I Started Urban Sketching at 62. Here's What I Got Wrong

I started urban sketching at 62 because it was on my ‘retirement hobbies to try’ list. Apart from the odd doodle whilst stuck in long tedious meetings, I hadn’t really drawn anything since I left primary school in 1974, so I was a complete beginner. In this video I walk through the three biggest things I got wrong when I started sketching - choosing scenes that were way too ambitious; trying to include every detail; overworking my sketches until they became lifeless. If you're learning to draw in retirement, I hope my mistakes will save you a lot of frustration. This video is part of my Retirement Reimagined series, where I'm figuring out what a fulfilling retirement actually looks like. Not just stopping work, but building something worthwhile for me. Video Chapters 0:00 The sketch that started it all 1:17 Why urban sketching? 2:16 My simple urban sketching kit 3:15 Mistake 1: Choosing the wrong scenes 4:06 Mistake 2: Including every detail 6:44 Mistake 3: Overworking the sketch 9:36 What urban sketching taught me about retirement If you've picked up a new hobby in retirement, or you're thinking about it, drop a comment. I'd love to hear where you're at, and I’m always on the look out for new retirement hobbies. Until the next time, take it easy. #UrbanSketching #DrawingForBeginners ##UrbanSketch #Sketchbook #RetirementHobbies #RetirementReimagined ABOUT GARY & RETIREMENT REIMAGINED: After 44 years of working (the last 25 as a freelance business systems analyst) I retired in June 2025. I quickly realised that "freedom" without purpose can lead to boredom and regret. I started this channel to document my journey of building a simple, low-stress online business to address this problem, and to help fellow retirees find their own "second act".