Finding Inspiration Through Urban Sketching

The beginning of an urban landscape painting often starts away from the studio, with time spent observing and sketching on location.

On-site urban sketching is an important part of my creative process. By sitting within the environment itself, I can experience the character of a place directly, the changing light, movement of people, rhythm of the streets, and the details that are often missed when simply taking a photograph.

A quick sketch captures more than just the appearance of a building or street. It records the atmosphere of the moment: the angle of the light, the relationship between shapes, the feeling of a particular place, and the impressions that make it memorable.

Cities are constantly changing. The same location can feel completely different depending on the weather, season, or time of day. Sketching on site allows me to respond to these changes and discover the elements that make a scene worth transforming into a finished artwork.

These sketches become the starting point for my paintings. They provide the foundation for exploring composition, colour, and atmosphere back in the studio, allowing the final piece to become more than a simple record of a location — it becomes an interpretation of the experience of being there.

From Sketchbook to Finished Painting

The sketchbook is where ideas begin to develop.

Rather than copying every detail of a scene, I use sketches to identify the essential qualities that give a place its character. I look for strong architectural shapes, interesting perspectives, contrasts between light and shadow, and the visual rhythms created by streets and buildings.

The transition from an on-location sketch to a finished urban landscape painting is a process of refinement and interpretation. Some elements may be simplified, while others are emphasised to strengthen the mood and emotion of the work.

The finished painting is therefore not just a depiction of a place, it is a reflection of the experience of observing and responding to that place.