Wednesday 18 May 2022

To remind: Let's Draw Camden Market - Saturday 21 May 2022

 

Sketch by Ben Collins-Sussman visiting from Chicago

= In case you missed the original blog post =


This month we draw Camden Market


There is no cost, just turn up with your drawing kit.

For all the details, see the blog post for this event.

The day is led by Alison Gardiner, Christine Milewska, Mike Barber and Sasala Wickramasinghe.

See you at Camden Market!


⧫ ⧫ 

#usklondon10years  #urbansketcherslondon



Follow Urban Sketchers London on Instagram and use the hashtag #urbansketcherslondon to have your drawings featured!


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Tuesday 17 May 2022

Let's draw Twickenham - Sunday 26 June 2022

Eel Pie Island
Virtual sketch in 2020 by Sasala Wickramasinghe

[by Helen Hayhoe and Zane Karklina] 

**Please note - change of date**

Due to possible RMT strike action on Saturday, 

we will meet on Sunday 26th of June 


In June we draw Twickenham


We are delighted to be able to meet face to face in Twickenham again, having compromised twice before — first with a virtual sketch in 2020, then a late postponement in 2021.

We are mixing it up to include a location by the River Crane, just across the road from Twickenham Station — you'll find a bonus there for railway lovers. Then we walk a short distance to the banks of the River Thames. Sketch the water, the boats, the bridge, the people walking by the river. Look across the river to the fabulous Eel Pie Island. Visit the Naked Ladies statues combing their hair above their stony pool. 

For locations on this sketchcrawl, see our Google Map below. 

The 'Naked Ladies'
Sketch by Katy Evans



Key times and meeting points

11 am

Meet outside The Exchange, opposite Twickenham Station. In The Exchange there is a café and loos, and beside it is an open area with seating and a splash fountain, with a riverside walk beside the River Crane. 


1 am          

Throwdown at The Embankment, Twickenham Riverside. Meet at the bottom of Water Lane, within sight of the bridge to Eel Pie Island. 

3.30 pm    

Final Throwdown at Champions Wharf Play Beach, a raised area with playpark and sculptures, and a curved seat for our throwdown. 


Afterwards
There are many cafés and pubs nearby where we can catch up with one another afterward the final throwdown.

More information and ideas for sketching

The Exchange

Cross the road from the station and meet in the courtyard to the right of the Exchange. Here's a map of the local area showing the location of the Exchange.

You may see children splashing in the fountain, or you can walk by the side of the building to find the River Crane, which leads into Twickenham Rough, a linear nature conservation area 
on the site of old and new railways, with fallen trees and nature to sketch. 

The Exchange
Sketch by Helen Hayhoe

Church Street
Turn back towards the station and right into Twickenham. On the way to the River Thames at Twickenham Embankment, explore Church Street with its independent shops and cafes and St Mary’s Church.

Church Street, Twickenham
Cal Hoy

Eel Pie Island

At Twickenham Embankment itself you will see the arched bridge to the iconic Eel Pie Island (mostly private). From the Embankment there is plenty to sketch, including the boatyard.

Twickenham Riverside
Sketch by Daniel Lloyd-Morgan

Champions Wharf
Champions Wharf, just beyond The Barmy Arms pub has lots of seating and a great view of the river. Follow the path in the corner of Champions Wharf into York House Gardens, which features the Italian Oceanides Statues, aka ‘The Naked Ladies’.

View from Champions Wharf
Sketch by Lynne Flinders

White Swan Pub
A 15 minute walk along the Embankment is the picturesque White Swan Pub, perched by the river.

Orleans House and Gallery
Very near to the White Swan is Orleans House and Gallery, which should be open. The house and the gardens are beautiful to sketch, and the Stables Cafe offers refreshments.

Octagon Room at Orleans House
Sketch by John Swanson

Marble Hill House
The grand Marble Hill House is nearby, the grounds being restored to their former historic accuracy. 

Marble Hill House
Sketch by John Webb


Location map



See you at Twickenham!



#usklondon10years  #urbansketcherslondon


Follow Urban Sketchers London on Instagram and use the hashtag #urbansketcherslondon to have your drawings featured! 


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Thursday 5 May 2022

Let's draw Camden Market - Saturday 21 May 2022


Sketch by Ben Collins-Sussman visiting from Chicago


[Alison Gardiner, Christine Milewska, Mike Barber and Sasala Wickramasinghe write]

In May we draw Camden Market, one of London’s busiest retail destinations attracting up to 250,000 people each week


The market, which dates back to the early 1970s, started with a total of 16 traders selling antiques, jewellery and arts and crafts. Now Camden Market is home to hundreds of small businesses bringing to the area the multicultural diversity that we’ve all come to love.

