drawing. The more we think about what kind of results we want, the harder it is to achieve it. We need to let go...

[@farnooshmahini9442]

chiaroscuro