Draw Tip Tuesdays - How to See Like an Artist

Welcome to Draw Tip Tuesday! Can you use negative shapes when urban sketching? I’ve been having so much fun exploring them lately, so in this Draw Tip Tuesday I’ll show you how I focus on the space around a building to make the scene come to life. Looking at a reference photo from Unsplash.com, I start by blocking in the shapes of trees and foliage first, letting the house appear by what I don’t draw. I’ll share how I use mark making, layering, and limited color to create depth and contrast. At the end of the video, I have a fun assignment for you to help train your eyes to see shapes differently. Keep it playful and don’t worry about accuracy; you’re training your eyes to see differently. Materials I used in this video - Green colored pencils (various shades, including light and dark green) - Pencil sharpener - Reference photo from Unsplash.com While urban sketching is usually done on location, I am using a photo for this demonstration so you can clearly see the approach. If you want to learn more about the Urban Sketchers Organisation, visit https://urbansketchers.org/ And if you want to come urban sketching with me, I have a bunch of in-person workshops lined up for 2026 so we can draw on location together. https://www.koosjekoene.com/workshops BOOK Get a copy of my book "Life is better when you draw it": https://www.koosjekoene.com/book JOIN ME ON PATREON Help me keep making these videos weekly for free. For just a small monthly contribution, you'd make a huge difference. And you're doing yourself a favor, because on Patreon, I’ll keep you inspired and motivated with more encouragement, ideas, projects and processes, tips and tricks: https://www.patreon.com/koosjekoene Or buy me a coffee to show you're appreciation: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/phkUNCsJY LIVE ONLINE If you like my Draw Tip Tuesday Videos, you'll probably also like my monthly live online sessions. I'd love to see you there! Join my upcoming online mini-workshop, or learn from me in person here: https://www.koosjekoene.com/workshops Video Editing: Robert Ferenc Copyrights Koosje Koene https://www.koosjekoene.com https://www.patreon.com/koosjekoene