Drawing Attention Dec 2024 by Drawing Attention

SKETCHING IN VENICE, AUSTRIA BUENOS AIRES

CADIZ,

READING

Attention DRAWING

The official zine of Urban Sketchers DEC 2024

Drawing Attention Mandate

Drawing Attention, the official zine of the Urban Sketchers organization, communicates and promotes official USk workshops, symposiums, sketchwalks, news and events; shares news about USk chapters; and educates readers about the practice of on-location sketching.

Thanks to this month’s contributors:

Content PubliC ation team: Anne

Taylor, Suhita Shirodkar, Chiara Gomiselli

mailChimP layout: Chiara Gomiselli

i ssuu layout: Anne Taylor

Writers & Contributors: Suhita

Shirodkar, Scott Wilson, Maria Regina

Tuazon, Parka, Javier Mas Pinturas

Proofreaders: Leigh Ferst & Mona Kwon

Cover image: Mohan Banerji

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CirCulation: 14k+ readershiP: 16k+ Web: urbansketchers.org

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this publication, including accompanying artwork, are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Urban Sketchers organization.

Kia ora, hello everyone!

We start this issue with a look back on the recent Buenos Aires Symposium with Suhita Shirodkar, our new DA feature writer who will be known to many through her years of volunteering and teaching. By all accounts, it was an unforgettable event. We also welcome MJ Ernst, who hails from Michigan, as the USk’s new Fundraising Director. Italy-based Chiara Gomiselli is joining the DA team to help with all of our administration and Mailchimp – check out Chiara’s book about her motorcycle trip around her native Italy, on our page of great holiday reads.

As new people arrive, others leave. Mohan Banerji is stepping down as Sponsorship Director after many years of sterling service. But you’ll see that he’s certainly not giving up his sketching and creative pursuits!

From sketching among olive groves to city streets and castle wine cellars, USk Chapters have been busy and creative in their choices of sketching locations – see our News & Events pages to find out

more. A great way of finding out about urban sketching events around the world is via our online events calendar. Twelve new chapters have just joined the USk family, so there may be more opportunities closer to home for you.

A popular feature in DA is our Sketch Demo and this time we’re lucky to have Oliver Hoeller show us how to enrich our sketches of events, drawing out more elements of story telling on the page.

Remember, we are always keen to hear what you and / or your chapter is up to, especially if you have been involved in something a little different or unique.

As always, thank you to the many people who contributed to this issue, including proofreaders Leigh Ferst and Mona Kwon. Wishing you a happy and healthy end of the year and holiday season – hopefully with some relaxing sketching in the mix, too!

Anne Taylor (NZ), Managing Editor E: drawingattention@urbansketchers.org

BUENOS AIRES SYMPOSIUM: IT’S A WRAP!

SUHITA SHIRODKAR LOOKS BACK AT THE 12TH INTERNATIONAL URBAN SKETCHERS SYMPOSIUM IN BUENOS AIRES

Even from afar, the energy of the Buenos Aires Symposium was palpable. This is a city proud of its rich architectural heritage, beyondmad football skills, and tango dancing. For a few days, the already electric atmosphere had an added boost of energy as hundreds of sketchers came together to draw in the streets.

Besides workshops, demos, lectures, and activities, the Symposium featured an art market, an auction of original art, and a newly launched Youth Program aimed at bringing young people to the world of urban sketching. Happy sketchers returned home with fabulous memories, new friendships, exciting learning from workshops and demos, and prizes and goodies galore.

PHOTOS

October 9–12| 365 sketchers 31 countries | 6 continents (in fact, everywhere but Antarctica! ) 67% first-time attendees

THE TRADITIONAL ‘FAMILY PHOTO’ TOOK PLACE ON THE STEPS OF PASEO DEL BAJO

THE SYMPOSIUM CORRESPONDENTS

BEHIND THE SCENES

Behind every successful Symposium are hundreds of volunteers and countless hours of work. The Buenos Aires Urban Sketchers team started with a stellar proposal and a great track record as a local chapter.

Starting in May 2023, a local team of six members along with six members of the International Symposium Committee and eight members of the Executive Board met for over 40 zoom meetings, each just under two hours long. And this was just the tip of the iceberg.

