Urban Sketching Handbook People and Motion: Tips and Techniques for Drawing on Location

by Gabriel Campanario

Award-winning illustrator Gabriel Campanario first introduced his approach to drawing in The Art of Urban Sketching, a showcase of more than 500 sketches and drawing tips shared by more than 100 urban sketchers around the world. Now, he drills down into specific challenges of making sketches on location, rain or shine, quickly or slowly, and the most suitable techniques for every situation, in The Urban Sketching Handbook series.

It's easy to overlook that ample variety of characters that walk the streets everyday. From neighbors, dog walkers and shoppers to dancers and joggers, the people that move through the cities and towns are fascinating subjects to study and sketch. In The Urban Sketching Handbook: People and Motion Gabriel lays out keys to help make the experience of drawing humans and movements fun and rewarding. Using composition, depth, scale, contrast, line and creativity, sketching out citizens and the way they move has never been more inspirational and entertaining. This guide will help you to develop your own creative approach, no matter what your skill level may be today. As much as The Urban Sketching Handbook: People and Motion may inspire you to draw more individuals, it can also help to increase your appreciation of the folks around you. Drawing our postal workers, shopkeeps and neighbors, is a great way to show your appreciation and creativity.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Drawing, Architecture, Reference

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another clear and concise book that is easy to read and get tips from about drawing people when out in the field. It is small enough to pop into a messenger bag or backpack and use as a reference. Most of the art in it was inspiring and well done. I dropped a star on this one because I wasn't sure a super beginner would get as much out of this one as the architecture book. Still a great reference book and I am glad I added this one to my collection. I like how easy to read these are and also how focused on showing examples of actual artwork.

[burgos · Rating 4 out of 5]

great handbook for anyone who wants to learn about urban sketching! really well organized and easy to understand, which clear and concise points and a really nice gallery of urban sketches!

[Priyanka Konagondala · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the name suggests its a bunch of tricks and tips and not a guide to help draw people well. For a noob like me, this book wasn't much help if you want to learn to draw anatomy. But nevertheless its a great book with beautiful illustrations. If you've read other urban sketching books by Campanario, its always concise and boiled down to basics of topic discussed. As such with any skill, you always learn with a lot of practice and this book helps to get you started on that..
I have'nt done the challenges given in the book yet. That should help a lot with making better sketches of people

[Michael Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book — not an instruction manual, but a well-organized collection of quick sketch examples and general tips on how to go about making these kinds of sketches on the fly. I like the habit of listing the kinds/brands of paper and drawing media used in each example. The book is not as detailed as I would have liked, but I suspect it was not meant to be.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have been reading this in between painting lots of people, in more portrait style. Want to improve on the go people sketching and this book offers lots of good tips on how to do that. Good investment to dip back into again and again for gestures, expressions, action, etc.

[Alexander Fontana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of the material was covered in other books.

[Juliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent resource for urban sketching from this great little series. This was a textbook for a class I took on sketching people.

[Allen Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this little book. Good ideas to simplify sketches of people when appropriate.

[this is not tasneem · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a good pocket book with concise tips and instructions!! i

[Elevia Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

“drawing is taking a line for a walk. . .my pen goes on a journey to tell a story.”

[Mai M Ibrahim · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب لطيف خالص وحجمه صغير والرسومات حلوة ..
هصور الكتاب ع قناة عن الفن ع اليوتيوب لو حد مهتم
@3nelfn
بصور الكتب الورقية اللي بستعيرها من المكتبة العامة وبنزلها ع انستجرام
@mai.designer92

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much of it applicable to field sketching birds also.

[Pat Loughery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered Gabriel Companario this summer through a discovery of urban sketching, and was pleased to see that he's now in my hometown Seattle. I'm a fan of Gabi's eye and style - he sketches everyday neighborhood things, and his work is loose and free. I loved his Art of Urban Sketching: Drawing on Location Around the World book, and when the two new Urban Sketching Handbooks were announced I preordered them. This is my favorite of the three, because it's a simple and effective look at sketching people in scenes. Gabi has a gift for describing this skill in an approachable way, and I've been sketching as often as possible in the past few days since I began reading, then finished this book. I'll revisit it (and his other two) often.

[Hidaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very light and visually pleasing.. Quick few basics.. Need to practice to get it fully, and I loved the sketching space ; will probably read it again..

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

very helpful hints with excellent illustrative examples of different ways to interpret the instructions.

[Dymar De Claro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative! Love this.

[Proxima Das · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gabe Campanario's book on sketching people & motion in "urban sketches" is more about the approach towards drawing people, rather than a step-by-step guide on how to draw people. I've always struggled incorporating people in my sketches, and this book helped me nail down the framework that I'd need to draw believable (albeit not necessarily nailing down the likeness of the subject) humans in my drawings.

I borrowed the book from the library to be able to pick up some quick tips & tricks, but upon finishing the book I feel the need to own it, as it can be a useful resource to refer back to now and then.


Here are some sketches I drew during the time I was reading the book, and I can see the difference in my sketches -