PuneRomic Sketches: Stretching the City, two Page at a Time

What happens when a sketchbook can’t quite contain a city? You stretch it—literally. Welcome to PuneRomic Sketches, my slightly rebellious, definitely panoramic take on urban sketching. While most people settle for a single-page scene, I sprawl across two, letting Pune’s streets, sky, and soul flow uninterrupted from left to right. Think of it as wide-angle storytelling, told in ink lines and watercolour washes. It’s part documentary, part daydream. Whether it’s the quiet geometry of old wadas or the riot of colour at Tulsi Baug, my sketchbook pages are stitched together like visual scrolls of the city’s everyday drama. Curious how this style came to be—and why I carry two-page ambitions everywhere I go? Flip on. It’s about to get panoramic.

My panoramic style wasn’t planned—it grew out of curiosity and creative trial-and-error. In my early sketching days, I dabbled in pen work, watercolour, and even digital art. I tried it myself with a sketch of Parvati Hill, and the response was unexpectedly encouraging. That admiration gave me the nudge to keep exploring.

I also owe a lot to the artists who shaped my learning. My mentor, Mr. Bijay Biswaal, taught me how to create the illusion of detail with minimal strokes, while USP’s own Ravi Gadre sir helped me understand the foundations of perspective—essential for any sketch that dares to stretch beyond a single page.

Materials & Method

Let’s talk about the tools and techniques behind my panoramic sketches. While I love experimenting with different materials, a few core elements remain consistent in my kit:

• Pencil – I use this for initial composition and blocking. It helps me decide what goes where, forming the skeletal structure of the sketch.

• Sailor Fude Pen – This is my go-to for expressive lines. The curved nib gives me freedom in stroke variation just by adjusting the angle of my hand.

• Flex Nib Fountain Pen – Another favourite. It offers similar line variation, but instead of relying on angles like the fude nib, it reacts to pressure—creating dynamic, fluid lines.

• Platinum Carbon ink – Platinum carbon is water insoluble ink, which does not smudge after applying watercolours

• Mop Brush – As the name suggests, Mob brush is like our regular mop which has good water retention capacity. Widely used in watercolour paintings

• Watercolour Palette – The real star of the show. I primarily use Camlin watercolours—they’re affordable and easily available. Lately, I’ve been enjoying the portability of a half-pan palette, which works beautifully on the go.

• White Gel Pen – A secret weapon! Perfect for adding highlights and injecting energy into a scene.

My Process

I usually follow the rule of thirds to compose my sketches. I try to place the “action”—where I want the viewer’s eye to go first—at one of the lower intersection points. For instance, if I’m sketching a road, I’ll crowd one of these points with vehicles, people, and splashes of bright color. This not only captures attention but also guides the viewer’s eye around the sketch in a circular motion—eventually returning to the focal point.

Final sketch for reference

Here’s how my process typically unfolds:

1. Composition Blocking (Pencil): I begin by sketching the layout in pencil—defining what goes where. This step is crucial for establishing perspective and proportion. Perspective helps convey depth (what's near or far), while proportion ensures the elements relate to each other in scale.

2. Inking (Fountain Pen): Next, I switch to ink, building out the details. I prefer clean, confident strokes—avoiding retracing if I can help it. This is where the sketch starts to come alive.

3. Watercolouring: I usually time the first two steps to take around an hour. Once inking is done, I begin with a flat layer of watercolour—starting with warm tones to establish a base. I then move on to cooler colours for shadows and depth.

4. Final Touches: Highlights with a white gel pen and extra inking bring the piece to life. These finishing touches usually take another hour and give the sketch its final spark.

A Sketching Moment to Remember

Over the years, I’ve had countless memorable encounters while sketching. One that stayed with me happened while I was drawing the by-lanes near Kamla Nehru Park. An elderly woman stopped to watch. After a while, she smiled and said, “I’ve walked here so many times, but never noticed its beauty until I saw your sketch.” She was so moved that she walked into a nearby shop and came back with a chocolate bar as a thank-you gift. That small gesture felt like a trophy. It reminded me why I sketch—not just to capture scenes, but to help people see them differently.

Urban sketching, for me, is more than just putting pen to paper—it's a quiet act of observation, a way of slowing down in a fast-paced world. Through my panoramic spreads, I try to capture not just the architecture or bustle of a city, but its personality—its quirks, moods, and quiet corners. Each sketch becomes a souvenir of time well spent and a reminder that beauty often hides in plain sight. As long as there are stories tucked into city streets and curious strangers peeking over my shoulder, I’ll keep filling these double-page spreads—one wide, wandering line at a time.