Thirty-seven local Buenos Aires volunteers worked on planning and executing this mega event by breaking up into many subcommittees. And when it came time for the symposium, 19 instructors, three correspondents, seven lecturers, and seven activity presenters joined this team to bring you an unforgettable experience.

“Meeting people from all over the world who bonded through the mutual love of urban sketching was the best part of the experience.”

Yanhua Cheng

First-time Symposium attendee

“Welcoming all those fantastic artists in our city and our country was magical and unforgettable. Seeing them walk in and draw my city more than justified all the work done.”

María Cecilia Novello BA Organizing Committee

Along with a lot of first-time joiners are first-time correspondents, first-time volunteers, and new teams working together from different time zones for the first time, it was a lot of firsts. This brand-new experience opened doors to fresh ways of telling stories, sharing a trip, communicating, working together, and building friendships.

A big round of applause to our passionate volunteers, instructors, sponsors, participants, and everyone who made this amazing adventure possible! Hopefully, we get a chance to see each other again, either on the street sketching, collaborating on a project, or at the next Symposium in Poznan, Poland.

Maria Regina Tuazon USk Communications Director

CLOSING CEREMONY

“I

felt that there were no geographical and cultural borders, that we were united by a common goal.”

María Cecilia

Novello

BA Organizing Committee

A huge thank you to the Buenos Aires Urban Sketchers, and everyone else who played a part in the success of this symposium. And congratulations to the host city for 2025: Poznań, Poland. Mark your calendars for August 20-23, 2025. We hope to see you there next year!

WELCOME TO OUR NEW VOLUNTEERS

NEW FUNDRAISING

DIRECTOR: MJ ERNST

MJ (Mary Jo) is an artist who lives in Michigan, and she stepped into the role of USk Fundraising Director in October. She has been volunteering in her local area since 2016, and for Urban Sketchers for the past two years. She served as a USk Chicago administrator, co-founded USk West Michigan, and mentored for two years on the global Membership Team.

MJ has conducted sketching workshops in North America and has a significant history of collaborating with sponsors. Her top priority is community building. We wish MJ all the best in her new role.

NEW DA WRITER: SUHITA SHIRODKAR

Based in the City of San José, near San Francisco, USA, Suhita has been an active part of the Urban Sketchers community since 2009. She has volunteered on the editorial team, the 10x10 Educational Program team, the Facebook team, and has taught at numerous Symposiums.

Suhita is excited to put on her volunteering hat again and will be joining the Drawing Attention editorial team as a feature writer to bring you visual reportage and news from USk chapters all over the world.

NEW DA EDITORIAL ASSISTANT:

CHIARA GOMISELLI

Chiara lives in Trieste, Italy, and she is an economist turned artist thanks to urban sketching. Her creativity took her on the road with her motorcycle for the Italia Grand Sketching Tour, which turned her into a professional artist.

Chiara will be working on the administration side of Drawing Attention, and replying to people who contact the team.

SUHITA SHIRODKAR w MJ ERNST

CHIARA GOMISELLI

THANK YOU, MOHAN!

On behalf of Urban Sketchers, we extend our deepest gratitude to Mohan Banerji for his outstanding service as Sponsorship Director. He began volunteering as Sponsorship Coordinator in January 2019 and stepped into the Director role in September 2020, bringing dedication and expertise to each phase of his journey with us.

Through his strong connections with sponsors, he and his team have created partnerships that have secured invaluable support and material donations for our symposium goodie bags and raffles, as well as for various events and activities, greatly enhancing the experience for attendees. His collaborative approach and ability to work effectively with his team have fostered a positive and productive environment. Alongside his impactful work, Mohan’s incredible sense of humor and groundedness have brightened our team and inspired all who work with him.

Mohan’s passion for urban sketching, sparked at a London sketch meet in 2016, has enriched our community and strengthened our mission. Thank you, Mohan, for your commitment, vision, and lasting contributions to Urban Sketchers!

CHECK OUT OUR GLOBAL EVENTS CALENDAR!

October | 15 sketchers

‘Walk amidst the olive groves’ Capri, Italy | Simo Capecchi

Fifteen sketchers came by boat from Naples to attend this annual event, including USk Napoli. This followed my long sketched reportage L’Oro di Capri about a local association of oil makers who are protecting the traditional and organic cultivation of olive trees. We walked and sketched under centuries-old olive trees, enjoying stunning panoramas over Capri’s cliffs and tasting new oil and many other delicacies the group kindly offered us. I can’t think of a better way to spend a sunny day!

