City life doesn’t wait for an artist to finish their lines — and that’s half the fun. When sketching in busy urban environments, speed is everything. Start with loose, sweeping shapes to capture the motion, then layer in details only where your eye lingers.
For fast-moving subjects like pedestrians or cyclists, focus on posture and gesture rather than facial detail. Use a fine liner or brush pen to avoid fiddling with pencil marks, and always carry a small palette for on-the-spot colour washes.
Remember: the sketch isn’t a photograph. It’s your impression of a moment in time.