Season's Greetings from Urban Sketchers London

'How you draw is a reflection of how you feel about the world. You're not capturing it, you're interpreting it.'
 -Juliette Aristides

However you celebrate the season, Urban Sketchers London wish you peace, joy and quality time with your sketchbooks in 2018.

Season's Greetings from Urban Sketchers London

Bit late in the day, Imperial War Museum

[By Evenlyn Rowland] After wandering around looking at tanks and cars and warheads, I decided to go with the delightful handrail and newell post of the stairway. Good subject as not a lot of people wanted to crowd round and look at it and I could stand at a reasonably close distance to get enough of it on the page and still see the reflection details. I think I had lunch between start and finish. Anyway, a jolly good visit with the intrepid London USk-ers.

Bit late in the day, Imperial War Museum

2017 drawing to a close

At the end of the day on the steps of the new entrance to the V&A

It was great to see so many people at the V&A for our last London sketchcrawl of 2017.  Below are just a handful of sketches from the day - there are more on the Facebook page.  It's a fantastic area of London to draw in, with a great choice of museums, full of drawing inspiration.

Sketch by Sangeeta

Drawing by Samson

Science museum study by Sasala

Sketch by Jimmy

Natural History study by Carol

Artuus at work

Drawings by Elizabeth

Lunchtime meet up

2017 drawing to a close

Five years on: My first sketchcrawl with Urban Sketchers London

The Brunswick Lion of Gallery 46a - pastel and graphite in 20x20 cm sketchbook 

[From Cynthia Barlow Marrs SGFA] This week five years ago I took part in my first Urban Sketchers London sketchcrawl. I arrived on my own and elbowed my way through the packed lobby of the Natural History Museum, wondering how to tell an Urban Sketcher from a regular person. When I spotted a cluster of regular people brandishing sketchbooks, my heart leapt. Our sketching territory included the Science Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum. I chose the V&A, and that's where I fell under the spell of Gallery 46a*. It's part of the museum's renowned collection of plaster casts of European sculpture. I drew the back end of the Brunswick Lion. 

As luck would have it, Urban Sketchers London returns to the Kensington museums this coming Saturday 9 December 2017, but this time we're meeting at the new Sackler Wing of the V&A. If you've never joined an Urban Sketchers event, here's a little something about sketchcrawls in general. And if you're joining us for the first time, don't worry if you're not sure how to spot the Urban Sketchers. Just look for a group of regular people carrying sketchbooks. See you at the V&A!

My original two-page sketchbook spread

My favourite cast court: Gallery 46a with plaster casts of sculptures from northern Europe and Spain 

*Gallery 46a is closed for renovation until November 2018, but if you make your way to Gallery 111 you can look down on progress from the balcony.

Five years on: My first sketchcrawl with Urban Sketchers London

Let’s draw the Wellcome Collection - Saturday 20 January 2018

In January, we meet to draw at the Wellcome Collection, at 183 Euston Road. The Wellcome Collection offers exhibitions on science and medicine, and there is an extraordinary collection of objects related to the history of medicine of different cultures.

The day is free of charge, no need to book, just turn up with your art kit. Please use only dry media such as pencil when drawing inside the Collection.

Key times and meeting points for the day:

11am: Meet in the Level 0 foyer between the main front door and the spiral staircase.

1pm: Meet again in the Level 0 foyer to look at drawings done in the morning.

3.30pm: Meet in the Level 0 foyer to review the day’s drawings and take group photographs.


We could continue to meet and talk in the Wellcome Collection café, or if people prefer a pub, the Royal George is next to Euston Station on the junction of Euston Square and Eversholt Street.


This day is run by Jo Dungey and Cathryn Worrell.


Drawing at the Wellcome Collection

The Wellcome Collection was founded by Sir Henry Wellcome, a pioneer of the pharmaceutical industry, to encourage understanding of science and medicine, and to house his collection of artefacts related to the history of medicine.

The Wellcome Collection has a wide range of options for drawing, including exhibits on current scientific issues, displays from the history of medicine world-wide, artworks old and new related to the body, and a new temporary exhibition about Ayurvedic medicine. Don’t miss the displays in the Reading Room on Level 2, and the Picasso mural just outside. We could also draw the interiors and the visitors.

If anyone wants to draw out of doors, one option is to walk down Gower Street, which has some varied University of London buildings, or walk down Gordon Street to Gordon Square, where there are former homes of many of the Bloomsbury Group.