Participants: Renata Guadalupi, Nicola Flora, Luigi Ruggiero, Giorgia Nicolardi, Caroline Peyron, Irene Kosegowsky, Simonetta Volpe, Antonella Callligaris, Mariella Estero, Leonella Lupi, Sabrina Santoro, Simo Capecchi (all from Napoli) and Laurence Voulliez, from France.

IRENE KOSEGOWSKY

KOSEGOWSKY

NICOLA FLORA

September 6 - 8 | 800 sketchers 8th Germany-wide USk Gathering Leipzig, Eastern Germany | Max Richter Like last year’s gathering in Berlin, entry and participation was free for all, so enthusiastic sketchers from all corners of Germany and nearly all neighboring countries came to the thousand-year-old trade fair city, where even the young Goethe learned to draw here as a student (more info on the link tree on @ uskleipzig2024).

The organizing team around Max Richter (@sketchermax) was very happy that the department of culture of the city of Leipzig and the Illustrator’s Organisation supported the event financially.Some places opened their doors especially for the group or gave free admission. The Museum of Fine Art (@mdbkleipzig) partnered with the group by offering their fantastic building for the opening and the final exhibition.

LEFT: THE NIKOLAIKIRCHE COLUMN IS THE MEMORIAL FOR THE ‘PEACEFUL REVOLUTION’ THAT LED TO THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL IN 1989. SKETCHED BY MAX RICHTER, @SKETCHERMAX

July | 130 sketchers | Iberian USk Weekend Bay of Cádiz | Marisa Schmidt Moreno USk Bahía de Cádiz

We gathered sketchers of the Iberian Peninsula, crossing borders and connecting cultures. We’d bonded with USK Badajoz and USk Portugal last year in Lisbon so we decided to host this time. The weekend took place in the cities of Cádiz and El Puerto de Santa María, the cradle of western civilisation, founded by the Phoenicians more than 3000 years ago, where Carthaginians, Romans, Visigoths and Muslims also settled afterwards.

We started at the Contemporary Culture Centre of Cádiz (ECCO) with nearly 130 sketchers and their companions, who received their sketcher bag full of goods from the sponsors and gifts made by us. Two days of sketching, meals together, and sunsets followed. It was a very hard work, but we think inspirational for many other small groups and chapters. We had our farewell party in the wine cellar of an historic castle. After some emotional speeches we promised to repeat this somewhere, maybe next year.

@ SILVIA TRUJILLO FORT

Los días 27 y 28 del pasado mes de julio celebramos el Fin de Semana USk Ibérico en nuestra histórica Bahía de Cádiz, y fue un evento inolvidable para todos los sketchers que participamos en ello. USk Bahía de Cádiz fuimos los anfitriones y organizadores, en colaboración conjunta con USk Badajoz, los promotores de la idea, y USk Portugal. Un encuentro de dibujo de la Península Ibérica atravesando fronteras y uniendo culturas, que ha inspirado a muchos grupos para seguir creciendo y organizando encuentros tan memorables como este.

SILVIA GALLARDO TRUJILLO

ASIA

WELCOME NEW CHAPTERS!

We are excited to announce these 12 new chapters. Welcome to the global family of urban sketchers! JAVIER MAS PINTURAS

USk Chungju, South Korea

USk Gongju, South Korea

NORTH AMERICA

USk Morelia, Mexico

USk North Orange County, CA, USA

USk Puerto Rico, PR, USA

EUROPE

USk Bayonne, France

USk Dessau-Wörlitz, Germany

USk Dieppe, France

USk Gibraltar, UK

USk Novi Sad, Serbia

USk Orléans, France

USk Osnabrück, Germany

US k GIBRALTAR

US k BAYONNE

US k GONGJU

US k CHUNGJU

sketcher spotlight

MOHAN’S LIFE LESS ORDINARY

USK’S FORMER SPONSORSHIP DIRECTOR MOHAN BANERJI’S WORK TOOK HIM ALL AROUND THE WORLD, BUT HIS HORIZONS ONLY GOT BROADER AFTER RETIRING, AS HE TELLS SCOTT WILSON

Born in Delhi, Mohan Banerji and his family moved frequently as his dad was posted all over India. Mohan eventually obtained a Masters in International Affairs and joined the world’s largest ad company in Kolkata. He dreamt of a life of travel but in those days, it was usually for the rich and privileged few. However, a family friend who was able to read people’s destinies by looking at their foreheads announced to his parents they needn’t worry as their son would travel internationally constantly. So, his forehead foretold the story.

