PROGRAMME INSTRUCTORS Anne Rose Oosterbaan Charline Moreau Donald Saluling Eduardo Bajzek Eleanor Doughty Fred Lynch Gabi Campanario Hugo Costa Ian Fennelly Jane Blundell Jim Richards Johanna Krimmel Jörg Asselborn Karen Jiyun Sung Kiah Kiean Ch’ng Liz Steel LK Bing Marina Grechanik
Marion Rivolier Monika Wołk Nina Johansson Norberto Dorantes Pat Southern-Pearce Paul Wang Reham M. Ali Richard Briggs Rita Sabler Rob Sketcherman Róisin Curé Santi Sallés Shari Blaukopf Stephanie Bower Suhita Shirodkar Uma Kelkar Veronica Lawlor Virginia Hein
Description The 10th International Urban Sketchers Symposium will be held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, July 24-27, 2019. Sketchers of all levels, experience, and backgrounds are welcome. What is the Symposium? The International Urban Sketching Symposium is an annual educational event organized by Urban Sketchers (USk), a nonprofit dedicated to fostering the practice of on-location observational sketching. The goal of the Symposium is to celebrate and practice the art of on-location sketching in the host city. The event offers valuable field-sketching instruction and opportunities for participants to network and socialize. Following our spirit of “sharing the world, one drawing at a time,” we aim to bring the Symposium to new cities and countries every year. Portland, Lisbon, Santo Domingo, Barcelona, Paraty, Singapore, Manchester, Chicago and Porto have hosted previous editions of the Symposium. Symposium Pass There is only ONE type of pass on sale at $420 each. The Symposium Pass includes access to the opening & closing receptions, Workshops, Demos, Skit Sketch presentations and Sketchwalks. The Symposium Pass will give you full access to 3 workshops with a great lineup of international instructors. Attention : Event Schedule and Programme, with Registration fees structure, will be announced in January 2019. Registration will start on February 2nd, 2019 at 15:00hrs CET (check for your local time here)
Useful links Download pdf version Registration page FAQ
: https://goo.gl/5PvGnT : https://uskamsterdam2019.eventbrite.com : https://goo.gl/Qy88Vu
For Symposium Updates and News Webpage http://www.urbansketchers.org/p/uskamsterdam2019.html Instagram https://www.instagram.com/usksymposium/ FB group https://www.facebook.com/groups/uskamsterdam2019/
10th USk Symposium, Amsterdam : Event Schedule
Note: Programme marked with an asterisk (*) is optional and at own arrangements.
rev01 (dated 12Dec2018)
Events for SYMPOSIUM PASS participants only 24th July 2019, Wedn 09:00 hrs (9:00 AM)
25th July 2019, Thurs Morning briefing @ Zuiderkerk (09:00 - 09:30) Meet & go to Workshop location (30mins)
Meet @ Sketchwalk location
26th July 2019, Fri Morning briefing @ Zuiderkerk (09:00 - 09:30) Meet & go to Workshop location (30mins)
Meet @ Sketchwalk location
27th July 2019, Sat Morning briefing @ Zuiderkerk (09:00 - 09:30) Meet & go to Workshop location (30mins)
Meet & go to Sketchwalk location (30mins)
10:00 hrs (10:00 AM)
11:00 hrs (11:00 AM)
Workshop (10:00 - 13:00) participants only
Sketchwalk 1 (10:00 - 13:00) open to public
Workshop (10:00 - 13:00) participants only
Sketchwalk 3 (10:00 - 13:00) open to public
Workshop (10:00 - 13:00) participants only
Sketchwalk 5 (10:00 - 13:00) open to public
12:00hrs (12:00 PM)
13:00 hrs (1:00 PM) Lunchtime* (13:00 - 14:30)
Lunchtime* (13:00 - 14:30)
Lunchtime* (13:00 - 14:30)
14:00 hrs (2:00 PM)
15:00 hrs (3:00 PM) 16:00 hrs Participants Checkin (4:00 PM)
@ Zuiderkerk (15:00 - 18:00) 17:00 hrs (5:00 PM)
18:00 hrs (6:00 PM)
Art supplies market @ Zuiderkerk participants only (remains open until 27th July 2019)
Skit Sketch Presentation
Meet & go to Demo location (30mins)
@ Zuiderkerk
Demo (15:00 - 16:00) participants only
(14:30 - 16:00) participants only
Sketchwalk 2 (16:00 - 19:00) open to participants & public
Lunchtime* (13:00 - 14:30) Final Submission of Artworks for SILENT AUCTION Meet & go to Sketchwalk location (30mins)
Final Open Sketchwalk (15:00 - 17:30) open to public Sketchwalk 4 (16:00 - 19:00) open to participants & public
BIG GROUP PHOTO
(17:30 - 18:30) open to public
Opening Reception @ Zuiderkerk
19:00 hrs (7:00 PM)
(18:00 - 20:30)
Drink and Draw* (19:00 onwards)
Drink and Draw* (19:00 onwards)
Silent Auction (18:30 - 20:00)
Raffles Draw (18:30 - 19:30)
20:00 hrs (8:00 PM)
21:00 hrs (9:00 PM)
22:00 hrs (10:00 PM)
Closing Reception (20:00 - 22:30)
WORKSHOPS LINEUP 25th July 2019 (Thurs) 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM (10:00 - 13:00 hrs) 26th July 2019 (Fri) 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM (10:00 - 13:00 hrs) 27th July 2019 (Sat) 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM (10:00 - 13:00 hrs) WS01
Anne Rose Oosterbaan
Color First, Then Line
WS02
Charline Moreau
Compose A Sketch As A Theatre Stage - Give Depth To Your Front Views!
WS03
Donald Saluling
Thumbnailing Your Slice Of Life
WS04
Eduardo Bajzek
Hidden Amsterdam : Atmosphere And Character
WS05
Eleanor Doughty
Dry Air: Drawing Atmospheric Perspective In Mixed Media
WS06
Fred Lynch
Rembrandt Drawing: Creating Colorful Sketches With Monochrome
WS07
Gabi Campanario
Small Sketchbook, Big Drawings
WS08
Hugo Costa
Amsterdam Rooftops
WS09
Ian Fennelly
From Canals To Cobblestones: A Journey Of Looking.
WS10
Jane Blundell
Setting The Tone, Creating The Texture.
WS11
Jim Richards
Speed Sketching: Draw With Abandon!
WS12
Johanna Krimmel
Steel, Stone And Water - Painting Confidently With Chinese Ink
WS13
Jörg Asselborn
Catching Windmills
WS14
Karen Jiyun Sung
Growing A Drawing: Making Sketches Beyond The Dimensions Of The Paper
WS15
Kiah Kiean Ch’ng
Twig, Bamboo & Chinese Ink
WS16
Liz Steel
Dynamic Composition And Storytelling
WS17
LK Bing
Exploration Of Classical Moods Through Dramatic Composition: How To Apply Lighting Concept And Vintage Colours With Artistic Strokes
WS18
Marina Grechanik
Face To Face! - Urban Portraits That Tell Stories
WS19
Marion Rivolier
Between Sky And Water: How To Express Urban Flow?
WS20
Monika Wołk
The Green Facades Of Amsterdam: Capturing And Contrasting Greenery With Surrounded Buildings In Watercolour
WS21
Nina Johansson
Framing The City – A Few Guidelines On Image Composition
WS22
Norberto Dorantes
Line Flow - Discover How A Simple Line Can Be A Launch Point And Join Spaces
WS23
Pat Southern-Pearce
A Sense Of Place And A Story Told
WS24
Paul Wang
Beautiful Eyes – Let’s Go Window Shopping!
WS25
Reham M. Ali
Change Your Point Of View!! Adding More Drama Into Your Scene!