Apart from independent retail, Camden has a rich heritage of music and fashion. Dingwall’s Dance Hall and the Roundhouse revolutionised London’s music scene in the 1970s, with iconic gigs by bands such as The Sex Pistols and Blondie. The boom in the music industry brought alternative fashion trends -– Camden market became the place to hang out and shop for hippy flares, leather jackets, slogan tees, and battered old Dr Martens footgear. 


Photo by Sasala Wickramasinghe

Today Camden Market has evolved and expanded into a diverse community of creative sellers, street food traders and independent stores next to the Regent’s Canal which runs through the heart of Camden. However, the punk rock heritage is still preserved in the fancy shop facades along Camden Road.

The day is free of charge, no need to book, just turn up with your artist’s materials.

Key times and meeting points


Meeting points and local landmarks are shown on our location map at the end of this blog post.

11 AM

Meet at The Quay in Hawley Wharf by the brand new Hawley Wharf shopping centre. It is just across the road from the Camden Market entrance. 

Arrive at Camden Market by the road bridge over the canal on Camden High Street.  Find the jewellers called "e & e" at 
218 Camden Lock Place NW1 8AB. To the left of the jewellers is a ramped path going down to the canal towpath. Follow the ramp down, and then go back under the road bridge and follow the towpath. The meeting place at Hawley Quay is about 100 metres along the towpath, where there is a large open space by a newly developed commercial site.


1 PM

Meet again at The Quay in Hawley Wharf. 

3:30 PM

Meet at the same place for the final throwdown.

Afterwards

For those who would like to stay on for a drink and chat (and sketch!) afterwards, we will head to the Ice Wharf Pub on Camden Lock, with outside seating and views over the canal towards the market.

Options for drawing



· The Market – Inside the market are independent shops selling clothing, antiques, and jewellery. Further along the road from Camden Lock, the Camden general shopping area is packed with fashion, craft and unique shop fronts, offering lots of colour and distinctive frontages.




Sketch by Alison Gardiner


· People – No shortage of people in Camden! On weekends the market gets very busy, especially on a good day. There are plenty of subjects to capture –- look out for weird and wonderful characters, from hipsters to punks. There are many eating establishments with external seating that also offer many people-sketching opportunities.

· Street scene – The streets are heaving with people, buses and railway bridges.

· Architecture – Canalside, there are existing and former commercial buildings, some of which are warehouses converted into chic residential blocks.


Sketch by Mike Barber

· Regent’s Canal – Draw the canal with its locks, boats, and barges.


Sketch by Christina Milewska


· Street art – Look out for colourful graffiti and street art, including a piece by Banksy on Oval Road, by the entrance to The Pirate Castle clubhouse.

· Primrose Hill (residential) – Sightly further afield from the Camden Lock site is the chic residential area of Primrose Hill. Here there is attractive late Victorian and Edwardian housing with pretty shop fronts giving a ‘village feel’. This area is much more sedate than Camden Lock, if you’re looking for a more serene area to sketch.


Sketch by Alison Gardiner


· Primrose Hill (park) – This green space provides fantastic views across central London. But please note this is a good kilometre walk from Camden, so you would need to allow 15 to 20 minutes to walk to and from the Camden site to return for our throwdowns.


Sketch by Christina Milewska


Practical information


The nearest Tube stations are Camden Town (5 mins), Chalk Farm (10 mins) and Camden Road (8 mins). Several bus routes (Kings Cross, 214; Victoria, 24; West End, 274; East London, 393) are also available.

There are plenty of independent cafés, restaurants and street food stalls inside and around Camden Market -- you’re spoilt for choice!

The toilets inside the market -- on the upper level of the Market Hall -- tend get very busy as the day progresses. The toilets in the Hawley Wharf shopping centre are newer, cleaner and quieter. Apart from these, most cafés and restaurants also have toilets which people can use.

COVID-19 visit information

Since COVID-19 and its variants remain, even though restrictions have been lifted, it's sensible to take all necessary precautions to keep ourselves and fellow sketchers safe throughout the event. The risk of infection for outdoor events is low, but basic guidance still applies:

· Please do not attend if you feel unwell

· Wear a face covering when you're close to others

· Give people space, and

· Practice good hand hygiene.



See you at Camden!


This event is run by Alison Gardiner, Christine Milewska, Mike Barber and Sasala Wickramasinghe. 

Location map





#usklondon10years  #urbansketcherslondon



Follow Urban Sketchers London on Instagram and use the hashtag #urbansketcherslondon to have your drawings featured!


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Tuesday 3 May 2022

Urban Sketchers London 10 Year Anniversary Celebration Weekend 22 - 24 July 2022 - The programme



Urban Sketchers London

10 Year Anniversary Celebration Weekend

Urban Sketchers London began as a small group of like-minded people meeting from time time at a cafe or pub to draw together and discuss sketchbooks. Ten years on, Urban Sketchers London organise a lively programme of monthly sketch meetings across London, attracting as many as 80 sketchers at a time and generating new connections among people of all ages and from all walks of life. The Urban Sketchers London 10 Year Anniversary Celebration Weekend is a fitting way to mark a decade of drawing around the capital. 

