Sketch NOW Think Later

Over the past year I’ve been sketching more and I’ve been playing around with Urban Sketching, a movement started by an illustrator in Seattle, all about sketching what you see around you. I took an online sketching course by a really great urban sketcher, Liz Steele, and I’ve bought, but haven’t read them all yet, several books on the topic of different aspects of sketching; such as people, buildings, landscapers.

Someone I follow on Instagram mentioned Sketch NOW Think Later by Mike Yoshiaki Daikubara and I just got my turn off the hold list from the library. Over the past weekend I read through it and was impressed. Daikubara’s sketches are quite amazing and he does them very quickly, which is the whole point of his book, showing you how to sketch quickly.

I don’t really like the idea of “you have to do it my way” books, but I did take some things away from this book that may eventually make it into my own sketching work.

• I liked the idea of sepia for ink + one color sketches and may eventually add that to my palette.
• I’m intrigued by a fude fountain pen, I use a Lamy Safari and love it, but could see how a fude would be interesting for more line variation.
• I want to sketch more out and about, so I need to make that a priority this year, going out, at the very least to the tea shop, and taking some time to sketch.

If you have any interest in the topic, I recommend Daikubara’s book, if for nothing more than seeing all his amazing sketches for inspiration.