Mohan first emigrated to England then travelled extensively across Europe, with his main business being fragrance and cosmetics. He also lived in Hong Kong and Australia.

A CREATIVE RETIREMENT

Mohan’s so-called ‘retirement’ in 2016 opened the door to sketching. He first whet his appetite with USk London, starting tentatively with a pencil and eraser until an experienced sketcher encouraged him to dive straight in with the pen. And he hasn’t looked back since. He then went on to start the USk Reading Chapter, with two other sketchers. He now carries his sketchbook with him wherever he goes, including family mealtimes.

Self-taught, he exhibits with the Reading Guild of Artists, the Wokingham Art Society, and the Crowthorne & Sandhurst Art Society. He uses acrylics, pencils and inks in his mixed media pieces. His work is displayed in homes across UK,

“A family friend ... announced to [Mohan’s] parents they needn’t worry as their son would travel internationally constantly.”

Mohan Banerji

Sketcher Spotlight

India, Australia, Colombia and the USA. The thread that weaves through it is his love of lines, textures and colors.

A PEOPLE PERSON

Mohan is an extrovert who loves people. He feels comfortable sketching amongst others, finding most are genuinely interested and often ready with a compliment. On one occasion did a gentleman peer over his shoulder and comment: “My niece also draws; now she’s an artist!”

He finds children are the best audience, invariably enthusiastic. His other interests include travel, photography, and listening to jazz. He is also keen on malt whiskies.

We can think of Mohan and the diligent Sponsorship Coordinators when we rustle through our goodie bags from the last couple of Symposiums. All that relationship building with our generous sponsors has something akin to that warm glow we get when we walk into a vast art shop and dabble with those new art supplies.

As to what next for Mohan, he told us: “I would like to continue to contribute to the urban sketching community, while volunteering to help out other groups I’m involved with, such as the Hardy Plant Society, Wokingham Arts Society, and USk Reading. All I can say for now is ‘Watch this space’.”

Thanks and kudos to Mohan – sketcher, volunteer, actor and all-round good sort. Next time you see him, check out that storytelling brow.

MOHAN’S VERY FIRST SKETCH, OF ST PANCRAS STATION IN LONDON

FUN FACT 1 –

READING’S ‘THREE B’S’:

Reading, England is the nearest big town to Mohan’s home. It is 40 miles west of London and known for “beer, bulbs and biscuits.” If you have English heritage, you might remember the elaborately decorated Huntley & Palmers’ biscuit tins. The company was founded in Reading in 1822.

Reading is also where Oscar Wilde wrote ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol’ in 1895, and the birthplace of Catherine, Princess of Wales

ABOVE: ST JAMES CHURCH, READING LEFT: A VIEW OF WOKINGHAM STATION NEAR MOHAN’S HOME

FUN FACT 2: Mohan has performed in movies such as Paddington 2, TV dramas including Holby City and in numerous TV ads. Certainly a star before he was a star for us!

BELOW: PLAZA DE MAYO, BUENOS AIRES

ABOVE: KINDLY FISHERMEN HELPING MOHAN OUT OF THE SHINGLE AT DUNGENESS BEACH, KENT, ENGLAND. BELOW: SWIDNICA, POLAND

Mohan Banerji

A MIXED MEDIA PIECE

BASED ON A SKETCH IN VENICE

ART GUILD BIO w

MOHAN BANERJI

MOHAN’S TIPS

KEEP IT SIMPLE, DON’T STRESS, DON’T FORCE IT. GO WITH THE FLOW.

Mohan Banerji

SKETCHER DEMO

A sketch as rich as reality

OLIVER HOELLER SHOWS US HOW TO MAKE OUR EVENTS

SKETCHES MORE DYNAMIC BY BRINGING IN LAYERS OF DETAIL AND STORYTELLING. BUT DON’T FORGET A LITTLE PLANNING!

As urban sketchers, we aim to tell the stories of the places and events we visit. There are the technical challenges of how to capture a subject, and the question of what to sketch. It helps to ask: What is the story of the place? What gives you a sense of being there? What makes the sketch both interesting and readable at the same time? And how can you add your personality to make it your story?