For news and updates on the 10 Year Anniversary Celebration, keep an eye on the Urban Sketchers London blog and social media accounts. And if you have questions please leave a comment at the end of this blog post, or drop us a line by email.  

   
Scroll down for the full programme and links to ticket sales

You'll find our cancellation policy at the end of this blog post  


#usklondon10years  #urbansketcherslondon




With grateful thanks to our sponsors


10 Year Anniversary Celebration Event Hub


tp bennett architecture, design, planning
One America Street  SE1 0NE

'We are excited to host this celebratory event of Urban Sketchers London's 10th anniversary. We are looking forward to welcome this vibrant group and take part in their workshop, talk and sketchwalks programme.'



10 Year Anniversary Book Sponsors




10 Year Anniversary Product Sponsors


Logo Competition Sponsor







The 10 Year Anniversary Celebration Programme




● Official launch: talks, book launch, sketchbook exhibition and more 

● Morning and afternoon workshops

● Morning and afternoon sketchwalks 

● Drink and Draw on the Southbank

● Night Sketching along the River Thames

● Sketchwalk finale and group photo on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral

● Urban Sketchers London Exhibition in Mile End
8 - 16 October 2022

#usklondon10years     #urbansketcherslondon



Friday 22 July


● Pre-launch afternoon sketchwalk

● Official launch of the celebration weekend

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Pre-launch afternoon sketchwalk

13.00 - 16.30

Free, no tickets required

Every sketchwalk in the weekend programme has a leader, a meeting point at the beginning, and a gathering place at the end when we ‘throw down’ our sketchbooks and pose for a group photo. Sketchwalk leaders know the area and are there to help you feel at ease and give you some ideas about what to sketch. 

Please note there is no tuition during the sketchwalks. We all draw what we wish, following the Urban Sketchers manifesto and sharing our drawings at the end.

● FRI PM Sketchwalk 1 Waterloo Beach Viewpoint

Let’s start the Urban Sketchers London 10 Year Anniversary Celebration at one of our favourite sketching spots -- Southbank, Waterloo Beach Viewpoint (near Gabriel's Wharf) -- and draw the city skyline over the Thames, towards St Pauls and the skyscrapers of The City. There are higher viewing points at the National Theatre or Festival Hall balconies, or you can immerse yourself in a 360-degree view on Waterloo Bridge. Capture people walking, skating along the Southbank, or looking for treasures on the beach.

Meeting point  Bernie Spain Gardens (located between the Oxo Tower and Gabriel's Wharf) opposite Gabriel's Pier 
Throwdown point  Same location
Sketchwalk leader  Zane Karklina


⧫ ⧫ 


Official launch of the celebration weekend

17:30 - 20:30


Event Hub
One America Street SE1 0NE

Tickets £10


This event is now sold out. To join the waiting list click the button below.



 
Welcome to the launch of the Urban Sketchers London 10 Year Anniversary Celebration Weekend. We begin Friday evening with talks about drawing by invited speakers Mario Linhares, founder of Urban Sketchers Portugal, and reportage artist George Butler. This is followed by the launch of our landmark 10 year anniversary book London by Urban Sketchers. Our sales desk will be well stocked not only with our 10 year anniversary book, but also with books by George Butler, Adebanji Alade and our workshop leaders, as well as others in the London urban sketching community. There will also be a hands-on display of sketchbooks by London urban sketchers, and sponsors' sales tables with an eye catching array of art materials available for purchase.

This is a ticketed event due to the capacity of the venue. Please book early to avoid disappointment.

Start time 17:30. Talks begin at 18.00.

Venue Event Hub at tp bennett One America Street SE1 0NE

Tickets £10 each

● FRI TALK 1

Mario Linhares: Drawing as Ramification

How can drawing influence life, projects, create impact, and empower life? The simple gesture of picking up a pencil and tracing a line on a sheet of paper can be the beginning of a life journey. In this talk, I will explain how Urban Sketchers changed my life, what I learn and share as a professor, and how all this boosts me to keep studying and creating projects like the 5 Minutes of Drawing, the USk Talks, the Sketch Tour Portugal and my Ph.D. research, among other small and unseen projects where drawing also happens.

About Mario
Mário Linhares (Lisbon, Portugal) studied at the Artistic School António Arroio. He has two degrees - Landscape Design, and Industrial Design, holds a Masters Degree in Visual Arts Education, and he is currently doing his Ph.D. on Drawing. Mario draws compulsively and creates artistic and humanitarian projects since ‘97. He is married, has one son, and he enjoys walking, cycling, travelling on public transport, and discussing ideas with friends. He founded Urban Sketchers Portugal in 2009, joined the International Executive Board in 2011 and was the Education Director of Urban Sketchers until 2019. Currently, he leads the USk Research Group.
IG:@linhares.mr

● FRI Talk 2

George Butler: Drawing across Borders

Reportage artist George Butler discusses his work and technique drawing on the front line, in refugee camps and on the move, and how recording scenes in ink has created opportunities not available to a camera lens. Showing his work, he will describe some of the scenes and stories of the people he has met and places he has visited and recorded.

