Assemble your urban sketching kit

One of the things I love about living in Granada is that you can go urban sketching all year round (yes, even in winter, although it took me a few years to drum up the courage to try it). But if the weather's less amenable where you live, and you've been wanting to try sketching on location, this is a wonderful time of year to start.

Early spring is one of my favourite times of year in Granada. Right now, there's still snow on the mountains you catch glimpses of from all over the city, and the river's gushing an icy blue. Plants that have been hibernating are starting to wake up – our pomegranate tree is full of the promise of tiny red leaves. It's sunny and warm enough to enjoy lazy lunches on weekend afternoons, but still necessary to rug up in the evenings.

This period of beginnings and fresh growth is also a great time to try something new, and so I'm writing to share my first YouTube video with you. I'll take you through my urban sketching kit to help you start to put together your own. You can watch the video here:

I hope this video is a useful accompaniment to my guide on how to start travel sketching, as the general principles are the same. For me, the main differences between urban sketching and travel sketching are that I take way less stuff when I travel and might change up the specific colours I pack. There's also something to be said for the difference in the experience of sketching your home versus the unfamiliar.

The travel sketching guide walks you through the key things to consider before, during and after your trip to help you start to develop your own travel sketching practice. It also includes a checklist for putting together a minimalist sketching kit - this new YouTube video shows you how my sketching kit expands when I'm in the comfort of my own home and can afford to take more stuff with me.

It feels wild (and slightly terrifying) to publish a video as an absolute beginner, but also quite freeing. I learned a ton making this video – about editing, about being kind to myself, about the benefits of actually writing a script. It was fun to experiment with a different medium, and I think I'll continue to do so (although I feel confident that handwritten words and sketches will continue to be my besties).

What have you been waiting for the courage to experiment with? What's one small step you could take right now to start you off down that path?

If you've been dreaming that this is the year you'll finally find the confidence to start sketching outside, I'd love you to join me and Julia Henze for a Sketching Retreat in Granada, Spain from 8-12 October 2026. This retreat is designed to help you feel connected to self and to place.  

In the mornings you'll learn sketching techniques that will help you define your personal style and that you'll use long after the end of the retreat. And in the afternoons, you'll connect to the city's exquisite history, culture and cuisine, with plenty of sketching and personal feedback included! We'll also explore the Albaicín, the city's oldest residential district, and the Alhambra palace with expert local guides. 

I can't wait to share my love of urban sketching and this city with you.