WS26
Richard Briggs
Play And Rhythm: How To Capture Character With Limited Content
WS27
Rita Sabler
Unfolding Stories: Recipes And Ingredients For Visual Storytelling
WS28
Rob Sketcherman
Drawing Cyclists with iPad + Procreate
WS29
Róisin Curé
Channelling Rembrandt: Expressive Sketching In Fude Pen And Sepia Ink
WS30
Santi Sallés
Amsterdam Green Microsketching
WS31
Shari Blaukopf
Barges, Schooners And Trawlers: Sketching Amsterdam’s Historic Harbour
WS32
Stephanie Bower
Towers Are Like Wedding Cakes & Other “Ah-Ha” Moments
WS33
Suhita Shirodkar
Scavenged Sketches: Gathering Tales Of People, Places And Objects
WS34
Uma Kelkar
Rhythm Is A Dancer: Learning To Employ Repeating Motifs To Bring In Various Moods In Your Sketches
WS35
Veronica Lawlor
Reportage: Memory Of A City
WS36
Virginia Hein
Minimal Color, Maximum Punch... Focus Your Story With Color!
26th July 2019 (Fri)
DEMO LINEUP 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM (15:00 - 16:00 hrs)
Demo_01
Anne Rose Oosterbaan
Color First, Then Line
Demo_02
Charline Moreau
Compose A Sketch As A Theatre Stage - Give Depth To Your Front Views!
Demo_03
Donald Saluling
Thumbnailing Your Slice Of Life
Demo_04
Eduardo Bajzek
Hidden Amsterdam : Atmosphere And Character
Demo_05
Eleanor Doughty
Dry Air: Drawing Atmospheric Perspective In Mixed Media
Demo_06
Fred Lynch
Rembrandt Drawing: Creating Colorful Sketches With Monochrome
Demo_07
Gabi Campanario
Small Sketchbook, Big Drawings
Demo_08
Hugo Costa
Amsterdam Rooftops
Demo_09
Ian Fennelly
From Canals To Cobblestones: A Journey Of Looking.
Demo_10
Jane Blundell
Setting The Tone, Creating The Texture.
Demo_11
Jim Richards
Speed Sketching: Draw With Abandon!
Demo_12
Johanna Krimmel
Steel, Stone And Water - Painting Confidently With Chinese Ink
Demo_13
Jörg Asselborn
Catching Windmills
Demo_14
Karen Jiyun Sung
Drawing Individuals Individually: How To Make People Look Like Themselves
Demo_15
Kiah Kiean Ch’ng
Twig, Bamboo & Chinese Ink
Demo_16
Liz Steel
Dynamic Composition And Storytelling
Demo_17
LK Bing
Exploration Of Classical Moods Through Dramatic Composition: How To Apply Lighting Concept And Vintage Colours With Artistic Strokes
Demo_18
Marina Grechanik
Face To Face! - Urban Portraits That Tell Stories
Demo_19
Marion Rivolier
Between Sky And Water: How To Express Urban Flow?
Demo_20
Monika Wołk
The Green Facades Of Amsterdam: Capturing And Contrasting Greenery With Surrounded Buildings In Watercolour
Demo_21
Nina Johansson
Framing The City – A Few Guidelines On Image Composition
Demo_22
Norberto Dorantes
Line Flow - Discover How A Simple Line Can Be A Launch Point And Join Spaces
Demo_23
Pat Southern-Pearce
A Sense Of Place And A Story Told
Demo_24
Paul Wang
Beautiful Eyes – Let’s Go Window Shopping!
Demo_25
Reham M. Ali
Fearless Watercolours
Demo_26
Richard Briggs
Using Tape To Form Simplified Drawings
Demo_27
Rita Sabler
Unfolding Stories: Recipes And Ingredients For Visual Storytelling
Demo_28
Rob Sketcherman
Drawing Cyclists with iPad + Procreate
Demo_29
Róisin Curé
Channelling Rembrandt: Expressive Sketching In Fude Pen And Sepia Ink
Demo_30
Santi Sallés
Amsterdam Green Microsketching
Demo_31
Shari Blaukopf
Barges, Schooners And Trawlers: Sketching Amsterdam’s Historic Harbour
Demo_32
Stephanie Bower
A is for Arches
Demo_33
Suhita Shirodkar
Scavenged Sketches: Gathering Tales Of People, Places And Objects
Demo_34
Uma Kelkar
Rhythm Is A Dancer: Learning To Employ Repeating Motifs To Bring In Various Moods In Your Sketches
Demo_35
Veronica Lawlor
Drawing a Crowd
Demo_36
Virginia Hein
Minimal Color, Maximum Punch... Focus Your Story With Color!
Demo_37
Simone Ridyard
Archisketcher’s Guide to One-point Perspective and Creative Use of Watercolour Including Lots of Splashes
WS01
Color First, then Line. Anne Rose Oosterbaan, Netherlands
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: You are sitting on a beautiful spot and start sketching with a pen. If you have time, you color the drawing on the spot; if you have less time, you take a picture and do the coloring of your sketch at home.Quite difficult: you are proud of your drawing and it would be annoying if you ruin it. You are therefore careful. If you first ‘sketch’ with your brush and then draw the lines with pen, you have twice the fun. Your drawing is definitely more dynamic than before. If you apply color to your paper, you look carefully to your object. You draw the big shapes, pay attention to the perspective. If you draw with pen on it later, you look at the proportions
again, but now you have a grip on the color shapes that you have created earlier. Color and line do not always match each other exactly, but you will see, it works. The extra advantage is that you are able to sketch complicated subjects, the proportions will be correct. We carefully go through all the steps of the process and you will see how satisfactory this process can be.
LEARNING GOALS: 1. You look around better and more carefully before you start sketching. Focus first. 2. Build your proportions with simple shapes. Add details if you want to. With color you place the big shapes, so the proportions are almost correct when you draw later; if your color line is not right, just draw a second one. 3. Loose color shapes, confident lines. You will notice that you make a looser drawing by this different way of working. The shapes and lines do not always match each other exactly, no problem. There are no mistakes, you bluff through. 4. Your colors are lively because you see more color on the spot than at home on the phone. Mix colors on paper as long as the paint is still wet. 5. Double fun.
SUPPLY LIST: ● a pencil ● own (watercolor) paper in booklet or loose sheets; ● watercolor; ● some brushes, including a thicker one with a handle about the thickness of a pencil; ● water; ● cloth or absorbent paper to wipe your brush clean; ● pen with (preferably water-resistant) ink or fineliner. ● something to sit on.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
ANNE ROSE OOSTERBAAN Website: www.anneroseoosterbaan.nl Facebook: annerose.oosterbaan Instagram: anneroseoosterbaan3060 Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/134942321@N08/ (Anne Rose Oosterbaan)
● Sketching is in my blood: my father was an architect, my mother was a drawing teacher; I graduated summa cum laude at the academy. ● I am working since 1978 as an independent art director, specialized in making magazines. For this I have to consult a lot with colleagues, to delve into the mind of the reader and then to find a balance between my mind and feeling. ● I am founder and organiser of the Haarlem Urban Sketchers, in The Netherlands. I organised (together with the national team) one of the first National Sketch days in my hometown. ● Last year I was invited to give a workshop at the 2-day National Sketch Even int Amsterdam. ● I often do work for the national team, like making booklets and logos for Nation Sketch Days. ● Currently I do all the design for the Amsterdam Symposium 2019, I am the art director. ● I am invited to contribute an urban sketch to the Fifth Silk Road Art Exhibition in Xi’an, China. End 2018. ● I always sketch, almost daily.
WS02
Compose a Sketch as a Theatre Stage: Give Depth to Your Front Views! Charline Moreau, Italy
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: I never know what I will sketch before to go on a site, even if I know the place or saw pictures of it. I stop when my eyes catch the view that will resonate in my heart. Why am I drawing here and not one meter further? Because I feel that it was there that I could catch the spirit of the place. In this workshop, attendees will learn how to give depth to a front view. Amsterdam is known for its canals and the houses built along them. All these houses are different, they’ve got their own details, colors and textures that make their own story. But how can we sketch them without falling into a flat front view? That’s what i’ll try to teach my attendees, using different tips about composition, layers/plans, light and shadows and colors to give depth to their sketches.