About George
George Butler is an award-winning artist and illustrator specialising in travel and current affairs. His drawings, done in situ, are in pen, ink and watercolour. His desire to record scenes in ink rather than with a camera has meant he has witnessed some extraordinary moments; at refugee camps in Bekaa Valley, in war-torn Syria and Iraq, in the oil fields of Azerbaijan, in Gaza with Oxfam, in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, at a neo-Nazi murder trial in Munich, on an oil rig in the North Sea, down a Ghanaian gold mine... the list goes on.
His work has been published by The Times (London), Monocle, New York Times, the Guardian, BBC, CNN, Der Spiegel, ARD television Germany and NPR. His work has been shown in the Imperial War Museum North, Lambeth Palace and the V&A Museum, which also holds some of his work in the National Archive. A book recording his work on human migration Drawn Across Borders was published in April 2021 by Walker Studio.
IG: @georgebutlerillustration




Saturday 23 July 


Event Hub open 09.00 - 16.00 


● Morning and afternoon workshops 

● Morning and afternoon sketchwalks 

● Drink & Draw at the Southbank Centre 

● Night Sketching at Hungerford Bridge 

⧫ ⧫ 

Sat 23rd Morning Workshops

09.30 - 12.30


Event Hub
One America Street SE1 0NE

Tickets £75



09.00 - 09.30 Gather at the Event Hub to form into workshop groups

● SAT AM Workshop 1

Gabi Campanario

London in Your Pocket Sketchbook

To become a fearless and prolific urban sketcher, there’s nothing like drawing in a pocket sketchbook to fuel your motivation. A small, easy-to-carry notebook makes sketching less intimidating and is ideal to create fast drawings on the go -- and without calling too much attention from onlookers (Hello, shy sketchers!). Workshop lessons will include how to fit wide scenes into the seemingly small sketchbook spreads, how to use ink washes to add tonal value, and how to incorporate written narrative into the pages.

About Gabi
Spanish-born artist and author Gabriel “Gabi” Campanario is best known for his storytelling sketches of the Seattle area — which appeared weekly in The Seattle Times between 2009 and 2021 — and for his role as the founder of Urban Sketchers, a global organization of artists who aim to “show the world, one drawing at a time” through on-location sketching and reportage. He is the author of Seattle Sketcher: An Illustrated Journal, and The Art of Urban Sketching: Drawing On Location Around the World.
IG:@gabicampanario

● SAT AM Workshop 2

Mario Linhares

Folding Pages, Unfolding Drawings

How is a drawing deeply related to the previous drawing and the next one? In this workshop we will combine three sketches in a dynamic way by folding just one page and creating three drawings that will be like Siamese brothers: one will not go without the other. All this while we walk in the direction of the River Thames using watercolour, pen, and pencil.

About Mario
Mário Linhares (Lisbon, Portugal) studied at the Artistic School António Arroio. He has degrees in Landscape Design and Industrial Design, holds a Masters Degree in Visual Arts Education, and is currently doing his Ph.D. on Drawing. Mario draws compulsively and creates artistic and humanitarian projects since 1997. He is married, has one son, and enjoys walking, cycling, travelling on public transport, and discussing ideas with friends. He founded Urban Sketchers Portugal in 2009, joined the International Executive Board in 2011, and was the Education Director of Urban Sketchers until 2019. He currently leads the Urban Sketchers Research Group.
IG: @linhares.mr

● SAT AM Workshop 3

Lis Watkins

Near and Far

Want to add depth and distance to your urban sketches? We’ll work together to complete a series of practical exercises, culminating in an independent sketch. I’ll demonstrate techniques drawing on tonal values, line quality and compositional elements, with time and opportunity for questions and feedback.

About Lis
Lis is a London-based illustrator, specialising in drawing on location and hand-drawn maps.
IG: @lineandwash

● SAT AM Workshop 4

Simone Ridyard

Figuring Out Perspective on Busy London Streets

This is an energetic and lively workshop focusing on the basic principles of one-point perspective through demonstrations, tips, techniques and exercises. Aimed primarily at beginners, but structured in such a way as to be a good refresher workshop for more experienced sketchers.  

