The Art of City Sketching

In The Art of City Sketching, Michael Abrams reminds us that one of most innate and intriguing of human abilities is our capacity to use our hands as a sensing device for "seeing," perceiving, and knowing our environments. Like spending time outdoors, eating well, and exercising, sketching is a way to engage in the kinds of full-body, sensory experiences that humans need in order to feel healthy. In this important book, Abrams beckons us into the world of sketching by using accessible language and an extensive collection of compelling original images to illustrate how beginners and those with years of practice alike can experience the full range of benefits of sketching.

-Jana VanderGoot, RA, Associate Professor in Architecture, University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning, Preservation, and Real Estate Development

Now more than ever, The Art of City Sketching is proving itself to be an essential reference for architects, landscape architects, and urbanists. In an age preoccupied with digital simulations, parametrics, automations, and abstractions, where the designed artifact is often understood as an object estranged from its context, The Art of City Sketching affirms tools that have been essential to designers for centuries, namely drawing by hand and diagramming in situ. Michael Abram’s book challenges readers to imagine a myriad of ways in which the city can be represented and interpreted. It supports the notion that the individual building, or the unique place within a city, are all part of a broader and richer urban context that contribute to the utility, beauty, and meaning of a designed urban set-piece. And, what better way is there to understand architecture, landscape, and the city than by keeping a sketchbook or a visual journal?

- Brian Kelly, AIA, Professor, Associate Dean for Development and Faculty Affairs, Area Chair / Director, Architecture Program, School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation, University of Maryland

In times overcome by the advantages of digital representation, Michael Abrams recognizes free-hand sketching as a current and valuable tool to explore and exploit the intricate relationship between the human eye, hand, and mind to properly represent what we see, understand, think, and feel about the built environment. Impressive in quantity and quality, the exemplary sketches in this book attest to the relevance of free hand drawing as a fundamental translator of design intentions whether observed in analysis or proposed in design. For anyone committed to improve on his/her drawing ability, the lessons in this book are thorough, well organized, and carefully delivered to effectively assist in the development of practical skill and technique.

-Juan C. Penabad-Sánchez, Assistant Professor, Architectural Design & Method, University of Puerto Rico

The feedback loop that’s created between the hand, eyes, and brain, while sketching, is an invaluable way of comprehending the world around you. In the age of SketchUp and Revit, learning this analog method and concentrating on how to see are imperative for the beginning architecture or design student. Sketching brings to life one’s ideas and makes them visible, ultimately, communicating intentions. This book is highly accessible and underscores succinct, yet important lessons that brings an analytic approach to each topic, providing the "why" to the "what" and "how" of sketching.

- Catherine K. Anderson, Assistant Professor of Interior Architecture, The George Washington University

The Art of City Sketching is an essential graphic handbook for students and emergent professionals of architecture and urban design. In an immediately accessible way, and through beautifully rendered illustrations, the book provides clear tips, lessons, and principles for drawing space and place.

-Austin Raimond, Adjunct Professorial Lecturer of Interior Architecture, The George Washington University