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5-Minute Sketching -- Architecture: Super-quick Techniques for Amazing Drawings
Sketching has become very popular. In more than 60 cities around the world, from New Jersey, San Diego, and Montreal to as far as Moscow and Australia, "sketch crawls" find artists drawing what they see. A new social network has emerged where these sketch artists meet for group crawls and upload and share their work online. Like coloring, sketching taps into a desire to be creative in the bygone way of pencil and paper. 5-Minute Sketching -- Architecture can help artists of all abilities -- but especially novices -- to understand and reproduce real-life perspective in their drawings. The rules of perspective will become instinctive and the artist can focus on the decorative forms, the setting, the mood, the people, and the activity that gives life to architecture. This book features a comprehensive collection of expert tips, ideas and inspirational examples of amazing 5-minute sketches of architecture. Its bite-sized approach shows how little time is needed to make drawing a part of everyday life. 5-Minute Sketching -- Architecture is an ideal introduction to a rewarding pastime and a new source of inspiration for experienced and lapsed sketchers. It is an important selection in a subject that, together with coloring, has yet to peak.
128 pages, Paperback
Published October 4, 2016
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778 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 15, 2021
I got this book from the library but have added it to my list of books to buy because I would like to have a copy that I can refer back to as I go along, and I am careful about which books I add to that list.
I thought this book is well organized and provides solid, practical tips and advices on quick sketching for architectural subjects. I appreciated that Steel covered a variety of architectural styles, inside and outside of building drawings, and drawings that are architectural in nature but necessarily in primary subject (e.g. ones that focus on people interacting with the buildings). I also really liked that Steel discussed a variety of mediums and that she included work from other artists to give examples of different styles and approaches.
For me, the only real drawback was Steel's use of phrases such as 'it's easy' and 'you just have to' and 'all it takes', and 'all I did'. I am choosing to believe these phrases were included as Steel's attempt to be encouraging in the 'you can do it, it's not as difficult as you think' sense. But I still found these phrases a bit irritating; if it were that easy then I wouldn't need the book, eh. But again, I think Steel was trying to be encouraging so I am taking it in that light.
Overall, this book is a solid resource for this topic and one of the best ones that I have seen on it. I am planning to buy my own copy because, unfortunately, the library would like its copy back.
I thought this book is well organized and provides solid, practical tips and advices on quick sketching for architectural subjects. I appreciated that Steel covered a variety of architectural styles, inside and outside of building drawings, and drawings that are architectural in nature but necessarily in primary subject (e.g. ones that focus on people interacting with the buildings). I also really liked that Steel discussed a variety of mediums and that she included work from other artists to give examples of different styles and approaches.
For me, the only real drawback was Steel's use of phrases such as 'it's easy' and 'you just have to' and 'all it takes', and 'all I did'. I am choosing to believe these phrases were included as Steel's attempt to be encouraging in the 'you can do it, it's not as difficult as you think' sense. But I still found these phrases a bit irritating; if it were that easy then I wouldn't need the book, eh. But again, I think Steel was trying to be encouraging so I am taking it in that light.
Overall, this book is a solid resource for this topic and one of the best ones that I have seen on it. I am planning to buy my own copy because, unfortunately, the library would like its copy back.
July 12, 2021
Things I liked
Information structured to help with specific aspects.
Words of encouragement. But I didn't like the author's way that was dismissive of the effort it takes many artists to achieve things that the author refers to. "You just need to", "You just and it will be ", or "it's that easy".
What I didn't like:
1. A lot of advice is quite basic but this is subjective because I can draw at least to some extend.
2. A lot of advice is very high level and generic and therefore not actionable.
3. A book is actually tiny, a lot of estate is occupied by images - Urban sketching books in general seem to abuse the estate in the book with a lot and sometimes too much of images. This is nice for studying by observing but Internet has more than enough opportunities for this, one doesn't need to buy a book to study works of the other artists.
4. There is a lot of repetition, and the author doesn't even hide that "as we saw previously on p.123..." or "as you know from chapter ABC, p.123...". I would let it go if that was like a 700-page book but in a smaller book like this, especially coupled with a fact that illustrations take at least half, it's not a good thing to have in a book.
Overall I wouldn't spend money on this book if I had a choice. I will probably give it to a local library or a friend.
Information structured to help with specific aspects.
Words of encouragement. But I didn't like the author's way that was dismissive of the effort it takes many artists to achieve things that the author refers to. "You just need to", "You just and it will be ", or "it's that easy".
What I didn't like:
1. A lot of advice is quite basic but this is subjective because I can draw at least to some extend.
2. A lot of advice is very high level and generic and therefore not actionable.
3. A book is actually tiny, a lot of estate is occupied by images - Urban sketching books in general seem to abuse the estate in the book with a lot and sometimes too much of images. This is nice for studying by observing but Internet has more than enough opportunities for this, one doesn't need to buy a book to study works of the other artists.
4. There is a lot of repetition, and the author doesn't even hide that "as we saw previously on p.123..." or "as you know from chapter ABC, p.123...". I would let it go if that was like a 700-page book but in a smaller book like this, especially coupled with a fact that illustrations take at least half, it's not a good thing to have in a book.
Overall I wouldn't spend money on this book if I had a choice. I will probably give it to a local library or a friend.
July 19, 2020
I have been reading a lot of books about sketching and drawing recently. I have been looking more for inspiration than for technique, and for this purpose this book is very good. On the other hand, even though there are a few pages on perspective, the content is insufficient to really nail the technique and train the eye and I wouldn't recomend it to anyone trying to learn perspective or how to start a sketch from scratch if they have never done it before.