LEARNING GOALS: ● Use immediate environment to frame the scene they want to sketchbook ● Be able to visualise the different layers/plans composing the view ● Recognize shadows and light values and translate them in the drawings ● Give depth to the sketch using several plans I’d like for participants to be more confident about their skills and for them to be curious. I’d like that next time they’ll see a fabulous subject to draw to think “I never did it but I think I can do it” . They’ll try, using their own drawing skills and what we’ve learned together to make the spectator plunge in their drawing, and share the atmosphere of the place. SUPPLY LIST: You can bring the supplies that you use to take to sketch. & ● Pencils (criterium or traditional) ● Staedtler pigment liner or other ink pens ● Watercolor (colors that you want, but if you’ve got an indigo, a burnt sienna and an olive green it can be useful) and watercolor brushes ● Sketchbook with at least 140g paper - ● A stool
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
CHARLINE MOREAU Facebook: cmoreauart Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/cmoreauart/ Instagram: cmoreauart
CHARLINE (Genoa, Italy) grew up in a small town near Nantes, France. She studied spatial design and holds a Master's degree in landscape architecture from National School of Architecture and Landscape of Bordeaux. Charline works as a freelance illustrator in landscape architecture and watercolor artist. She discovered urban sketching while she was studying abroad and filed her first travel sketchbook in Italy in 2016. Charline loves drawing architecture but can't resist composing with trees and plants. Correspondent for Urban Sketchers France blog, she has been one of the administrator of Urban sketchers Nantes. She has also been a workshop instructor during the 9th Symposium in Porto (2018).
WS03
Thumbnailing Your Slice of Life Donald Saluling, Indonesia
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: I want to simply invite sketchers who participate in my class to enjoy drawing in small frames (thumbnails) inside their sketchbooks as they treat urban sketching activity as their way to record/journal their everyday lives. In contrast to the current trend where sketchers seem to be drawing bigger and bigger with much focus to the aesthetics rather than the content, this workshop will actually focus on the storytelling part of Urban Sketching by encouraging its participants to draw more concise, observational and meaningful. It will show the participants how to organize their time as they draw small in sizes and short in time. This workshop will be useful for both daily activity sketching or travel journaling. Recommended for beginner level sketchers.
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LEARNING GOALS: ● Composition ● How to master drawing in ink ● How to use watercolour and water brushes effectively ● How zoom in or zoom out at a scene ● Using patterns and motion to relate the thumbnails ● Using writing and collages to make sketches interesting SUPPLY LIST: ● A5 sketchbook (with at least light wash capability) ● Waterproof drawing pen ● Travel watercolour pack ● Brush pen
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
DONALD SALULING Instagram: donsal28
Donald double majored in Drawing/Painting and Printmaking and Graphic Design at Portland State University in Oregon, USA. He is now a freelance graphic designer specializing in print media, an illustrator and a commission artist. He helps organize Urban Sketchers Indonesia and Indonesia’s Sketchers as a coordinator and public relations. He teaches figure drawing in private classes and conduct or organizes urban sketching workshops with his fellow urban sketchers in Indonesia. Donald enjoys drawing things around him as he believes that there are extraordinary things can be found from ordinary scenes and there is always a story to be told. Donald’s favourite pass time is to sketch in any traditional market around him.
WS04
Hidden Amsterdam: Atmosphere and Character Eduardo Bajzek, Brazil
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Every city has its secrets. In this workshop, you will be guided into a place full of history and character. The Oudemanhuispoort is a covered passageway, connecting two canals, which leads to a beautiful courtyard. It holds a book market that was once frequented by Vincent Van Gogh. I want to share with you my appreciation for cities and architecture. So, I created a workshop that has a little bit of these subjects as a setting for my (our) major passion: drawing!
ATMOSPHERIC TONAL DRAWINGS Atmospheric stands for an elusive, intangible, vague quality applied to a drawing. Tonal means the arrangement of values, from light to dark. These qualities will be explored and developed in this workshop, which is divided in two exercises: one-point perspective of a passageway and a two-point perspective of a courtyard. Beyond the technical aspects of perspective, an intuitive approach, which I call VISUAL READING, will be employed.
VISUAL READING What is Visual Reading? Is our capacity to perceive the physical world through shapes and angles: ● Shapes: the sky, the building’s mass and the ground are the biggest shapes. Windows, doors and even people can also be seeing as shapes; ● Angles: the longest lines, on top of the buildings or where they touch the ground, must be seeing against horizontal or vertical visual references; TECHNIQUE I am suggesting the use of pencils in this workshop. They are easy to work with and has great character. A lot of people have been surprised to see how great is to use them on location.
LEARNING GOALS: ● What is and how to achieve an atmospheric tonal drawing; ● Improving your perspective knowledge; ● Improving your visual skills using the visual reading method; ● Valuable tips on how to read angles on the subject and to put them correctly on the paper; ● Tonal arrangements and value control; ● How to work with masses, organizing the work in layers; ● How to create an expressive drawing in a direct approach, which means working with no contour lines – it’s a good opportunity to improve your repertoire! ● A painterly manner
SUPPLY LIST: If you choose to work with pencils (my recommendation): ● Pencil 3B to 6B: Koh-I-Noor, Derwent, Cretacolor, Staedler or similar; ● Sharpener; ● Eraser: “Tombow Mono Light Eraser” / “ Staedler Mars Plastic” or similar (white / soft / latex free); ● Kneaded rubber eraser: Cretacolor / Prismacolor / Staedler; ● Mechanical / Precision erasers (pen-style body): Tombow Mono Zero Round 2,3mm and/or 3,8mm; ● Blending Stump: medium size (usually nº 5); ● Paper: your sketchbook (ideally A4 / smooth surface); ● Please don’t forget your stool, sunscreen and water!
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
EDOUARDO BAJZEK Blog: www.ebbilustracoes.blogspot.com
Eduardo is an illustrator and art instructor from Sao Paulo, Brazil. He has attended to six symposiums and led workshops in three of them: “Straight to Colors” (Santo Domingo), “Straight to Masses” (Barcelona) and “Graphite is the Matter” (Porto). He has been invited to collaborate in several books related to urban sketching, such as “Architecture and Cityscapes;” (Gabriel Campanario), “Understanding Perspective”; (Stephanie Bower) and “Perspective Workbook” (Matthew Brehm). In 2016, Eduardo published the award-winning “Rio Sketchbook”, a collection of his sketches and drawings of the city of Rio de Janeiro.
WS05
Dry Air: Drawing Atmospheric Perspective in Mixed Media Eleanor Doughty, USA
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: We will learn to emphasize depth in a scene by by using the natural strengths of different drawing tools, from a simple ball-point pen to graphite to ink – anything but paint! This class will instruct techniques to push back and pull forward different layers in a composition, using several different methods of creating contrast, alone and/or in tandem.
Atmospheric perspective theory and counterpoint techniques will be discussed as means to this end: light, soft, less detailed areas usually tend to recede, while dark, hard, and detailed objects will come forward. But we can elevate a straightforward interpretation of a scene by playing with these elements. Once we learn the basic rules, exaggeration of atmosphere can create an atmospheric, playful, or dramatic sketch. A graphite line will always be lighter than an ink line, so it will always recede, and vice versa. A blue line will always be lighter than a black line. Higher contrast comes forward. Distant objects start to blend with the atmosphere. Learn how to play within the rules of atmospheric perspective to create an interesting, vibrant sketch. We want to break down ways to create depth into simple techniques by using our drawing tools how they were meant to be used, harnessing their strengths. By using very different dry media in tandem, not only a deep feeling sketch will emerge, but also an interesting one. Participants will find new ways to think about their tools, as well as composition! LEARNING GOALS: Atmospheric perspective basics: what does an object look like when it’s far away? ● It starts to blend with the atmosphere color (which we can choose in our drawing!). i.e., it has less contrast. ● If the atmosphere is blue, a distant object will appear lighter, bluer, less defined. A closer object will be a contrasting color (usually warm), darker, sharper. How to create this effect through drawing: Let the tools do the work for you. ● Create contrasting marks! Like a light-colored marker vs a dark colored pencil. Or a sharp, dark line vs a blurred line. Or defining some objects while letting others stand as just shapes. This class will be half about composition, half about technique. ● Value thumbnails create a path to achieve the look we want, emphasizing one layer of a scene over another, by choosing where the most contrast is. After that, it’s just a matter of using the tools that create the values and depth.