About Simone
Simone is a senior lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University. She is also an architect and architectural illustrator. Whilst on a teaching exchange in Singapore in 2011, Simone discovered the global urban sketching community and has been actively engaged with Urban Sketchers ever since. She set up the Manchester Urban Sketching Group in 2012 and her book Archisketcher: Drawing Buildings, Cities and Landscapes was published in 2015. Simone teaches drawing workshops specialising in the understanding of perspective. In recent months she has collaborated with Winsor & Newton and Derwent on publicised art campaigns. Simone also sits on the editorial board of Mancunian Books.
IG: @simoneridyard 

⧫ ⧫ 


Sat 23rd Morning Sketchwalks

10.00 - 13.00


Tickets free



Sketchwalk places are limited to 25 people, so please book a free ticket

Each sketchwalk has a leader, a meeting point at the beginning, and a gathering place at the end when we ‘throw down’ our sketchbooks and pose for a group photo. Sketchwalk leaders know the area and are there to help you feel at ease and give you some ideas about what to sketch.

Please note there is no tuition during the sketchwalk. We all draw what we wish, following the Urban Sketchers manifesto and sharing our drawings at the end.

● SAT AM Sketchwalk 2

Tower of London/former City Hall

Sketch the Tower Bridge and former City Hall area, where there are lots of subjects and plenty of open air seating. Weather permitting, we can have a drink or two at the wonderful open air bar next to the former City Hall. 
Meeting point  River Wall by former City Hall (see Sketchwalk Map below)
Throwdown point  Same location
Sketchwalk leader  Ray Art

● SAT AM Sketchwalk 3

Leicester Square/China Town

This is an opportunity to sketch China Town/Gerrard St, Cambridge Circus, Piccadilly Circus or Trafalgar Square.   
Meeting point  Corner of Leicester Square on the Odeon Cinema side. If it's raining, meet under cover at the entrance of the Church of St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square. (see Sketchwalk Map below)
Throwdown point Same location  
Sketchwalk leader  Gafung Wong

● SAT AM Sketchwalk 4

The Barbican

The Barbican estate is a London landmark example of Concrete Brutalist architecture, built on a 35 acre site from 1965 to 1976 & now Grade 2 listed. With distinctive 40 storey residential towers, and lower rise blocks, the estate has 2014 flats and homes and around 4000 residents. With its associated arts centre, the Barbican’s bold brutalism continues to divide opinion. Love it or hate it there is plenty to explore and sketch including landscaped gardens, a wildlife park, residents allotments, the arts centre and a lakeside terrace. Sketchcrawl led by a Barbican resident of 14 years.
Meeting point Beech Gardens on the above ground ‘Podium Level’ of the estate (see Sketchwalk Map below) 
Throwdown point Same location
Sketchwalk leader Adam Jefford


⧫ ⧫ 

Lunch
12.30 or 13.00 - 14.00

⧫ ⧫ 


Sat 23rd Afternoon Workshops

14.30 - 17.30

Event Hub
One America Street SE1 0NE


Tickets £75



14.00 - 14.30 Gather at the Event Hub to form into workshop groups

● SAT PM Workshop 5

Adebanji Alade
Drawing People in a Busy Location


You can bring any medium you are comfortable using with a sketchbook to be filled up for this workshop. It’s really for anyone who wants to loosen up and gain a rapid habit for sketching figures in their work. This workshop is a very dynamic hands on exercise on how to capture crowds of people in a busy area. The focus will be on capturing single figures either standing or sitting, capuring moving figures, and filling a scene with moving and stationary figures. We will use angles to quickly 'get' the gestures. We'll also explore organic lines and ghosting techniques for crowds.We will use coloured pencils, TomBow Dual pens and ball point pens.
 
About Adebanji
Adebanji Alade is is Vice President of The Royal Institute of Oil Painters. A fine art portrait and landscape artist, he has painted celebrity portraits on The One Show in the series "A Brush with Fame”. Amongst those he painted were Leslie Ash, Gail Porter, Samantha Fox and Chris Eubanks. Adebanji also paints the urban landscape, capturing mood, light and atmosphere. He calls himself 'The Addictive Sketcher', as Adebanji feels he is truly addicted to sketching people wherever and whenever he is out and about.
IG:@addictivesketcher
 

● SAT PM Workshop 6

Len Grant

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Urban Sketching

A gentle step-by-step approach to putting pen to paper and building up the courage to capture the urban scene. The workshop starts with a short presentation and a preview of the day’s activities. Then we hit the streets for a series of demos and group exercises. You’ll soon be hooked.

About Len
Len Grant has spent three decades as a photographer in Manchester. In 2013 he discovered urban sketching and now his pen and sketchbook have replaced his camera as his preferred medium for telling stories. In 2018 he published his first solo sketching book, The Rusholme Sketcher.
IG:@len_grant

● SAT PM Workshop 3

Lis Watkins

Near and Far

Want to add depth and distance to your urban sketches? We’ll work together to complete a series of practical exercises, culminating in an independent sketch. I’ll demonstrate techniques drawing on tonal values, line quality and compositional elements, with time and opportunity for questions and feedback.

