urban sketchers in three cities

I have been on holidays for a week in Queensland (two hours flight north).

In the past week, I have sketched with three Urban Sketching groups, Brisbane, Gold Coast, and then back home in Melbourne. Urban Sketchers is a global community of sketchers dedicated to the practice of on-location drawing. There are local chapters in over 60 Countries, in 374 Cities, with over 120,000 sketchers.

Not all of my sketches that you see in my blog, on instagram oiare urban sketches, many are objects, food, and people and I share these on other social media pages. The difference is:

This is the Urban Sketchers manifesto we follow:

• We draw on location, indoors or out, capturing what we see from direct observation.

• Our drawings tell the story of our surroundings, the places we live and where we travel.

• Our drawings are a record of time and place.

• We are truthful to the scenes we witness.

• We use any kind of media and cherish our individual styles.

• We show the world, one drawing at a time.

• We share our drawings online.

• We support each other and draw together.

The groups have Administrators who name a location and time to meet. The sketchers turn up and sketch in the area, either in groups, or on their own. They then usually have a meetup time (sometimes a lunchtime). In these groups there is a ‘throwdown’ where people display their sketchpage. This way you can see all of the different interpretations, mediums, and styles and what everyone has sketched. There is a group photo and some people continue to sketch.

My catchups were not organised events. I posted a message on their various Facebook groups and let them know I would be in town on certain dates. Whoever was available turned up. It was great !

see below