SUPPLY LIST: Paper: Two sheets of something suitable for mixed media, at least 90gsm. Around 8.5” x 11”/A4 size. Another sheet for value sketches – can be in a sketchbook, notebook, or loose. A range of drawing tools of participants’ choice, which make different kinds of marks. To simplify the workshop, tools should be in the same color range (e.g. all blues, or sepias) or simply grayscale. Example toolkit: ● Thin, hard lines: ballpoint pen (recommended), fine liner, fountain pen ● Soft lines: graphite pencil or charcoal ● Light shapes: gray colored pencil, transparent ink, marker ● Dark shapes: pocket ink brush, black marker ● Thick lines: calligraphy marker, chisel tip pen, brush pen ● I request that participants bring at least one tool which makes white! Like a correction (white-out) ● Pen, paint marker, white gel pen, etc.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
ELEANOR DOUGHTY Website: edoughty.com Instagram: herbcoil Blog: Equivocations.tumblr.com
Eleanor Doughty is a Seattle, USA -based freelance artist specializing in travel illustration and urban scenery. Graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University (BFA ’13) she has done illustrative work for the Boston Globe, Hilton, Indiewalls, Marriott, VICE, and west elm, as well as for many small businesses and individuals. She is a correspondent for the USK Seattle chapter. Eleanor is at her happiest while traveling the world, sketchbook in hand – she recently completed a 2.5 month solo painting trip through Japan and Taiwan. Perhaps because she is the offspring of two cartographers, her illustration is strongly connected to place; plein air sketching is integral to this artist’s practice.
WS06
Rembrandt Drawing: Creating Colorful Sketches in Monochrome Fred Lynch, USA
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: “A painting is complete when it has the shadows of a god.” –Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-69) In this workshop we draw inspiration from the Dutch master and Amsterdam resident Rembrandt van Rijn. We’ll learn about his sketches, work in his manner, and draw at his doorstep. Considered one of the finest draftsmen in the history of Western Art, Rembrandt was very much an "urban sketcher.” Unlike his contemporaries, he sketched often—recording his interests in the people and places around him in Amsterdam. Like Rembrandt, participants will explore the expressive possibilities of working in
monochrome—through the use of ink and wash. We’ll focus on well-considered expressive lines, and on the importance of “value” (the balance of dark and light), and composition in monochromatic works. Participants will learn how to use a single color in a colorful way—full of visual interest. We’ll also strive for economy in our works— Rembrandt is highly regarded for his use of the fewest visual elements to capture the essentials of the subjects. Working in front of the Rembrandt house, now a museum, will afford participants the opportunity to choose landscape, architecture, or people for their subjects. The instructor will demonstrate how he uses brown ink and wash in his work. In the end, the group will be encouraged to apply the lessons learned from looking back in art history to the creation of their contemporary works.
LEARNING GOALS:
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Drawing Expressive Lines Value (use of light and shadow) Composition Expression & Mood Tone (depicting depth) Texture & Pattern Qualities of Ink Washes Economy: Less is More Rembrandt History
SUPPLY LIST: Participants are encouraged to bring a bottle of brown or black ink, a dip pen (or reed), a bottle of water, a big watercolour brush and a watercolour-type mixing tray. Thick watercolour paper is essential as well.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
FRED LYNCH Website: FredLynch.com Blog: FredLynch.tumbler.com Student Blog: drawingviterbo.blogspot.com Teaching Blog: pictureitfredlynch.wordpress.com
Fred Lynch lives outside Boston and is a professor at Rhode Island School of Design (his alma mater) where he has taught for thirty years and has won distinguished teaching awards. Fred also teaches a college drawing course in Italy each July. Beyond teaching, he is an illustrator, artist and an active sketcher, posting regularly on the Urban Sketchers blog. The Travel Channel, The Common and ARTSY, have interviewed him about his practice and his work is featured in a number of books and magazines. Fred’s work will be featured in four exhibitions this year.
WS07
Small Sketchbook, Big Drawings Gabi Campanario, USA
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: A crash course in urban sketching with a basic tool kit consisting of a pocket sketchbook, pencil, pen and watercolors. If you are interested in becoming a better artist and urban sketcher like I was more than a decade ago, there’s nothing like drawing on a pocket sketchbook to fuel your motivation and
sharpen your drawing skills. A small, easy-to-carry notebook makes sketching in public less intimidating and is ideal to create fast drawings on the go -- and without calling too much attention from onlookers (hello, shy sketchers!). Pocket urban sketching allows you to respond rapidly to any sketching opportunity. Through a series of exercises, I’ll teach useful contour drawing techniques, how to simplify complex scenes to make them fit on the page, and how to create dynamic page layouts where drawings and writing flow harmoniously within the page and from one page to another. The workshop also includes a review of my urban sketching tools and useful drawing tips related to composition, perspective, tone and color. By the end of the class, participants will have gained a basic understanding of what it means to be an urban sketcher and how to make on-location sketching a fun part of everyday life. Drawing enthusiasts who are new to sketching from life will benefit the most from the class, but the joy of documenting the world on the pages of a pocket sketchbook can appeal to artists of all levels.
LEARNING GOALS: ● Become comfortable with basic tools and techniques to practice urban sketching. ● Become familiar with the small format of the pocket sketchbook and learn how to draw while standing up. ● Learn to fit wide scenes onto the small pages of the sketchbook. ● Learn basic layout principles to arrange drawings and writing on the pages. ● Learn basic tips to use watercolor successfully. ● Gain drawing confidence by working through a sketch from beginning to end without starting over.
SUPPLY LIST: ● Sketchbook: Workshop sponsor Stillman & Birn has agreed to provide a pocket sketchbook for each participant, but everyone is also welcome to bring their favorite type of pocket sketchbook. ● Pen. Uniball Vision and Micro Pigma are good brands of waterproof pens. You may also bring your own fountain pen. ● Pencil. A regular HB pencil would do, but you may also bring a pencil with a hard lead (i.e., 4H) and another with a soft lead (i.e., 3B) ● Watercolor kit. ● Water Brushes (Niji or Pentel) ● Water container ● Rag or paper towel ● Brushes. My favorite is an angle brush. You can see my full urban sketching kit in this post.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
GABI CAMPANARIO Website: http://www.estudiocampanario.com/ Instagram: gabicampanario Facebook: s eattlesketcher Seattle Times column: http://www.seattletimes.com/seattlesketcher
Gabriel Campanario is an illustrator, journalist and urban sketcher who never leaves home without a sketchbook in his pocket. A native of Spain, Campanario has called Seattle home since 2006. His work appears regularly in The Seattle Times, where he works as a staff artist. As the founder of Urban Sketchers and author of “The Art of Urban Sketching,” Campanario’s advocacy of on-location sketching has spearheaded a global movement of artists and drawing enthusiasts whose motto is showing the world, one drawing at a time.
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Amsterdam Rooftops Hugo Costa, Spain
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: We're used to drawing at eye level or looking up at buildings. This workshop will explore the beauty of the elevated scene. We will work on getting out of the usual street views and seek new points of view.
Sketching from above in Amsterdam will help sketchers to view and analyse this city from a different perspective. Also they will assimilate tools that will help them to gain confidence to sketch others places, that don’t need always to be on “usual” street level. I have taught similar workshops in 2018 (Valencia and NYC-10x10), with great outcomes. LEARNING GOALS: ● How to layout a complex scene from general to particular, fitting all the elements in the paper hierarchically. ● Control the main differences when we sketch from an elevated scene (vanishing points, horizon line, ground line). ● Reinforce alternative perspective concepts (elevated HL, 3 vanishing points perspective, fish-eye perspective...) ● How to relate and link the different geometries of the composition, in order to establish a coherent structure in proportions and forms. ● How to represent all the elements in composition (foreground / background) , in order they can be recognisable and “look right” in scale and localisation.