About Lis
Lis is a London-based illustrator, specialising in drawing on location and hand-drawn maps.
IG: @lineandwash

● SAT PM Workshop 4

Simone Ridyard

Figuring out Perspective on busy London Street

This is an energetic and lively workshop focusing on the basic principles of one-point perspective through demonstrations, tips, techniques and exercises. Aimed primarily at beginners but structured in such a way to be a good refresher workshop for more experienced sketchers.  

About Simone
Simone is a senior lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University. She is also an architect and architectural illustrator. Whilst on a teaching exchange in Singapore in 2011, Simone discovered the global urban sketching community and has been actively engaged with Urban Sketchers ever since. She set up the Manchester Urban Sketching Group in 2012 and Archisketcher was published in 2015. Simone teaches drawing workshops specialising in understanding of perspective. In recent months she has collaborated with Winsor & Newton and Derwent on publicised art campaigns. Simone also sits on the editorial board of Mancunian Books.
IG: @simoneridyard



⧫ ⧫ 

Sat 23rd Afternoon Sketchwalks

14.30 - 17.30


Tickets free



Sketchwalk places are limited to 25 people, so please book a free ticket

Each sketchwalk has a leader, a meeting point at the beginning, and a gathering place at the end when we ‘throw down’ our sketchbooks and pose for a group photo. Sketchwalk leaders know the area and are there to help you feel at ease and give you some ideas about what to sketch. 

Please note there is no tuition during the sketchwalk. We all draw what we wish, following the Urban Sketchers manifesto and sharing our drawings at the end. 

● SAT PM Sketchwalk 5

Battersea Power Station

Sketch the decommissioned Grade II*-listed Battersea Power Station and the redevelopment around it, with all the hustle and bustle of life in completed projects and on sites under construction.
Meeting point Seats at the end of Arches Lane along the waterfront next to the River underpass (see Sketchwalk Map below)
Throwdown point Same location
Sketchwalk leader Peggy Wong 

● SAT PM Sketchwalk 6

Tate Modern

An opportunity to sketch the Tate Modern, which can be found in a former Bankside power station right next to the River Thames. Alongside the art and gallery goers, there are also interesting interiors and views you can sketch from inside the building and its cafes. Alternatively, Bankside has lots to offer, including views up and down the river, the Millennium Bridge and Southwark Bridge, spectacular views of St Paul’s and the city of London, and Shakespeare’s Globe is only a short walk away.
If you would like to enter the Tate Modern, you will need to book a free timed ticket online. Expect a bag search on arrival, so avoid bringing any sharp crafting tools.

Meeting point 
Outside the Turbine Hall entrance -- at the side of the building, near Holland Street (see Sketchwalk Map below)
Throwdown point Same location 
Sketchwalk leader Sarah Minty 

● SAT PM Sketchwalk 7

Kings Cross

Few areas in London have changed more in the past ten years than King's Cross. Until relatively recently a semi-derelict and poorly connected area, it has been one of the major and most successful 21st century development sites. The area is home to Central St Martins and Coal Drops Yard, as well as two major train stations, King's Cross and St Pancras. There is even a small natural reserve, Camley Street Natural Park, with a surprising number of wild animal species and a pleasant canalside café.
Meeting point Lewis Cubitt Square (see Sketchwalk Map below)
Throwdown point Same location
Sketchwalk leader Jimmy Lu 

● SAT PM Sketchwalk 8

Covent Garden

Iconic Covent Garden is full of great sketching opportunities: Market buildings including Central Market in the Piazza and Jubilee Market, St Paul's Church (aka Actors' Church), Royal Opera House, Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, Neal's Yard and Seven Dials are but a few options. The top floor bar of the Royal Opera House offers some spectacular views over the Piazza. Covent Garden is always buzzing with shoppers, tourists, street performers and musicians, making this an ideal place to draw people. 
Meeting point 
Outside the Apple Store t 1-7 The Piazza WC2E 8H under the arches (see Sketchwalk Map below)
Throwdown point Same location
Sketchwalk leader Sasala Wickramasinghe 


⧫ ⧫ 

Drink and Draw

18.00 - 20.00

Southbank Centre Food Market (See map below)

We will meet at the Food Market in Belvedere Road behind the Southbank Centre, and inside the Southbank Centre we will gather for drinks and indoor sketching. Further details will be posted closer to the time of the event. 


⧫ ⧫ 

Night Sketching

21.00 - late

Hungerford Bridge Thames View (see map below)

An opportunity to keep sketching at sunset on the River Thames.

Meeting point  Hungerford Bridge Thames View  
Throwdown at 22:30 on the front terrace of the Southbank Centre facing the river.





