117: Urban Sketching with Tina Koyama

Tina Koyama has been an urban sketcher for about 10 years. tinakoyama.com @miatagrrl on Instagram Her career was in writing; she’d always been creative but had never drawn. She heard about urban sketching, gave it a try & realised that it resonates with her.  For Tina, urban sketching is very personal. She’s documenting the things she sees every day, creating a visual record of her life.  Tina believe urban sketching has a superpower. When she sketches, her memory becomes embedded with the sites, sounds, smells , light etc that was there in the moments she was sketching. When she looks at past work, she is reminded of all of that. She doesn’t get that from any other medium.  Currently Tina’s sketch kit contains about 20 coloured pencils, a water brush, a soft graphite pencil, a uni pen marker with a brush nib & a Stillman & Birn Beta sketchbook.  To newcomers to urban sketching, Tina says ‘start with whatever you’re comfortable with, with whatever you have. If it works for you (a particular art supply or medium), just use it.’  ‘Do it regularly. If not daily, then regularly, so the practice is reinforced.’