SUPPLY LIST: I would recommend big format paper (A3) and a soft pencil (2b) or several pens (3 different width). Optionally watercolours or brush pens for colours, values and shadows.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
HUGO COSTA
Website: https://hugobrc.wordpress.com/
Hugo graduated in architecture in Oporto (ESAP), Portugal. Received his Ph.D. degree in Architecture and graphic expression from ETSAV (Valencia – Spain), sponsored by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). M.Sc in Graphic Expression (ETSAV) He is currently residing in Valencia, Spain, lecturing ( associate professor/lecturer) at the Superior Technical Architecture University of this city, (ETSAV) teaching courses on Architectural Form Analysis and landscape representation (Bachelor and Master degrees) . Visiting Researcher Scholar at American Academy of Art – Chicago, The Parsons SCE, New York City, Università degli Studi di Salerno and Sapienza – Università di Roma. “Coup de couer” international travel book award at Rendez-vous du carnet de voyage for his first published book “NYC – graphic chronicles”. Finalist at the Ken Roberts Memorial Delineation Competition (2016 and 2017) Winner of the “Sketch 4 Freedom” Contest – Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park – NYC. Author of several published papers and lectures on graphic expression, architectural survey and drawing in divers Universities in USA, Europe and Middle East. As an architect, worked, among other offices, at Santiago Calatrava (Valencia), Périphériques (Paris), MVRDV (Rotterdam/Paris) and QA Associates(Valencia), overlapping these activities
with professional personal projects related to architecture, 3d laser survey, urban sketching and illustration. His Urban Sketching drawings have been shown in Solo Exhibitions at New York, Valencia and Madrid and Collective Exhibitions at Venice, Valence, Ferrara, Clermont Ferrand and Dallas (where he was finalist at the Ken Roberts Memorial Delineation Competition) Worked as Storyboard artist at “We the animals” featured movie, directed by the Emmy nominated Jeremiah Zagar and produced by Public Record, NYC. (Awarded at Sundance Film Festival 2018, L.A. Outfest 2018, Montclair Film Festival 2018, Independent Film Festival of Boston 2018 ) Since October 2010 he has been sketching every day and blogging about the performed drawings.
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From Canals to Cobblestones: A Journey of Looking Ian Fennelly, UK
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Drawing a busy urban space can be overwhelming, so knowing where to start and how to begin can be a challenge. When drawing on location over a period of several hours, we all see things at different times. Some details may not be seen until you have been drawing for hours, so looking and noticing takes time. In my workshop I want to take people on a journey of looking – starting off with big simple shapes, like the façade of a building, or the structure of a bridge. These will become the outlines that establish the composition on the page. We will then layer this with smaller elements, like
windows and doors. The final part of this journey is looking at the smaller patterns and textures thrown up by things like cobbles and brickwork. This will be a record of looking at something for a long time. So we will use a combination of drawing and painting to record each stage. I will carefully explain how these materials link in with the experience of looking on different levels. The use of brush pens will outline the big shapes; the first things we see. The watercolour paint will add emotion and description, which is the next level of looking. Then the fine liner pens will animate the scene with detail and texture: and this is when we really starting seeing things, like for example the cracks in between the cobbles on the street. So each step of this creative journey links in with the human experience of really trying to look at your subject. It’s recognising that when drawing on location we are not passive, we are physically inside the scene - we are participating in it and our bodies take up space within the scene. It’s this very human elements that I want focus on in this workshop. The participants will then understand the process that I use to break down the challenge of recording a complex and busy urban scene. They will understand that it’s all about looking, and that this journey takes time, and some details have to wait to be drawn.
LEARNING GOALS:
● To look carefully at a subject, and initially see things in terms of big shapes and structures ● To go on a journey of looking and use different tools at different stages Use brush pens to establish a simple composition ● To apply watercolour to add depth, tone, emotion and description ● To develop pen work to animate the subject with detail and texture ● To have a focal point, and appreciate the importance of the gaps around it. SUPPLY LIST: ● 300gsm smooth fabriano paper – approx. 40cm x 30cm. (I use a spiral bound sketchbook) ● Brush pens – variety of grey tones, including black (I use tombow) ● Variety of fine liners, from 0.05 to 0.8 ● Roller ball fine liners ● Water container ● Selection of watercolour paints Selection of brushes – from riggers to flats (Typically in my palette I usually have burnt sienna, burnt umber, raw sienna, cerulean, ultramarine, winsor blue, alizarin crimson and cadmium red)
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
IAN FENNELLY Website http://www.ianfennelly.co.uk/ instagram @ianfennelly
I’ve been a professional artist and teacher for a long time; in fact I started life as a baby artist and I’ve been looking for shapes and colours in the world around me ever since. I studied Fine Art in London and then became a Primary School Teacher. I am now a Primary Art Consultant, training teachers in creativity. I spend a lot of time travelling and drawing on location, running workshops and demonstrations. My work focuses on the experience of being in a busy urban space, and how through art we can begin to make sense of the shapes, patterns, colours and energy that surround us. I live in Hoylake on the coast with my lovely wife Annette and two gorgeous little dogs, Henry and Elsa.
WS10
Setting the Tone, Creating the Texture Jane Blundell, Australia
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Watercolour as a medium allows you to explore not just the colour of the pigments, but also the characteristics. Many people create great sketches but when they add colour it can appear flat. To add life and depth to watercolour sketches, an understanding of colour is a start, but a good understanding of how to create tone and texture is also necessary.
In this workshop we will explore and exploit the many characteristics of professional watercolour pigment: whether they are opaque or transparent; whether they stain or are liftable; whether they granulate; whether they stay put or explode over the damp paper. We’ll study the characteristics of individual pigments and then aim to create sketches that use these pigments to accurately depict the materials that are used in the fabulous buildings of Amsterdam; brick, different stones, marble, concrete, metal, glass or painted surfaces.
LEARNING GOALS: ● Understand the various characteristics of professional watercolour pigments ● Understand the characteristics of each colour in their watercolour palette ● Be able to create a full tonal range with watercolour ● Understand how to work tonally in watercolour ● Learn techniques such as lifting and layering of watercolour ● Depict building materials accurately, utilising granulating watercolour
SUPPLY LIST: ● Watercolour sketch book or loose watercolour paper. At least 200gsm is preferred. A4 size preferable rather than A5. ● Watercolour palette and paints. The new Daniel Smith Ultimate Mixing Set is ideal but others perfectly fine. We’ll be using mainly earth colours and some granulating blues - Buff titanium (Daniel Smith), ultramarine, burnt Sienna (preferably PBr7 version), Cerulean Chromium (preferably made with PB 36), Indian red, raw sienna/yellow ochre/mont Amiata natural sienna or goethite (PY43 or PBr7 preferred), a dark raw umber and Jane’s Grey (Daniel Smith). Other earth pigment welcome. (These colours will all be available at the workshop, as will the mixed Jane's Grey.) ● Usual brushes. A size 8, a fine detail brush and a squirrel or synthetic mop or 1” flat would be helpful. Also a short synthetic flat 1⁄4" brush. ● Waterproof marker and favourite waterproof pens and pencils for sketching. ● Small ruler if desired ● A few sheets of paper towel.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
JANE BLUNDELL Website: www.janeblundellart.com
Australian born, I started sketching as a child, with first sales at 15 years old. Studied BA Visual Arts, worked as an etcher for a year, then completed Grad Dip Art Education, graduating with distinction. I spent five years teaching in secondary schools, then moved to the US for 41⁄2 years where I tutored college students and exhibited. I moved to Singapore for 41⁄2 years set up my own teaching studio, teaching watercolour and drawing to adults. I returned to Sydney and taught at local community art centre and in my own studio. A member of the Australian Watercolour Institute, and a multi award winning artist, I have had four solo shows (one in Singapore, two in Sydney and one in Seattle), and participated in many group shows. I’ve written and self-published two books Watercolour Mixing Charts and The Ultimate Mixing Palette: a World of Colours available on blurb.com. I joined the Urban sketchers in June 2013 and continue to meet up with this amazing community of sketchers all over the world, travelling and teaching in many locations. I am currently teaching weekly classes in Sydney and giving workshops and demonstrations for numerous art societies and urban sketching groups in Australia and internationally.