Sunday 24 July

Event Hub open 09.00 - 14.00


● Morning and afternoon workshops 

● Morning sketchwalks 

●Sketchwalk Finale and Group Photo at St Paul's Cathedral 

● Drink & Draw 

⧫ ⧫ 

Sun 24th Morning Workshops

09.30 - 12.30


Event Hub
One America Street SE1 0NE

Tickets £75



09.00 - 09.30 Gather at the Event Hub to form into workshop groups

● SUN AM Workshop 1

Gabi Campanario

London in Your Pocket Sketchbook

To become a fearless and prolific urban sketcher, there’s nothing like drawing in a pocket sketchbook to fuel your motivation. A small, easy-to-carry notebook makes sketching less intimidating and is ideal to create fast drawings on the go -- and without calling too much attention from onlookers (Hello, shy sketchers!). Workshop lessons will include how to fit wide scenes into the seemingly small sketchbook spreads, how to use ink washes to add tonal value, and how to incorporate written narrative into the pages. 

About Gabi 
Spanish-born artist and author Gabriel “Gabi” Campanario is best known for his storytelling sketches of the Seattle area — which appeared weekly in The Seattle Times between 2009 and 2021 — and for his role as the founder of Urban Sketchers, a global organization of artists who aim to “show the world, one drawing at a time” through on-location sketching and reportage. He is the author of Seattle Sketcher: An Illustrated Journal, and The Art of Urban Sketching: Drawing On Location Around the World. 
IG:@gabicampanario 


● SUN AM Workshop 2

Mario Linhares

Folding Pages, Unfolding Drawings

How is a drawing deeply related to the previous drawing and the next one? In this workshop we will combine three sketches in a dynamic way by folding just one page and creating three drawings that will be like Siamese brothers: one will not go without the other. All this while we walk in the direction of the River Thames using watercolour, pen, and pencil. 

About Mario 
Mário Linhares (Lisbon, Portugal) studied at the Artistic School António Arroio. He has degrees in Landscape Design and Industrial Design, holds a Masters Degree in Visual Arts Education, and is currently doing his Ph.D. on Drawing. Mario draws compulsively and creates artistic and humanitarian projects since 1997. He is married, has one son, and enjoys walking, cycling, travelling on public transport, and discussing ideas with friends. He founded Urban Sketchers Portugal in 2009, joined the International Executive Board in 2011, and was the Education Director of Urban Sketchers until 2019. He currently leads the Urban Sketchers Research Group. 
IG: @linhares.mr 


● SUN AM Workshop 6

Len Grant

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Urban Sketching

A gentle step-by-step approach to putting pen to paper and building up the courage to capture the urban scene. The workshop starts with a short presentation and a preview of the day’s activities. Then we hit the streets for a series of demos and group exercises. You’ll soon be hooked. 

About Len 
Len Grant has spent three decades as a photographer in Manchester. In 2013 he discovered urban sketching and now his pen and sketchbook have replaced his camera as his preferred medium for telling stories. In 2018 he published his first solo sketching book, The Rusholme Sketcher. 
IG:@len_grant 


● SUN AM Workshop 7

George Butler

Unfolding Scenes

In this workshop George will lead us to one of the South London markets near his studio. It will be a chance to stand on street corners and watch the people, the colours and the life of the community market and record the scenes. This is designed for all abilities and none -- the purpose is not to create finished pieces, but to use it as a tool to observe, make memories and tell stories.

About George 
George Butler is an award-winning artist and illustrator specialising in travel and current affairs. His drawings, done in situ, are in pen, ink and watercolour. His desire to record scenes in ink rather than with a camera has meant he has witnessed some extraordinary moments; at refugee camps in Bekaa Valley, in war-torn Syria and Iraq, in the oil fields of Azerbaijan, in Gaza with Oxfam, in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, at a neo-Nazi murder trial in Munich, on an oil rig in the North Sea, down a Ghanaian gold mine... the list goes on. His work has been published by The Times (London), Monocle, New York Times, the Guardian, BBC, CNN, Der Spiegel, ARD television Germany and NPR. His work has been shown in the Imperial War Museum North, Lambeth Palace and the V&A Museum, which also holds some of his work in the National Archive. A book recording his work on human migration Drawn Across Borders was published in April 2021 by Walker Studio. 
IG: georgebutlerillustration  


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Sun 24th Morning Sketchwalks

10.00 - 13.00


Tickets free



Sketchwalk places are limited to 25 people, so please book a free ticket

Each sketchwalk has a leader, a meeting point at the beginning, and a gathering place at the end when we ‘throw down’ our sketchbooks and pose for a group photo. Sketchwalk leaders know the area and are there to help you feel at ease and give you some ideas about what to sketch. 

Please note there is no tuition during the sketchwalk. We all draw what we wish, following the Urban Sketchers manifesto and sharing our drawings at the end. 

