Urban sketching rewards momentum over perfection. Here are five habits that make the biggest difference for anyone picking up a pen and heading out to draw Bahrain’s streets for the first time.
1. Draw the whole scene first, in light lines
Block in the major shapes — buildings, horizon, big objects — before committing to any detail. It’s much easier to fix proportions early than after you’ve inked in a window frame.
2. Ink before you erase
Confidence comes from committing. Go over your pencil lines in pen while the scene is still in front of you, then erase pencil marks later at home.
3. Sit or stand where you won’t be moved
Manama’s souqs and the Corniche get busy — find a stable spot with a clear view before you start, ideally somewhere with shade if you’re sketching midday.
4. Add one wash of colour, not ten
A single watercolour pass for shadow and one for a dominant colour reads better than an overworked painting. Save the detail for your linework.
5. Date and locate every page
A one-line note — where you were, what the weather was like — turns a sketchbook into a journal. It’s also exactly what we ask for when you submit to the gallery.
Come try these out in person at our next sketch walk — beginners always welcome.