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Speed Sketching: Draw with Abandon! James (Jim) Richards, USA
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: At some point in our sketching journey, we all have a need for speed. Fellow sketchers tell me that traveling with family or tour groups limits time, or they want to become more prolific, or they want their sketches to feel more loose and spontaneous. This workshop is designed to help you create successful urban sketches in much less time, with more energetic and lively results. We start with essential attitudes, because learning to draw with speed is not just about technique, it’s about a willingness to jump in, and unlocking potential you already have. We’ll discuss tools and media that lend themselves to rapid sketching. We’ll explore editing—learning to drill down to the essence of your subject, while stripping away non-essentials. We’ll learn where to start your sketch, and key ideas to keep your pen moving. I’ll demonstrate my own rapid sketching techniques, in both black and white and color. And through both timed and more flexible exercises, you’ll produce a volume of rapidly created sketches that reflect the life
and vibrancy of the moment! This is a skill that is fun and very valuable, and can greatly enrich your creative journey.
LEARNING GOALS: ● Participants will take away new ways of thinking as well as technical skills and new confidence: ● Learn foundational attitudes that will free you to jump into rapid sketching ● Discover more of your own untapped potential ● Learn where to start, and tips to keep the pen moving ● Learn line and tone drawing techniques to use singly or in combination that will help you sketch more rapidly ● Learn fast watercolor wash techniques that result in fresh, vibrant sketches
SUPPLY LIST: ● PITT Artist Pens size F (or similar waterproof pen in medium line weight) – black or sepia ● ink ● PITT Artist Pen B—Brush pen (or similar waterproof brush pen) – black or sepia ink ● Fude nib fountain pen—Sailor Fude De Mannen or similar – black or brown ink ● Colored pencils in Gray and White ● Waterproof ink pens (technical or fountain pens) ● Sketching pencils ● Watercolor sketchbook—minimum size 145x210mm or 5x8 inches, larger is fine ● Travel watercolor set ● Water brushes or traditional brushes, one medium flat, one medium round ● Small rag ● Small leak-proof plastic container of water ● Small lightweight folding stool (optional)
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
JAMES (JIM) RICHARDS
Website: www.jamesrichardssketchbook.com
James Richards is an internationally recognized urban designer, author, artist, and educator based in Siesta Key, Florida. He is the author of the award-winning book Freehand Drawing and Discovery: Urban Sketching and Concept Drawing for Designers, a popular text for design
schools across the U.S. and abroad. He is the co-founder of Townscape Inc., an urban design and placemaking consultancy, and is a former professor of landscape architecture at the University of Texas at Arlington. His popular Craftsy online sketching tutorial, "Sketching the Energy of Places," has enrolled over 5,800 students and is now part of The Great Courses series. He is a blog correspondent, Instructor and Advisory Board member for Urban Sketchers, and founded Urban Sketchers Texas. Jim has visited and drawn great urban places in over 45 countries around the world, collecting experiences and images that inspire his work. His work has been widely published, has appeared in group and solo exhibitions and seen on NBC Nightly News. His on-location sketches and watercolors of Cuban sites related to the writer Ernest Hemingway’s life and work was the subject of his solo exhibition at the Nobel Prizewinning author’s home (now a national museum) near Havana during the 2015 Havana Arts Biennial. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects, and a frequent keynote speaker for conferences and symposia. He travels globally to teach sketching and design drawing workshops for students and professionals.
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Steel, Stone and Water Johanna Krimmel, Germany
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Painting directly with chinese ink may take a bit of courage, but once you discover the possibilities it is very satisfying and versatile. In this workshop we will examine different material characteristics like elegant steel constructions, gritty stone walls and liquid reflections of the Amsterdam canals. We will practice how to interpret these different surface properties by combining confident strokes, generous washes, delicate greys and vibrant structures.
LEARNING GOALS: 1. How different types of brushes, paper and even your posture influence your sketch. 2. Practice confident lines and strokes and get into the flow. 3. Explore how far you can go diluting chinese ink 4. Wet vs. dry painting - create structures and surfaces fast with different techniques 5. Discover how to bring out different surface properties depending on the flow of your brush stroke 6. Bringing it all together: Enhance your point of interest with atmospheric perspective and expressive composition. Add a colour highlight for the final touch. The workshop will be a mix of short demos and exercises. During exercises the instructor will check on participants in case of individual questions.
SUPPLY LIST: ● Black pigment based drawing ink (also called chinese ink/india ink or sumi ink) ● Brushes should be soft, of medium size or up, so they can hold a good amount of liquid and should have a pointed tip, so we can draw fine lines as well as broad strokes and washes. ● A bottle of water and a water container ● Paper tissues. ● Watercolours ● paper should handle water well - so it should not be too thin, also not too absorbent. paper/sketchbook should not be too small, bigger is better. ● Drawing board if you use loose paper ● Binder clips ● Folding chair Participants will receive a handout including all steps on site
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
JOHANNA KRIMMEL Website: http://www.studiokrimmel.com Instagram: jaykay2012 Johanna Krimmel is a scenographer and artist living and working in Darmstadt, Germany. To her, urban sketching is a means to fill up the inner library, connect to people and get a closer, deeper understanding of the world that surrounds us. The insights gained by urban sketching are always closely related to her professional design process, where she has to visualize concepts on the spot and create experiential set designs for international companies in the automotive, sports and game industry. As an artist she has participated in international solo and group shows and leads workshops in sketching and painting. Never standing still, she is always eager to get inspired by fellow artists and discover new techniques.
WS13
Catching Windmills Jörg Asselborn, Germany
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: We’ll be catching the special character of a historic windmill. Windmills are iconic buildings and very typical landmarks of the Netherlands. They carry the idea of handwork and craftsmanship and still fascinate modern people. We’ll try to portrait the unique character of a special windmill right in the middle Amsterdam as if we’d portrait a human being – by linework for defining its form and watercolour plus some additional media for rendering its “skin”.
LEARNING GOALS: ● Choosing the best angle to depict the most interesting features of the building ● Drawing loosely, but at the same time focussing on details ● Confidently drawing directly on paper – without guidelines or predrawing ● Integrating small dark shadow areas and surface textures while drawing ● Giving the building its own pose and posture through using exaggerations ● Using watercolour washes to create texture and achieve light effects ● Using additional tools for embossing details and enhancing further texture The workshop will be a mix of short demos and exercises. During exercises the instructor will check on participants in case of individual questions.
SUPPLY LIST: 1. Waterproof Fineliners (black, grey) (0.2 – 0.5 mm), other tools are welcome as well, e. g. fountain pens with waterproof ink 2. Paper: Sketchpad, Sketchbook, or sheets of sketching paper for dry media; furthermore: good quality watercolour paper (not too grainy), watercolour-sketchbooks or -pads, size: min. A4 3. Pencils: One or two soft non-water-soluble pencils (HB, 2B, 4B) or coloured pencils, white soft coloured pencil 4. Brushes: Watercolour round brushes (small, medium, large) 5. Water container, water (min. 0.5 litres), tissues
6. Watercolours of good quality (Ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, quinacridone red, indigo blue would be great to be brought along by the participants) 7. Stool / folding chair
Participants will receive a handout including all steps on site.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
JORG ASSELBORN Instagram: joergasselborn
Facebook: joergksetches Website: www.sktchbk.net
Jörg is a draughtsman and Urban Sketcher based in Wiesbaden, Germany. He studied communication design with a focus on illustrations. In 1999, he co-founded a design studio and has been working there ever since, mainly working on brand design and visual communication. Before he discovered the Urban Sketchers in 2013, drawing and illustration were mostly a professional matter. Since joining the USk group, he sketches and draws as often as possible and for pure fun – whether it’s at local sketch meetings or during private holiday trips. His family would appreciate it if he would photograph again on vacation instead of drawing though – because it is much faster ... He is hugely inspired by sharing and connecting with other sketchers from all over the world. Jörg is an active member of the German USk Rhein-Main Chapter, gave speeches about Urban Sketching and led several workshops about his method of Urban Sketching.