● SUN AM Sketchwalk 9

Sketching on Public Transport - The Piccadilly Line 

Our main focus will be sketching commuters on public transport. This is a very good exercise, and a very good habit to develop while using public transport. Once this habit becomes part of your daily routine, your journeys will never be the same again.
Meeting point Kings Cross Station in the front. We’ll be taking the Piccadilly Line all the way to the last stop then back to the first, and finally coming back to Kings Cross. 
(see Sketchwalk Map below)        
Throwdown point  Same location
Sketchwalk leader  Adebanji Alade

● SUN AM Sketchwalk 10

Regent's Park/ Primrose Hill

This ultimate urban sketching walk is a nature sketching trip through different atmospheres of Regent's Park all the way to the summit of Primrose Hill. Here we'll enjoy a million-dollar view with London at our feet. We'll go through water, ducks, follies, a Japanese garden, a rose garden with 12000 specimens, a bronze water fountain, a formal garden, dense tree areas, expansive green areas, a bridge, a canal, and finally the grassy oblique planes of Primrose Hill where our sense of perspective will be fully challenged.
Meeting point  Regent's Park Bandstand (there is only one, so no danger of confusion) 
Throwdown point Top of Primrose Hill
Sketchwalk leader Nuno Pais

● SUN AM Sketchwalk 11

Trinity Buoy Wharf

With spectacular views over the Thames to the O2 building (originally the Millennium Dome), Trinity Buoy Wharf contains historic brick structures and piers built by Trinity House, which designed, built and maintained the navigational equipment, buoys, lighthouses and lightships around Britain's coasts. Since being rescued from dereliction in 1998, new buildings were constructed to house creative industries using a version of shipping containers. The wharf offers numerous fascinating things to sketch.
Meeting point Orchard Cafe in the main space at Trinity Buoy Wharf (see Sketchwalk Map below)
Throwdown point Orchard Cafe
Sketchwalk leader Martin Stone

● SUN AM Sketchwalk 12

Houses of Parliament from across the River

An excellent view across the river to the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Behind you is St Thomas’s Hospital with its beautiful grounds, and nearby is the iconic London Eye and the Brutalist-style Southbank Centre. Walk across Westminster Bridge and plunge into the crowded excitement of the tourist attraction that is Westminster. There are plenty of places to eat nearby and toilets are available in cafes and across the river in Victoria Tower Gardens, where you can see Rodin’s sculpture The Burghers of Calais.
Meeting point National Covid Memorial on the South Bank of the River Thames, near Westminster Bridge (see Sketchwalk Map below)
Throwdown point Same location
Sketchwalk leader Helen Hayhoe

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Lunch
12.30 or 13.00 - 14.00

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Sun Afternoon Sketchwalk Finale

14.30 - 17.30


Free, no tickets required 

● SUN PM Sketchwalk Finale

St Paul's Cathedral and environs 

Sketch around Paternoster Square, or go up to the roof terrace at the top of One New Change Shopping Centre where you'll be head to head with the massive dome of St Paul's. Return to the steps of St Paul's for a final throwdown and a group photo. 
Meeting point  St Paul’s main entrance steps (See map below)
Throwdown point  Same location
Sketchwalk leader Isabel Carmona 

Group Photo

18.00

Gather on the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral for our grand finale group shot, sketchbook aloft.

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Drink and Draw

18.00 - 20.00

Gather south of the River Thames. Details will be posted closer to the time of the event. 

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Location map


 

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8 - 16 October 

Urban Sketchers London 10 Year Anniversary Exhibition 

Save the date! We're staging a 10-Year Anniversary Exhibition in October at the Art Pavilion in Mile End Park. It will be free to the public and will feature activities for visitors, including demonstrations, sketchwalks and a large communal artwork that everyone can contribute to. The call for submissions will be announced closer to the time -- watch this blog and the Urban Sketchers London social media accounts for updates. Come join us at Mile End Park!

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See you at the celebrations!


#usklondon10years  #urbansketcherslondon


Instagram    @urbansketcherslondon
Facebook    @USKLondon
Twitter         @UrbSketchLondon 

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Our cancellation policy

  • For all ticket sales there is a non-refundable transaction fee.
  • If you cancel more than six weeks before the event, we would refund the full price of your ticket.
  • If you cancel between two to six weeks before, the cancellation fee is £35. We would retain that fee, and refund the remainder of the ticket price.
  • If Urban Sketchers London is forced to cancel an event -- for example, if there aren't enough participants, or if government health advice means it's not wise to stage the event -- we would refund the price of the ticket, minus our transaction fee.






Thank you again to our generous sponsors


10th Anniversary Celebration Event Hub - tp bennett




10th Anniversary Book Sponsors - da Vinci, Derwent, Hahnemühle



10th Anniversary Product Sponsors - Cretacolor, deep deep light, Faber-Castell, Quarto, Seawhite of Brighton, Viviva Colors, Winsor & Newton





Logo Competition Sponsor - Rosemary & Co.




#usklondon10years  #urbansketcherslondon




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