Monday 16 January 2017

Urban Sketching Workshops This Summer


I'm going to be teaching urban sketching workshops this summer. Interested in coming along?


It's because this year is the 10th anniversary of Urban Sketchers and, to celebrate, they have devised a fabulous, worldwide sketching-workshop project! The idea is to bring to people's home cities the kind of events I always have such fun with at the annual symposium. So, if you fancy having a go at an urban sketching workshop, now's your chance!


It's a great idea, as of course most people can't afford to flit half way round the world to attend the symposiums. That's why I always try and teach - it means I get my expenses paid (sneaky huh?). Teaching at symposiums has sent me to some wonderful places, like Brazil, Dominican Republic, Barcelona...

This new project makes use of all the Urban Sketchers correspondents, like myself, who are dotted around the globe. We were all asked if we would like to get involved. The result is that there will be 26 sets of workshops, in cities in North and South America, Africa, Asia, right across Europe and in Australia! Plus of course, right here in jolly old England.

To fit with the 10th anniversary theme, each project will involve 10 half-day workshops. Here in the UK, we are splitting ours between Sheffield and Manchester, where there are two very strong urban sketching groups. But you don't have to be part of an urban sketching group to take part - it's open to anyone!


I will be teaching 4 of the 10 workshops. Simone Ridyard, who runs Manchester Urban Sketchers, will be sharing the Manchester-based ones with Len Grant. You get discounts for signing up for batches of workshops, but you can just pick out one or two, if your budget is tight. It's very flexible. All the details, plus more information about we three instructors, is here.

I will be concentrating on different things in each of my four workshops:


Stop, Look, Listen: how do we choose what to capture from the information overload?
Let it Flow: interlocking our observations to capture the flow of time cross a concertina book.
Taming the Beast: less literal architectural sketching, capturing the spirit of a building.
People at Play: simple and quick techniques for making our people ‘live’ in their landscape.




Hope to see some of you there!