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Growing a Drawing: Making Sketches Beyond the Dimensions of Paper Karen Jiyun Sung, South Korea/UK
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: While sketching, I often run across a situation where my composition can’t quite fit that really interesting object off to the side. Even worse, I would start drawing a building, and the tip of the building had to be cropped off because my paper wasn’t tall enough. Why should the drawings conform to whatever paper size our local art store provides? In this workshop, we will explore making sketches with an organic composition, that move beyond the four corners of our paper. It is literally thinking (rather drawing) outside the box. We will discuss ways to start and finish a drawing without the aid of crop marks, how to expand the paper beyond its printer-friendly size, and different forms of expanding a drawing such as collaging, panoramic drawing and more unpredictable methods. The workshop and my demonstration will take place at Albert Cuyp Market, a lovely and busy
market in Amsterdam. There, I will begin the workshop by sharing my method of growing a drawing, and encourage participants to follow some guidelines for successful drawings. I hope that the participants find joy in creating an organic composition that includes everything they wanted to draw without anything cropped off.
LEARNING GOALS: ● Define the concept of organic sketching ● Learn how to grow a drawing using objects as guidelines ● Be confident in prioritizing what they see to make a ‘designed’ drawing ● Be adventurous in the act of drawing
SUPPLY LIST: 1. Art making tool of your choice 2. Pen or pencil 3. A pack of small paper, A5 and smaller is fine (make sure you can tear individual sheets) 4. A roll of masking tape 5. Scissors (if you prefer knives, make sure to bring a cutting board as well)
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
KAREN JIYUN SUNG Instagram: caffeinated.karen Urban sketching blog: https://caffeinatedkaren.com/ Portfolio: https://karenjysung.com/
Karen is a globetrotter and an urban sketcher, seamlessly immersing in her ever-changing surroundings and drawing the different moods and atmospheres of each place. She is local to Korea, New Zealand, Canada, America and Britain, and plans to live in a lot more places in the future. She attended Rhode Island School of Design in illustration and strives to push the boundary of on-site drawing. She works as an illustrator in London, UK and is a lecturer at Royal College of Art in Visual Communication.
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Twig, Bamboo & Chinese Ink Ch’ng Kiah Kiean, Malaysia
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: This workshop is about how to sketch with expressive lines. Create unusual continuous lines with own DIY pens from dry twigs and bamboos. Participants will also learn how to choose what to sketch and what to leave out in a complicated cityscape. Find the “lines” in architectural elements and connecting them together on the paper. LEARNING GOALS: ● How to make your own sketching tools with natural and DIY things ● How to create lines with dry twig pen and bamboo pen ● How to create tones with “dry wash” technique ● How to sketch the cityscape with expressive lines and marks
SUPPLY LIST: Your normal sketching tools: ● Loose sheet watercolor paper (Saunders Waterford Cold Pressed (NOT) 300 gsm) ● Cutter knife ● Stencil brushes or oil painting brushes (small size) ● Chinese painting brushes (small size) ● Twigs and bamboos (cut to pencil size) I will bring: ● The twig I use (one each for every participants) ● Chinese ink (the brand I use for everyone to try)
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
CH’NG KIAH KIEAN Website: www.kiahkiean.com Ch’ng Kiah Kiean, born 1974 in George Town, Penang. He graduated from Universiti Sains Malaysia with Architecture Degree. After running his own graphic design studio for about 10 years he is now a full-time artist based in Penang. He published Sketchers of Pulo Pinang in 2009 and Line-line Journey in 2011. Kiah Kiean joined Urban Sketchers in 2009 and co-founded Urban Sketchers Penang in 2010.
WS16
Dynamic Composition and Storytelling Liz Steel, Australia
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: When we are out urban sketching it’s easy to spend all our time thinking about how to capture everything in front of us accurately. Can we draw all the details and match all the colours perfectly? But creating a pleasing sketch is much more than simply copying what we see. We first need to interpret the scene and then we need to arrange the elements in order to tell our own story clearly. When the term composition is mentioned, many people think it just refers to the classic ‘rule of thirds’ but it’s much more than that. It involves the entire process of designing the
parts within our sketch in order to tell our story with interest and balance. And when we work in a sketchbook we have even more compositional decisions to make as the sketch might not be the only image on a page. The other elements (detail sketches, text, maps, headings etc) have a huge impact on the balance of the page and add significantly to the story about our location. In this workshop we will explore how to create dynamic sketches and sketchbook pages - ones that tell compelling stories about place. Once we can develop some techniques for designing our sketchbook spreads, the pressure of producing a masterpiece for our first sketch on a page goes away. It’s possible to create a beautiful overall page at any stage of the process! A sketch with a less than successful composition on it’s own can become an important part of a balanced spread – the other elements can actually fix the composition of the original sketch. Not to mention that designing our pages is a lot of fun and really helps train our compositional skills!
LEARNING GOALS: 1. To understand how the overall orientation and the areas of detail within a sketch affect the story we are trying to tell about a place. 2. To become more intentional about where to position a sketch on the page and how to control the areas of details so that they strengthen this story. 3. To learn how multiple images can create a richer story about place than just a single image. 4. To learn a few techniques for creating interesting pages with dynamic balance. 5. To see designing the page as a separate creative exercise and have confidence in our own inbuilt sense of balance. SUPPLY LIST: ● A sketchbook suitable for ink and wash – A5-A4 size. It doesn’t matter whether it is ● vertical or horizontal format, but should be at least A5 size ● Permanent ink pen ● A few coloured pencils or pens (optional) ● A thicker pen for heading such as a pitt brush pen (optional) ● Coloured media: Watercolour is the preferred medium but any form of colour is fine ● coloured pencils, watercolour pencils, markers. Bring your normal watercolour kit ● there are no special requirements for specific colours as you will be free to ● experiment and interpret the colours your own way. ● Waterbrush or sable brush and water container ● Any other materials you have in your bag! ● Small portable stool (optional)
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
LIZ STEEL Website: www.lizsteel.com Instagram: lizsteelart
Liz graduated in Architecture at University of NSW and has spent 18 years working as an architect in Sydney, specializing in media projects. She is currently teaching regular on-location sketching classes and workshops throughout Australia as well as doing architectural illustrations for clients all around the world. She also teaches online courses at SketchingNow.com, adapting core drawing concepts to spontaneous location sketching. Liz is the founder and coordinator of Urban Sketchers Sydney.
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Exploration of Classical Moods Through Dramatic Composition How to Apply Lighting Concept and Vintage Colours with Artistic Strokes
LK Bing, Indonesia
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: A sketch will have more emotional and artistic values if we are able to incorporate classical mood or atmosphere in our sketching composition, and being able to do it speedily and spontaneously is a further achievement by urban sketchers. To achieve such a skill, this workshop’s mission is to teach space appreciation, spatial awareness on depth, sensitivity to tonal values, and consequently to instil the awareness of the serene and dramatic beauty of light and dark being brought out by the clever use of light,
shadows, and vintage colours. Terms like shape, texture, depth, focal point, space, and values are essential terms to be used in teaching how to create spontaneous and artistic atmosphere and so we will encounter them repeatedly in this workshop. Then, after diving into lighting study and value thumbnails, hopefully outstanding sketch compositions created with speed, ease, and spontaneity will be the end result all participants can be proud of. The word “classical” refers to the feeling of a certain class that has already been tested by time thus it is not uncommon or too far-fetched if we use vintage-colour palette to bring out this new level of quality and classiness to our sketches. Vintage colours are colours that can bring out the feeling of nostalgia and a sense of older times to a sketch. It may bring out a certain memory of the past thus enriching the sensation of viewing to those enjoying our sketch. These colours are mostly softer in tone and low in saturation. We can elevate out sketch to a higher grade of quality if we invoke feelings and to subconsciously taking those enjoying our sketch down memory lane.
