During the pandemic lockdowns, artists could not travel. They turned to "interior sketching" and "memory drawing." Hillkurtz’s techniques—focusing on light, shadow, and eliminating noise—were perfect for drawing the same living room or kitchen window over and over without boredom.
Hillkurtz breaks down his exact, minimalist toolkit—including his preferred sketchbooks, waterproof inks, and pocket watercolor palettes—proving you don't need expensive gear to create breathtaking art.
A travel mop brush for broad washes and a medium round brush for details. 4 Steps to Your First Urban Sketch sketching techniques for artists alex hillkurtz pdf 2021 hot
If you have been scrolling through art communities like Instagram, Pinterest, or Behance recently, you have likely encountered a specific style of architectural sketching that feels alive. It is not stiff. It is not photorealistic. Instead, it breathes. It features loose, confident ink lines dancing with ethereal watercolor washes. The name at the center of this "hot" 2021 movement?
Hillkurtz teaches a clear, three-step process that is perfect for beginners and pros alike: During the pandemic lockdowns, artists could not travel
Let colors bleed naturally on the paper to create organic textures. Step 4: Shadows and Fine Details Wait for the paper to dry completely.
For Hillkurtz, watercolor is like a dance: sometimes he leads, and sometimes the paint, paper, and environment lead him. This means embracing happy accidents and the unpredictable flow of water and pigment. His goal is "a lot of life and spontaneity." Rather than fighting the medium, he works with it, letting colors blend naturally to create softness and depth, building on that excitement to keep the final work energetic. A travel mop brush for broad washes and
Sketching Techniques for Artists is more than just a book; it is an invitation. Hillkurtz invites you to move through the world more slowly, to look more carefully, and to capture not just what you see but what you feel. His Hollywood background gives him a unique ability to distill scenes down to their essential narrative elements — to know what to include, what to omit, and how to guide a viewer's eye exactly where it needs to go.
Accuracy comes from observing real angles, not just memorizing mathematical grids. 4. The Hillkurtz Workflow: Step-by-Step