Jason NicholasCreator, The Inkspired Life · Sketchologist™ Sketch Boldly . Live Creatively.

Sketching a Bridge: Adding Cables and Color!

18 Apr 2025 · 3 min

Watch on YouTube

2:31

In this instructional video, Jason Nicholas demonstrates how to enhance a bridge sketch by adding structural cables, vertical and diagonal supports, and applying color to create visual contrast. He explains his choice of white for verticals and red for diagonals, then refines the bridge outline using a black marker held near the tip for a loose, flexible line. Finally, he adds an iconic American flag atop the bridge, adjusting its placement for a natural look. Throughout, he narrates his thought process and technique choices, offering a step‑by‑step guide for artists looking to develop dynamic bridge illustrations.

Chapters

draw some cables. Um, we'll pop them out. Let's kind of do this. Ready? I'm literally just gonna bring it off the page. Some cables doing this. It should have been a little higher. That's okay. And then we'll do the verticals and diagonals. Uh, what's a good color? What's going to pop? I'm going to do white, actually. Where's the white? We'll do kind of our verticals. And then I think I'll throw down— we'll do the diagonals a different color. Let's do them red. I'm feeling, I'm feeling the red on this. Let's do it. Ready? There you go. We'll come back, we'll add one last thing. I'm gonna Do I have my, uh, black? I have a black marker here. I'm just going to pull out the bridge outline a little bit with this black marker. Notice I'm holding the marker kind of towards the end. It's going to allow me to be more flexible and a little more loosey-goosey with the building the bridge outline here. And I want that on purpose because I want it to look really loose. And then I'm gonna— I want to pull out the arch as well, so we're gonna kind of do this, and it kind of just pulls out the arch shape a little bit. Boom. Yeah, I'm liking it. Oh, and the last thing I'm going to draw is the, um, iconic American flag on top here. We got a flag happening. Maybe it's blowing around in the breeze. Oops, I should bring it back a little bit.