We drew London (a lot!) in 2023 - A productive year in review

Christmas at the Natural History Museum
Sketch by Sasala Wickramasinghe

From the Urban Sketchers London admin team, a big thank you to everyone who helped us to stage a record 26 sketchwalks in 2023, from Somerset House to Shoreditch and Brixton to Battersea Power Station.

Best wishes for a peaceful holiday season.

Let's draw London in 2024!

London by Urban Sketchers - Our 10 Year Anniversary Book
Order your copy here

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Victoria & Albert Museum - January 21
Led by Jimmy Lu and Rachel Bone
photo by Sasala Wickramasinghe

Battersea Power Station - February 18

Led by Andrea Deng and Jimmy Lu

photo by Zane Karklina

Greenwich - March 18
Led by Mike Whalley and Olga Mackness
photo by Sasala Wickramasinghe

Shoreditch 1 - April 15

Led by Jia You and Jimmy Lu

photo by Jia You

Shoreditch 2 - April 30

Led by Sasala Wickramasinghe and Jimmy Lu

Photo by Jimmy Lu

Richmond 1 - May 20

Led by Helen Hayhoe and John Swanson

Photo by Nigel Abbott 

Summer Late 1 South Bank- May 24

Led by Sasala Wickramasinghe

photo by Zane Karklina

Richmond 2 - June 4

Led by Helen Hayhoe and Sasala Wickramasinghe

photo by Nigel Abbott

Crystal Palace Park 1 - June 17

Led by Sarah Minty

Photo by Sarah Minty

Summer Late 2 Tate Modern - June 30

Led by John Swanson

Crystal Palace Park 2 - July 2

Led by Lis Watkins and Jimmy Lu

Photo by Lis Watkins

Fleet Street - July 8

Led by Akira Yamanaka and Adam Topór

photo by Cynthia Barlow Marrs

 

Wimbledon Village 1 - July 22

Led by Inga Knysh and Zane Karklina

photo by Zane Karklina

Summer Late 3 Somerset House - July 26

Led by Jimmy Lu 

Wimbledon Village 2 - August 6

Led by Patricia Burbage and Zane Karklina 

Photo by Zane Karklina

Mayfair 1 - August 19

Led by Isabel Carmona and Peggy Wong

photo by Peggy Wong

Mayfair 2 - September 23

Led by Peggy Wong and Andrea Deng

photo by Peggy Wong

Summer Late 4 Trafalgar Square - August 25 

Led by Alison Gardiner

photo by Alison Gardiner

Harrow-on-the-Hill - September 23

Led by Madeleine Brennan and Sue Woodisse

photo by Zane Karklina

Chiswick Pier - September

Led by Helen Hayhoe and Sasala Wickramasinghe

Photo by Zane Karklina

Brixton 1 - October 8

Led by Dean Ashton and Catherine Bardrick

photo by Nigel Abbott

Brixton 2 - October 21

Led by Rachel Bone and Dean Ashton

photo by Jimmy Lu

Wellcome Collection 1 - November 4

Led by Helen Hayhoe and Sasala Wickramasinghe

photo by Nigel Abbott

 

Wellcome Collection 2 - November 19

Led by Helen Hayhoe and Dean Ashton

Photo by Nigel Abbott

South Bank Christmas Market 1 - December
Led by Sasala Wickramasinghe and John Swanson
Photo by Nigel Abbott
 

South Bank Christmas Market 2 - December
Led by Sasala Wickramasinghe and Alison Gardiner
Photo by Cynthia Barlow Marrs

Let's draw London in 2024!

London by Urban Sketchers - Our 10 Year Anniversary Book

Order your copy here

Urban Sketchers London on social media

• Instagram    @urbansketcherslondon
• Facebook     @USKLondon
• Twitter         @UrbSketchLondon

Join our mailing list

Sign up here to receive all the latest Urban Sketchers London news in your email Inbox.

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We drew London (a lot!) in 2023 - A productive year in review

Let's draw Brixton on either Sunday 8 October = or = Saturday 21 October 2023

Foxes and cherries - the eye-catching sculpture atop Brixton market
Sketch by Catherine Bardrick

In October 'we're gonna rock down to Electric Avenue'* and draw Brixton, the British capital of Afro-Caribbean culture with an eclectic mix of Victorian architecture and a vibrant multi-cultural marketplace. 

[Dean Ashton writes]

NB: This month we're switching things around. Our first Brixton sketchwalk takes place on Sunday 8 October, run by Dean Ashton and Catherine Bardrick. The second visit on Saturday 21 October is hosted by Rachel Bone and Dean Ashton.

On both days we'll be based at Windrush Square, named after the ship that brought immigrants to Britain from the West Indies in 1948, marking the beginning of multicultural society in modern-day Britain.

*The reggae-influenced pop song Electric Avenue topped the charts way back in 1983. 

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If this is your first sketchwalk with us, welcome to Urban Sketchers London! 

Every sketchwalk has a leader, a meeting point at the beginning, a gathering place in the middle and another one 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.

We look forward to seeing you! 

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Key times and meeting points

Scroll down for a location map for this sketchwalk

11 am

We will meet in Windrush Square SW2 1JX, opposite Brixton Tate Library and The Ritzy, Brixton's restored 1911 cinema with cafe and bar.

In the event of severe wet weather, we'll relocate to the covered walkway behind Brixton Underground station. Sign up to the Brixton sketchwalk FB chat for live updates.

1 pm

Return to Windrush Square for the first throwdown and group photo.

3.30 pm

Meet again on Windrush Square for the final throwdown.

Afterwards

We'll head back towards the station and have a few drinks at The Beehive pub at 407-409 Brixton Rd SW9 7DG. It's a two minute walk, to the right of the Underground station.

Options for drawing

Windrush Square - You can stick around our starting point to sketch views of the grand Edwardian Lambeth Town Hall, the Greek Doric-style St Matthews Church or the Grade II-listed Brixton Tate Library. And at No. 1 Windrush Square you'll find Raleigh Hall, a Grade II-listed Georgian building that now houses the Black Cultural Archives. 

Lambeth Town Hall
Photo by Dean Ashton

Electric Avenue - The first market street in the country to be wired for electricity. Here you'll find colourful independent shops, food in every rainbow colour for sale, and look up to see the cheeky fox sculptures scavenging cherries -- a public art installation by local artist Lucy Casson. 

Foxes and cherries in Electric Avenue
Sketch by Catherine Bardrick

Brixton Village - More colour, African print fabrics and even more colourful shop fronts, as well as food outlets like the Brixton Laundry turned all day bistro and wine shop.

Brixton Village
Photo by Dean Ashton

David Bowie Memorial - A must-visit memorial for the singer/songwriter, who spent his early childhood in the area. It's opposite Brixton Underground station, alongside Morley's Department Store.

The Railway Hotel
Sketch by Dean Ashton

Practical information

Food and drink and conveniences

There are plenty of local cafes, fast food joints and international food shops and stalls  -- or you can head to Brixton Village for a bit of quinoa and smashed avocado. 

The nearest public toilets are in Brixton Village at the end of Electric Avenue (Popes Road Toilets). There are also lavatories in the local fast food chains, Brixton Tate Library (from 12:00 Sun) and Morleys Department Store (from 12:00 Sun).

Public transport

The nearest station is Brixton, which serves mainline trains (Southeastern Railway) and London Underground (Victoria line). The station is a three minute walk from our meeting point at Windrush Square.

Accessibility

Please let us know if you will need accessibility support on the day. Brixton Village is fully accessible. Brixton station is wheelchair accessible, and has step-free access from the street to the train. For information on accessibility across London Underground, there is a downloadable Transport for London Step-free Tube Guide. And for details of specific locations in this sketchwalk, there is AccessAble.

Health and safety

Urban Sketchers London follow current health and safety guidelines, and we count on all our sketchers to do the same. As always, we keep an eye on developments concerning Covid, and even though restrictions have been lifted, we think it's sensible to do everything we can to keep ourselves and fellow sketchers safe when we're together. 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
• Practise good hand hygiene. 

Hashtags

Remember to tag us when you post your sketches on social media! And do be polite when posting online. We may be biased, but we think kindness comes naturally to urban sketchers -- so don't be shy, show your social media politesse at its best.

#urbansketcherslondon #usklondon

Location map

See you at Brixton!

 

Let's draw London in 2023 -- Find our full programme here

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London by Urban Sketchers - Our 10 Year Anniversary Book

Order your copy here!

Urban Sketchers London on social media

• Instagram    @urbansketcherslondon
• Facebook     @USKLondon
• Twitter         @UrbSketchLondon

Join our mailing list

Sign up here to receive all the latest Urban Sketchers London news in your email Inbox.

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Let's draw Brixton on either Sunday 8 October = or = Saturday 21 October 2023