This demo gives you a few pointers on how I may approach sketching a story. Key here is some visual thinking to solve the issues of what needs to be part of the picture, where to put it, and how to keep it readable. So, some planning can help you while you keep dealing with the unexpected.

OLIVER’S MATERIALS

• PEN: FINELINER BLACK, WATER PROOF

• MEDIA WATERCOLOR, ACRYLIC PENS, FELT-TIP PENS

• PAPER: CLAIREFONTAINE AQUAPAD

PLANNING YOUR SKETCH

Before you start, think about:

• WHERE ARE YOU? As sketchers we can use an ‘establishing shot’ to speak to the overall location.

• WHAT IS HAPPENING? Often an activity creates a story. Perhaps there is even a hero?

• DETAIL: This is what makes the story rich and specific. Conversations and sounds, as well as visual details, can also be part of the story. Pay attention to these. What you select will make your story personal.

STEP 1: We are at San Francisco’s Ferry Terminal, on the day of a marathon. I start with an establishing shot of the location. The tower identifies the Ferry Terminal, to locals at least. Think about your audience and what they need to see to recognize where your story is located. As I grow the scene of the location, I add panels left and right as placeholders for ‘juicy details’. You can overlap the panels for extra coherence. Already the sketch has some structure, with plenty of room for discoveries.

STEP 2: I started on some colors. I’d like to give people the feeling of the cool morning and combine that with the heat of the action. I decide to use a cool green/blue/ purple color mix on the scene, keeping warmer colors for later.

DESIGN: Giving a sense of location, action and rich detail in one sketch can be a challenge. Think about breaking up your spread into subsections that are ‘containers for visual information’. Panels can be useful for this. HOW DOES IT FEEL?: Color is a great tool to give an emotional dimension to the overall page.

Oliver Hoeller

STEP 3: Time to capture some marathon action! I pick some key situations: a happy runner, someone who’s tired, and running legs. Often zooming in on an important detail (legs, for example) is stronger than showing the whole figure. I now apply warmer colors to the runners.

STEP 4: It still all looks very flat. I add more layers of watercolor to create a sense of space and three dimensions.

STEP 5: I’m noticing the elements feel disjointed. I use acrylic markers and felt-tip pens to bring Marathon runners into the establishing shot. Little dots quickly read as people at a distance. I also bring some of this saturated color into the close-ups of zoomed in runners. Better!

STEP 6: It’s time to shift my mode of perception and listen to what sounds and conversations are going on. I add in another layer of information through some of those details, including spoken words, sounds and even some movement lines. All of this adds another layer of information.

STEP7: Finally, we are at the final adjustment stage. I make sure that the sketch reads as one coherent whole: I splash in a bit of sky. I adjust line weight and contrast where needed, and add color to the sound elements to make them stand out more. I also sprinkle in a few additional details including the US flag on the tower to suggest the location more clearly.

Let’s call it done! Thorough this process, I ended up with a rich personal snapshot of the San Francisco Marathon – a sketch that I think is both interesting and readable.

Oliver Hoeller

OLIVER HOELLER w

OLIVER HOELLER

HOLIDAY READING LIST

Fuel your urban sketching over the holiday period with these inspiring books.

ITALIA GRAND SKETCHING TOUR

CHIARA GOMISELLI KINDLE ITALIAN EDITION

VISITS TO BROOKLYN JANE WINGFIELD

USD 15 + SHIPPING

THE GRAND TOURIST OLIVER HOELLER

EUR 29

THE OLIVE TREES OF CAPRI A STORY OF HEROIC AGRICULTURE

SIMONETTA CAPECCHI

EUR 27.55

PEN & INK DRAWING TECHNIQUES

DAVID MORALES

GBP 4.99

LINE & WASH IN THE URBAN LANDSCAPE

NEIL WHITEHEAD

GBP 12.99

PARKA REVIEWS

BY TEOH YI CHIE

Teoh Yi Chie is an infographics journalist who joined Urban Sketchers Singapore in 2009. He’s probably better known as Parka from Parkablogs.com, a website that reviews art books and art products.

This month Parka reviews Ohuhu 150gsm marker pad. Check it out!

SEE MORE REVIEWS

o ur manifesto

• 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 support each other and draw together

• We share our drawings online

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