I have always wanted to loosen up my sketching so I did a sunrise sketch at the Santa Cruz Harbor mouth to try and keep it loose.

I started with a basic pencil sketch and then chose my Pigma Graphic 1 pen. I figured thicker lines would work best.

To sketch loose, it helps to change your grip on your drawing implement. Most of us hold a pen or pencil like we were taught in school: close to the tip with a firm grip. This is a grip for writing.

To loosen up my line I hold the pen away from the tip near the opposite end. This means sometimes I lack the precise control in my drawing but then it provides the sense of improvisation with my line.

The other way I try to loosen up my sketching is continuous line drawing. To sketch this way you draw without lifting your pen or stopping. I rendered the rocks in the levy with a continuous line sketch.