The tips for simplifying the sketch are great and I will definiteky try some of them, but looking at the examples featured in the book, it seems to me that plenty of them would take more than 5-minutes to draw. There are also several repeated tips, but as these are frequently related to different media, which is always interesting to test, I enjoyed Steel's approach.
I know the author uses more frequently watercolour - as most urban sketchers do - but I am a fan of markers and, unfortunately, there are only a couple of pages on techniques using those. I am after recommendations of marker-based sketch publications by the way, if you know some please send them my way!
Finally, this book features plenty of examples (great for inspiration) and the presentation is beautiful with great paper and beautiful cover. A joy to read.
The tips for simplifying the sketch are great and I will definiteky try some of them, but looking at the examples featured in the book, it seems to me that plenty of them would take more than 5-minutes to draw. There are also several repeated tips, but as these are frequently related to different media, which is always interesting to test, I enjoyed Steel's approach.
I know the author uses more frequently watercolour - as most urban sketchers do - but I am a fan of markers and, unfortunately, there are only a couple of pages on techniques using those. I am after recommendations of marker-based sketch publications by the way, if you know some please send them my way!
Finally, this book features plenty of examples (great for inspiration) and the presentation is beautiful with great paper and beautiful cover. A joy to read.
April 27, 2025
DNF (library book). This is an amazing book to browse for concepts and examples. I just flipped through it mostly, but I feel like I learned a lot by reading the headings, sampling the text, and pondering the drawings. It doesn’t contain exercises, exactly. It’s sketching concepts, presented as one concept per page spread. Example pages: Try Thick Lines, Map Light and Dark, Quick Tips For Foreshortening, Sketch Streetscapes.
If you already do sketches informally and are at the level where you are ready to really think in an organized way about your technique, you’ll probably enjoy this. If you’re an advanced artist, this is probably too basic. As someone who barely sketches, a lot of this was just eye candy for me, but I did really benefit from the pages on perspective and foreshortening. Having a quick-ref for these basics alone could earn this book a spot in the library of someone interested in cityscapes, town rendering, and architectural whimsy.
If you already do sketches informally and are at the level where you are ready to really think in an organized way about your technique, you’ll probably enjoy this. If you’re an advanced artist, this is probably too basic. As someone who barely sketches, a lot of this was just eye candy for me, but I did really benefit from the pages on perspective and foreshortening. Having a quick-ref for these basics alone could earn this book a spot in the library of someone interested in cityscapes, town rendering, and architectural whimsy.
March 14, 2021
I started reading this April, 2019, and my skill level was not up to the topics and exercises she teaches in this book. 2020 gave me the opportunity to practice observation and drawing skills more. In 2021, I worked on a course about Urban Sketching from Sketchbook Skool where Ms. Steel taught for 18 lessons. These helped me better understand the information in this book. I recommend this article https://www.lizsteel.com/everydaysket... on her website because she continues to refine her skills at home before attempting 5 minute sketches on location.
I highly recommend this book. I kept it for reference.
I highly recommend this book. I kept it for reference.
October 30, 2019
Randomly picked this up in the library. Has lots of good little tips and tricks for sketching. Gets a little repetitive - and most of the drawings shown definitely aren’t 5 minutes sketches, but many are quite lovely. Definitely worth reading for architecture/landscape students or people that are a little rusty and want to revamp their sketching skills.
March 31, 2020
An excellent reference for improving your sketching, Liz Steel is a total favourite and do check out her online courses, blog and Instagram account - it’s full of inspiration for quick sketching and finding your own style.
July 21, 2020
Meh. Found it to give lots of ideas for inspiration, not so much instructions on how to do it (example: advice "pay attention to the important parts only"... okay, so how do we know which ones are important? )
May 12, 2017
Clear, concise directions on how to achieve very specific goals in sketching. Good for anyone at any level wanting to refine and strengthen sketching skills.
July 23, 2017
This little book is full of tips and tricks that were very useful when trying to sketch while traveling!
August 3, 2017
full of really helpful tips to get started
small enough to bring along with you.
small enough to bring along with you.
June 17, 2019
Easy to use as reference and to try concepts. Sketches not great (fast tend not to be) but concepts are useful for beginners.
October 4, 2019
Follow the exercises in this book, and watch your sketches improve exponentially!
January 3, 2020
A lot of very good tips but got a bit repetitive by the time you got ¾ of the way through.
February 28, 2021
the author is a passionate sketcher, and some of this passion stays with you. Otherwise the book works more like a companion for her online courses, which are very expensive.
September 18, 2021
I love this 5-Minute sketching series. I am picking up lots of good hints for my sketches.
August 28, 2023
Very handy book with great tips and techniques, explained in a very accessible way. Found this very useful and helpful!
September 28, 2023
I have followed Liz Steel for years and taken a few of her watercolor classes online, so I was excited to receive this book as a holiday gift. She has lots of great tips to implement.
December 29, 2024
Love this book- highly recommended!
March 5, 2025
Book is probably for people who can draw more than me
August 11, 2025
great book for urban sketching of buildings
February 13, 2017
Outstanding how-to sketching techniques. Highly recommended!
April 17, 2018
Liz Steel's collection of methods and tips for quick sketching is an excellent reference. It was a library find, but we will likely order one for keeps. She provides clear guidance while also suggesting techniques to stretch your sketching experience. Her book is written with a presumption that you possess basic sketching techniques, so not for absolute beginners, but probably good for newer to intermediate sketchers.
October 10, 2016
Liz Steele is one of my favorite artists, and she's a real inspiration to me. So I adored this book! She gives great tips not only on how to draw buildings quickly and well, but also talks about different mediums and how to use them in your work.
August 11, 2019
One of the best books about Urban Sketching. Great drawing tips and examples. Highly recommended!
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April 3, 2017People : super-quick techniques for amazing drawings / Scully, Pete,
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews