Miroslav Sasek, a Czech-born artist, was trained as an architect and made a career in children’s literature with books that depict city life around the world. Being an urban sketcher, it’s impossible not to find Sasek’s charming renditions of buildings,…
I have a bunch of old Life magazines at home that I’ve been browsing recently in search of inspiration. Whenever I find work that catches my eye, I mark it with a post-it note. Here’s an example: An article written…
I hardly came up with an original name for my sketching journal. A reader who recently travelled to Melbourne emailed me a photo of a much, much older instance where the word “Sketcher” featured big in newsprint. It shows a…
Ronald Ginther’s watercolors are a rare visual document of the Depression years in the Seattle area. Ginther painted events he experienced in jails, homeless camps and demonstrations. I’m not sure how much he drew on the spot, but his works…
As far as drawing techniques go, watercolor can be really frustrating. As soon as the paint hits the paper, it seems to take a life of its own. Wait for it to dry, and the results may be far from…
Joshua Boulet is a comic book artist, illustrator and sketcher originally from Texas whose work I just discovered a few months ago. I was particularly captivated by his self-published, 130-page book, Draw Occupy Wall Street, a graphic memoir he inked while living…
I often check out art instruction books from my neighborhood library. But I never spend enough time with any one in particular before they are due back. Keys to Drawing, however, has me hooked from the start. I’m enjoying it so…
The late Robert Weaver is known for his journalistic approach to illustration. The artwork he published in magazines such as Sports Illustrated, Life and Esquire was based on sketches he drew on the field. This week I especially thought of…
I recently discovered the existence of an institute dedicated to reportage drawing: The Melton Prior Institute. It is named after Melton Prior, an English artist who worked for the London Illustrated News back in the days before photography, when newspapers relied on artists to…
Urban sketching is mostly a hobby, but it can also benefit many people in their professional occupations. In his new book, Freehand Drawing and Discovery ($65, Wiley & Sons), urban designer and educator Jim Richards gives urban sketching his stamp of approval…
Urban sketching enthusiasts relish the opportunity to draw a new city while on vacation or on a business trip. Mike Daikubara, an industrial designer based in Boston, took up the hobby in 2000 and is no exception. But he also…
The New York Times includes contributions from artists in its Opinion pages, a practice I wish many newspapers followed. These contributions are called “Op-Art” and consist of artwork that stands by itself, unlike the usual spot illustrations used to accompany…