Quick Figure Sketching in Watercolour
A Shari Blaukopf online demo
If you look back through my early sketchbooks, you’ll notice one thing. My urban scenes rarely contain people. In fact, I used every possible excuse to avoid drawing them — people move too much; they might catch me drawing them; I may wind up with a “bad” drawing. But eventually I realized an important thing. A city is not a city without people in it. And since that realization, I’ve been practicing, practicing, practicing people sketching whenever I can, and adding them to my urban sketches as often as I can.
Practice, practice, practice doesn’t make perfect.
But it does make better.
Over the years, I’ve drawn people thousands of times, in streets and squares, in cafés and restaurants, in waiting rooms and trains (and yes, I’ve improved through practice). Most of the time, I’ve used pencil or pen. But the technique I love best for people sketching is to go directly to watercolour, and that’s what I’ll share with you in this video.
Using a pointy brush, I start by capturing a specific gesture, a contour, maybe a distinct characteristic. I want the figure to look as fresh and lively as the rest of the shapes in a scene. From there, I enliven each figure with colour, pattern, light and shadow — as you’ll see in the video.
3 VIGNETTES WE'LL PAINT IN THIS COURSE
I hope these lessons will help you feel confident sketching people, so you can enliven your own urban scenes. In this video you’ll:
- See first-hand my quick and practical approach to sketching figures on location
- Learn how to use simple lines and washes to capture people quickly and confidently
- Discover how a few well-placed brushstrokes can suggest movement and personality
- Learn how to add life, energy and storytelling to your urban sketches
Curriculum
FAQ
How long is this demo?
It’s almost 1 hour in duration and includes three full-length demos so you can strengthen your figure drawing, paint mixing and painting skills.
How long will I have access to this demo?
Once you sign up, the course is yours to watch as often as you like.
Who is this course for?
This is a course that any sketcher with basic drawing and watercolour skills can follow.
What tools will I need?
We’ll cover sketching tools in some detail at the start of the course, and you can download a list of materials.
Will I have access to all the lessons at once?
Yes, once you register you’ll have access to all the lessons so you can start learning, drawing and painting immediately.
Is the course subtitled?
Yes. You can turn on subtitles in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.
How do I find the courses I am enrolled in?
Go to the top of the page and look for the "My Courses" tab. All the courses you have registered for are right there.
