Drawn on the Way

Drawn on the Way features techniques, tips, and projects for creating quick, lively sketches that capture the beauty of a fleeting moment and connect us to the world.

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Learn to observe the world more deeply—with curiosity, empathy, and joy—as you sketch the stories unfolding all around you.

In Drawn on the Way, Sarah Nisbett shares her techniques for creating captivating line drawings that capture the moments and moods that you encounter on the train, in a café, outdoors, anywhere: a young woman lost in thought, a pair of hands clasped on a lap, a peppy beagle, a pair of jeans-clad crossed legs. Sarah invites you to see the people, animals, places, and objects you draw with compassionate curiosity—as more than a stranger or inanimate object, but as someone or something with a story worth knowing or imagining.

Even if you are inexperienced at drawing or don’t consider yourself an artist, you can learn how to create sketches from start to finish employing techniques such as contour drawing, using line work to add texture, and adding spot color—and discover how each sketch tells a story. You’ll begin to focus on important details that reveal something about the subject you’re drawing: the graceful drape of a hand over a purse, the shy way someone tucks their feet underneath them.

As you unplug, set aside perfectionism, and explore the world through drawing, you’ll learn:
 



How to translate what you see into a compelling drawing
How to silence your inner critic and find joy in drawing what captures your interest
Techniques for drawing figures and creating quick portraits
How to find the emotion in objects by asking questions
How to draw scenes and backgrounds without becoming overwhelmed
How to quickly and expressively render the natural world, including plants and animals
How key details can take a sketch from plain to captivating
Ways to find the extraordinary in the everyday
How to transform mistakes into likeable elements
Tips for becoming a visual storyteller
Life lessons learned from years of live drawing


We spend most of our lives on the way, rushing and running from place to place, task to task. When we have a spare minute, we usually reach for our phones and shut everything else out. The techniques, projects, and ideas in Drawn on the Way are designed to help you be more mindful about drawing, to capture the people, places, and things you encounter each day. By doing that, you’ll connect with humanity in a deeper, more meaningful way—and discover a lot about yourself.