Spontaneous sketching is one of my favourite ways to enjoy urban sketching. For complex urban scenes, I find looking at negative spaces easier to understand the space. I find looking at the angle of the lines and simplifying the shapes is the best way to tackle these scences.

 

I first used a waterproof pen to draw the negative space, then moved on to add details that gives caracter to the sketch.

Adding a quick watercolour wash brings life to the sketch.

 

I used a waterproof ink in my fountain pen and a basic sketchbook with 110 gsm paper, not really intended for watercolour washes. However, it worked out fine for me as I only did a quick wash to the already detailed sketch.