Forget the calendar and the cold. This week, we are looking at the bones of the city. If you’ve been sketching with us all year, you know the drill but if you’re new, this is the perfect time to jump in. We are focusing on the tactile, lived-in details of the downtown scape

Four prompts to sharpen your eye. No seasons, no holidays this time just the city in its purest form.

Full Prompt List

• Fire Escape Maze Draw the zigzag patterns of iron stairs against a brick wall. Focus on the shadows they throw and the industrial feel of the metal.
• The Transit Map Draw a weathered transit map at a bus stop or a subway entrance sign. Capture the scratches, the faded lines, and the urban wear-and-tear.
• Rooftop Silhouettes Look up. Draw the jagged line where the buildings meet the sky—water towers, antennas, and the sharp corners of skyscrapers.
• Crosswalk Chaos Draw the thick white stripes of a pedestrian crossing. Focus on the perspective as they stretch away from you, or the way the paint is chipping off the asphalt.

How to Join

• Post your drawing under the Drawaday community.
• Use the title Downtown Textures Doodles.
• Any medium is welcome—sketchy, clean, digital, or traditional.
• You can draw one prompt or all four.
• No deadlines, no stress.

The city is a machine. Let’s draw the parts that make it run