Practical information


Admission to the Wellcome Collection is free. On Saturdays the galleries are open from 10am to 6pm. The Wellcome Collection has two cafes, a shop, a cloakroom with lockers, and toilets. There are some stools and seating provided in the galleries. There are other cafes and food shops around Euston station.


The Wellcome Collection is at 183 Euston Road, opposite Euston Station on the corner of Euston Road and Gordon Road. It is next to the Wellcome Trust which is a more modern building. Look for the banners on the front of the Wellcome Collection building. The nearest underground stations are Euston Square, Euston and Warren Street. There is more information on the Wellcome Collection website: https://wellcomecollection.org/

Let’s draw the Wellcome Collection - Saturday 20 January 2018

Raynes Park Station

[By John Webb] Went with a handful of fellow painters on Saturday morning to a pub near Raynes Park Station. Most remained inside but have always been struck by the shapes and signeage by the arch under the off-set platforms. Stations are hugely sketchable - although one colleague commented that I had managed to make an interesting subject even out of Raynes Park Station!

Generally by dint of location there's interesting history too. During his lifetime Edward Rayne sold strips of land to the Nine Elms, Southampton Railway Company and the Wimbledon Dorking line. Stations were opened at Wimbledon and Maiden, which Edward enthusiastically made use of. However, this station was not built until the estate had been sold.

The adoption of the Rayne name being most likely due to Edward’s co-operative and enthusiastic approach to the lines when they were built.

Raynes Park Station

London marks 10 years of USk

[Posted by James Hobbs] Urban Sketchers is 10. When Gabi Campanario set up its Flickr group in 2007 he could hardly have imagined how far and wide things would go. (The Flickr group now has 10,000 members and more than a quarter of a million images, never mind the other social media routes.) Last weekend, as part of the global sketchwalk organised by Urban Sketchers to celebrate the anniversary, the London group met at the Imperial War Museum, on Remembrance Day, to draw and talk. (The fifth anniversary of the London USk group slipped by earlier this year.)

Moved as I was by the museum's collection, I drew outside: firstly (top image) in the Tibetan Peace Garden in the museum's grounds, opened by the Dalai Lama in 1999, and then the grippingly brutalist Lambeth Towers nearby (below).

Thanks to Isabel Carmona and John Swanson for organising the day at the museum, and to Jo Dungey and Lis Watkins in particular for getting the 2018 events planned.

I can recommend following the #uskglobal24hrsketchwalk thread on Instagram to see how far and wide USk has spread. It's quite a moving journey.

London marks 10 years of USk

Let’s draw London in 2018

Draw London with us in 2018. This programme of events is provisional - each month details will be posted on this blog about the next month’s event. This will give information about the location, including where and when to meet. These events are free of charge and there is no need to book. Just turn up and bring your own drawing kit. The Urban Sketchers London sketchcrawl programme is co-ordinated by Jo Dungey and Lis Watkins.


Saturday 20 January 2018
Organisers: Jo Dungey and Cathryn Worrell

In January we meet to draw at the Wellcome Collection on Euston Road. The Wellcome Collection offers permanent and temporary exhibitions. Imaginative exhibits present ideas about science and medicine, and there is an extraordinary collection of objects related to the history of medicine of different cultures.


Saturday 24 February 2018
Organisers: Lis Watkins and Homephoenix Wong

Join us in February at Tate Britain in Pimlico, the home of the national collection of British art from 1500 to the present day. Explore the collection, the building inside and out, and the surrounding area. Draw inspiration from artists who have represented London, including Turner, Sickert, Passmore, and French artists in exile. The day is free of charge, no need to book, just turn up with your art kit.

This sketch crawl replaces the proposed meet-up at Westfield Shopping Centre included in our published 2018 programme.

Saturday 10 March 2018
Organisers: Olga Mackness and Cathryn Worrell

In March we spend a day drawing based around Leadenhall Market in the City of London. The area offers contrasts between the Victorian market building and the modern financial district including the Lloyds building. It is also near historic churches and the garden of St Dunstan-in-the-East.


Saturday 28 April 2018
Organisers: Elizabeth Blunt and Philip Stones

This month we explore Walthamstow. Originally a medieval village, parts of this still survive, including the thirteenth century parish church and churchyard, almshouses, and a local history museum. There is a dramatic art déco town hall and William Morris' house, now a museum, with a lively park behind it. Walthamstow has the longest outdoor street market in Europe, and the covered Wood Street Market, described as a 'hidden gem'.


SUNDAY 20 May 2018
Organisers: Martin Stone and Steven Baker

In May we are in east London at Three Mills Island. This is a unique site to draw London’s industrial past. Clock Mill and Town Mill (1776) were formerly tidal mills on the River Lea. Abbey Mills Pumping Station is more ornate, designed in 1865 by Joseph Bazalgette. Also close by are the Bow Locks between the River Lea and the River Lee (sic) Navigation canal, with striking waterway and industrial views. There are canalside walks and panoramic views towards the Olympic Park and the current redevelopment of this part of east London.


Saturday 16 June 2018
Organisers: Helen Hayhoe and John Webb

This month we are by the river at Twickenham. Twickenham's riverside offers an eclectic miscellany for sketchers. This includes boats, Eel Pie Island, the York House Italian Sculptures, quirky old side streets, waterside pubs, and nearby Marble Hill House and the recently restored Turner's country home.

Wednesday 20 June 2018 - Summer Evening Sketching
Organisers: Jo Dungey and Lis Watkins

Meeting point: 6pm next to the Golden Hinde, a full-size replica of the 16^th century galleon of Sir Francis Drake, next to the Old Thameside Inn, and at 8pm at the same place.

The Golden Hinde is at St Mary Overie Dock, Cathedral Street, SE1.  As well as drawing the Golden Hinde, we can draw river views, Southwark Cathedral, the ruins of Winchester Palace, and the small shops and streets around Borough Market.  If it is wet, we can draw inside nearby pubs and cafes or under the canopies of Borough Market, and finish up at the Old Thameside Inn.

Wednesday 25 July 2018 - Summer Evening Sketching
Organisers: John Webb and Jo Dungey

Meeting point: 6pm at Flat Iron Square, Bankside, off Union Street, and at 8pm at the same place.

Flat Iron Square is a new ‘foodie hub’ in Bankside.  It is at the junction of Union Street, O’Meara Street and Southwark Street.  Having redeveloped seven old railway arches, it has restaurants, bars, street food trucks and sometimes live music.  Draw the people and buildings, including the old railway arches, and the nearby old shops, buildings and bridges in this mixed but historic area.  If it is wet, there is plenty of cover and interior spaces at Flat Iron Square.

Saturday 28 July 2018
Organisers: Jo Dungey and Homephoenix Wong

We meet to draw at St Katharine Docks, a marina just to the east of Tower Bridge. This day offers the boats and buildings of the marina, and river views towards the City and Tower Bridge, across the river to the former warehouses of Shad Thames, or east towards Canary Wharf.

Wednesday 8 August 2018 - Summer Evening Sketching
Organisers: Gafung Wong and John Webb

Meeting point: 6pm at Gabriel’s Wharf, near the central canopy, and at 8pm at the same place.

Gabriel’s Wharf, Upper Ground, is an open area just back from the river between the National Theatre and the OXO Tower building.  It has small shops, galleries, restaurants and cafes, which we can draw.  Other options for drawing are river views from the nearby jetties, and the OXO Tower buildings.  If wet, we can draw inside the National Theatre or inside pubs and cafes. 

Saturday 18 August 2018
Organisers: Nicky Browne and Jo Dungey

In August we visit Chiswick House, a Palladian villa set in beautiful grounds. The house was designed by Lord Burlington with the aid of William Kent. Kent also designed the gardens, one of the earliest examples of the English landscape garden, which offer classical vistas, ponds, fountains and an eighteenth-century wilderness.


Saturday 22 September 2018
Organisers: Nicky Browne and Olga Mackness

In September we draw at Holland Park and the Design Museum, off Kensington High Street. Holland Park offers gardens in different styles including a Japanese garden, more formal gardens, wilder areas, and wandering peacocks. The park has a range of interesting buildings. The Design Museum is located in the former Commonwealth Institute, an innovative building redeveloped by OMA and John Pawson.


Saturday 6 October 2018
Organisers: Lis Watkins and Evelyn Rowland

This month we are in central London to draw Soho. Soho has long been an important centre for artists and writers, for media and theatre. Draw this rapidly changing area, including Theatreland and Chinatown.


Saturday 17 November 2018
Organisers: John Swanson and Olga Mackness

In November, we are at the National Army Museum, Chelsea. This recently redeveloped museum has historic collections including uniforms, military equipment and vehicles. It is next to the Chelsea Hospital, designed by Sir Christopher Wren as the home for the Chelsea Pensioners. Although the Chelsea Hospital building is not open at the weekend, it can be seen and drawn from the lawns of the Chelsea Embankment next to the river.


Saturday 15 December 2018
Organisers: Jo Dungey and Isabel Carmona

We visit Bloomsbury and the British Museum this month. As well as drawing the treasures of the British Museum, and its building, there could be an option to discover smaller museums in the area, the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology and the Grant Museum of Zoology. There will be an opportunity to explore the historic squares and streets of Bloomsbury.

Let’s draw London in 2018

Let’s draw the Kensington Museums – Saturday 9 December 2017

Compilation of sketches from the V&A by Jo Dungey

For the last sketchcrawl of 2017, we will be drawing in South Kensington, home to the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum.

The 'Exhibition Road Quarter' entrance to the V&A

Timetable for the day
11 am - Meet at the entrance to the new Sackler Wing of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

1 pm - Meet at the same spot to look at sketchbooks.

3.30 pm – Meet back at the same spot to look at the day’s work and take a group photo.

If you would like to stay for a while and chat, we will then move to the nearby Courtyard Café in the Exhibition Road Quarter.

The Courtyard Cafe in the Exhibition Road Quarter

What to draw

Victoria and Albert Museum - Architecture, furniture, fashion, textiles, sculpture, jewellery, glass and ceramics.

The restaurant inside the main V&A building

Science Museum -  Rockets, cars, aircraft, machinery and computers.

Inside the Science Museum

Natural History Museum - Fossils, bones, animal specimens, architecture, outside ice rink.

Transport 

The nearest tube station is South Kensington and there are a number of buses which stop nearby.  All the museums have cafés and toilet, and there are more places to eat in the area close to South Kensington tube. 

Let’s draw the Kensington Museums – Saturday 9 December 2017

We drew Spitalfields 14 October 2017

Photo: Si Newell

We started off next to the ‘I Goat’ sculpture on Brushfield Street, which was our meeting point throughout the day, and then we headed off in all directions to get started with our sketches.

Photo: Cathryn Worrell

There was a good mix of old and new buildings and although there were plenty of indoor and undercover options, most sketchers took advantage of the unseasonably warm and dry weather to sketch outside all day.

Photo: Cathryn Worrell

Photo: Cathryn Worrell

Photo: Cathryn Worrell

Photo: Cathryn Worrell

By lunchtime it seemed that lots more people had arrived, with probably at least 60 in total including visiting sketchers from places as far afield as Finland and the USA.

Photo: Cathryn Worrell

There was an almost overwhelming choice of things to sketch in Spitalfields and it was interesting to compare sketchbooks and see not only the different artistic styles within the group, but also the wide range of subjects we had all chosen.

Photo: Cathryn Worrell

Photo: Cathryn Worrell

Thank you to all the sketchers who came along and helped to make this such a fun day.


This day was organised by Cathryn Worrell and Daniel Lloyd-Morgan

We drew Spitalfields 14 October 2017

Who runs Urban Sketchers London?

Urban Sketchers London exists only because people who joined to sketch also volunteer to help to run it. We’d like to introduce who does what in Urban Sketchers London, and to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who helps to run the group.

Urban Sketchers London is a chapter of Urban Sketchers International. We uphold the Urban Sketchers International principles, one of which is that we do not charge people to participate in our sketching events. There are no fees, no subscriptions, no bank account. Everything we do is a gift to keep the group going.

We nominate three regional administrators who keep in touch with Urban Sketchers International. Currently these are Lis Watkins, Jo Dungey and Isabel Carmona. Here are the other roles and responsibilities in Urban Sketchers London:

Facebook administrators - Isabel Carmona, Jean Edwards, Nick Richards

Twitter administrators - Jean Edwards, James Hobbs

Flickr administrator - Christine Kaltoft, James Hobbs

Blog editor - Cynthia Barlow Marrs

Sketchcrawl co-ordinators - Jo Dungey, Lis Watkins

Sketchcrawl leaders in 2017 -  Isabel Carmona, Dionisa Joseph Mattam, Olga Mackness, Lis Watkins, Nick Richards, Jo Dungey, Elizabeth Blunt, Daniel Lloyd-Morgan, Evelyn Rowland, Nicky Browne, Gafung Wong, John Webb, Helen Hayhoe, Dougie Simpson, Cathryn Worrell, John Swanson and Philip Stones.

We are very grateful to everyone who helps — and we’re always on the lookout for more people who would like to be involved. Our events and our engagement in social media happen only because individuals who joined us in order to draw also give their time and effort to the running of the group.

Thank you!

Who runs Urban Sketchers London?

Teddington Weir

A pleasant morning today at Teddington Lock sketching the weir from the suspension bridge.  Teddington Lock is the point where The Thames ceases to be tidal.  Anything downstream being within The Port of London Authority.  Nearby is Tough's Boatyard.  One of the few remaining working boatyards on the tidal Thames and from where Operation Dynamo - the small ship flotilla to Dunkirk - was co-ordinated.  Opposite the weir were the studios of Thames Television, home of many iconic broadcasts. [John Webb]

Teddington Weir

Let's draw the Imperial War Museum and Lambeth - Saturday 11 November 2017

In November we are going to be drawing in and around the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth, London which is very appropriate as it is Remembrance Day.
Today is also a Worldwide Sketchcrawl Day.
We are going to meet slightly later than normal so that those who want to, can mark the remembrance silence, that is organised at the museum at 11 am.

The sketching group will meet at 11:15am under the portico, which is the North Entrance of the IWM ( http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london)

After the initial meeting, we will meet at:
1pm - inside the museum on the 4th floor - the area they call roof terrace - which is actually under the glass barrel vault, fully undercover.

3:30pm - if good weather - outside - on the North Portico again. This is undercover but if it is weather is very bad we'll meet upstairs on the roof terrace again.
Please note there will be a Group Photo taken after the 3:30 meet to celebrate the 10 years of USK and this USK Worldwide Sketchcrawl
4pm - The Three Stags pub on corner of Kennington Road and Lambeth Road - drinks and further chatting.

This is a free event, just come along and bring your own drawing equipment.

We are free to draw anything in the museum (airplanes, cars, tanks,etc), the space itself, inside and out. Nearby, you have plenty of streetscapes with good views including 18th century terraces, brutalist architecture flats at the junction with Kennington road, St George's Catholic Cathedral ( http://www.stgeorgescathedral.org.uk/), Lambeth Church and a bit further away, Newport St Gallery (https://www.newportstreetgallery.com/)

There are plenty of eateries in the area around Lambeth North tube and also a cafe at the museum itself.
WCs at Museum
The nearest tube station is Lambeth North, also walking distance from Waterloo and Elephant and Castle
Local bus routes: 3, 12, 53, 59, 148, 159, 344, 360, 453 and C10.



We look forward to meeting you on the day!

Let's draw the Imperial War Museum and Lambeth - Saturday 11 November 2017

We drew Highgate Cemetery 9 September 2017

The day started at Lauderdale House, where the excellent café did a roaring trade with the arrival of our band of Urban Sketchers. We all walked downhill through the lovely wooded Waterlow Park until we arrived at Highgate Cemetery East, where more sketchers were waiting for us -- in all, an excellent turnout of about 70 people.

This was my second visit to the cemetery.  I found it to be far more enjoyable than my first visit, when I was rather overwhelmed with the number of tombstones. 

Sangeeta Bhagawati

There were many subjects to chose from -- it was interesting how the sketchers spread themselves right round the cemetery.

Midday throw-down in the cemetery

After our first throw-down, some of us climbed the rather steep Swains Lane to Highgate village.

Mike Whalley

I can recommend lunch in The Angel, with Cathryn Worrell & Mike Whalley. Pond Square in the centre of Highgate (the pond is long gone!) was a good venue for sketching -- several of us positioned ourselves there.

Paul Gadenne

We returned to the Lauderdale House café for the final meet. Fortunately, the large veranda protected us from heavy passing showers.

Many thanks to all the sketchers who attended -- and thank you for sharing your wonderful sketches online.

Sarah Minty

Cynthia Barlow Marrs

Daniel Lloyd-Morgan

Katy Evans

By Dougie Simpson.
The day was organised by Dougie Simpson and Jo Dungey

We drew Highgate Cemetery 9 September 2017