LEARNING GOALS: In this workshop, the participants will acquire understanding of the techniques of how to make a sketching composition artistically and speedily through: ● Acquiring a working knowledge of unique lighting concepts which are essential to express shapes, depth, texture quality and then to be able to implement this knowledge to capture and express dramatic atmosphere through a wealth of tonal values and juxtaposition of light and dark. ● Acquiring the skill to make fast and spontaneous strokes, and to have awareness that speed and spontaneity can produce energetic strokes with artistic character. ● Acquiring the knowledge to make value study in order to look for the best composition and to build a library of best compositions for future reference. ● Acquiring the knowledge on tools and materials which help to speed up and simplify the creation of quality sketches, and be able to apply this knowledge on sketch creation. ● Aquiring the basic knowledge on vintage colors and how to apply them in bringing out the moods desired.
SUPPLY LIST: ● Traveller watercolour set ● Watercolour brushes (mop medium, medium round, rigger brush) ● Watercolour set must consists of Naples Yellow, Burnt Sienna, Cadmium Orange, Cerulean Blue, Prussian Blue, Cobalt Turquoise, Indigo, Shadow Violet, and Titanium white ● Water container ● Provided and distributed by Instructor for free: ● Water-soluble marker ● Bamboo knife ● Thumbnail cards (made from mounting board and are 9x12 cm in size) ● Workshop handbook
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
LK BING Facebook: LK Bing Instagram: LK Bing
LK Bing is an architect, interior designer, and artist; residing in the city of Surabaya, Indonesia. He has more than 10 years experience as a lecturer and at the present he is a guest lecturer in several universities. In 2013, he co-founded Urban Sketcher Surabaya chapter (USS) and has acted as the leader. Since then, he has been giving various workshops and organizing sketch-walk both locally and internationally. He was the first Indonesian sketchers, who are selected for international Urban Sketchers Symposium. Year 2016 was his first moment to share his artistry in Manchester Urban Sketchers Symposium. And later the following years of 2017 in Chicago, 2018 in Porto and this year in Amsterdam. Besides spending his time for sketching on location, he enjoys painting and designing in his studio. “Art is my Passion, and Art Gives Colors and Meaning to My Life” he said.
WS18
Face to Face! Urban Portraits that Tell Stories Marina Grechanik, Israel
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: “Faces are the most interesting things we see; other people fascinate me, and the most interesting aspect of other people - the point where we go inside them - is in the face. It tells all.” - David Hockney For me there is no more interesting subject than sketching people, and of course the most fascinating part is - their faces. When I can't pull out my sketchbook, I catch myself sketching with my eyes - watching the celebration of the human faces that constant surrounds us - men and women, adults and children, faces in all shapes and colors - talking, laughing, crying, telling us about themselves in all sorts of ways.
In this workshop we will practice drawing portraits, but not in a traditional academic approach. We will think about how we see reality. ● We will discover what is the essence of “likeness” in portraiture - how to get the real, ● profound likeness, and not only the external one ● We will try not to mechanically copy reality , but to observe the essentials from the artistic point of view, and to sacrifice the secondary. ● We will work fast, forgetting the rules (which will work for us subconsciously), and base our sketches on live observation, getting in touch with our gut feelings with emphasis on the emotional side of sketching. ● We will try different approaches, “confuse” ourselves, get out of the comfort zone, have fun and enjoy the process. ● Finally w will create a story of a stranger based on his/her portrait, each one with his own approach.
LEARNING GOALS: ● overcome the fear of drawing faces ● free up from automatic approaches and selections and adopt new ones ● connect to the emotional side of drawing ● strengthen hand-eye coordination ● improve the ability of observation ● see personality and story in each character ● tell the story with the portrait
SUPPLY LIST: ● A small sketchbook (A5 size) from chip paper and pages you can tear out or ● A package of chip A5 or A4 sheets and a clipboard. ● Tools you like for line drawing: pencil, pen, etc... ● Tools you like for shape drawing: wide marker, paint brush, pastels, etc... ● Bigger sketchbook of quality paper for the last exercise. ● Your favorite tools for the last exercise. ● Courage and good mood :)
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
MARINA GRECHANIK Blog: h ttp://marinagrechanik.blogspot.co.il
I’m a freelance illustrator, graphic designer and art educator based in Ra’anana, Israel, graduated from an art academy in Belorussia. I keep a daily sketchbook diary and share my drawings on myblog: http://marinagrechanik.blogspot.co.il
WS19
Between Sky and Water: How to Express Urban Flow? Marion Rivolier, France
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: To paint on-location is to capture the movement, shadows and lights and urban flow; in other words, to catch a moment of life. When we draw an urban landscape, we are reassured by elements that do not move, such as buildings, monuments or "pretty" details. But what interests me is rather those things that are unstable, that may change in a few minutes, that are ephemeral. These are the elements that make my perception and my interpretation unique. In an urban space, moving elements are people in action, with or without vehicles, the sky, the water, etc. In Amsterdam, many elements are fixed, including buildings, with their repetitive rhythm of windows and ornamentation. Do you want to look at this city differently? Do you want to work on the ephemeral, moving it and changing it?
Together, we will seek to paint the sky and the water, to feel and express their movement. Didn’t the Dutch painters, Vermeer Van Delft, Jan Van Goyen or Jacob Van Ruysdaël brilliantly express the light of these fascinating skies? What if, together, we could understand that by the expression of sky and water, we can also express the rest, but using only essential elements? Sometimes what you do not paint is more important than what you do paint. Often, we want to say too much and thus draw too much. So we will try together to go back to basics and make choices. In order to listen to the flow, to the sky and the water, we will work with watercolor, directly with the brush, without preliminary sketching. After a warm-up in movements and in colored values, we will work, through several exercises, on the expression of the sky and the water, in warm and cool values. At the end, we will bring the two together to express our perception of the urban landscape. To take full advantage of this workshop, you have to want to express yourself directly with the brush, to get out of your comfort zone and to have fun mixing the colors!
LEARNING GOALS: ● Notice and understand an urban landscape in a new way, by sky and river ● Feel and express urban flow ● Notice, express and paint in large masses rather than lines ● Have fun mixing colors to create your own palette and play with colored contrasts ● Feel the freedom of gesture – learn to be sure of your marks, and not be afraid of making a mistake
SUPPLY LIST: ● Watercolor sketchbook, minimum A4 (8 1/2" x 11”) or some sheets of watercolor paper, minimum A3. ● A box of watercolors with a limited palette (primary yellow, Naples yellow, orange, vermilion, cadmium red, azul blue, Ultramarine, Indigo blue, green, burnt umber... No black) ● Three paint brushes (small, medium and large) ● Some water (for painting) in a small container
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
MARION RIVOLIER Blog: THE GALLERY http://marionrivolier.blogspot.fr/ Website : http://marionrivolier.fr/
I am a painter and a scenographer. I spent my childhood and adolescence discovering drawing and painting techniques, copying Japanese or Italian painters, and exploring bodies, space and movement. I obtained a degree in Visual Arts in 1996 and then I attended the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs. I discovered scenography, the art of space, a discipline in perfect harmony with my work as a painter: the dialogue between moving bodies and space. I graduated in scenography in 2000. Since then, I alternate between designing sets for theaters and museums, and painting. What interests me the most is to grasp the movement and the light on location. Watercolor is for me the richest and most responsive medium, because it allows to go from an intense color to absolute transparency. I love to be surprised by the pigment that dilutes in water, water that is often not controllable! Watercolor allows me to quickly capture the light, color and movement of a place or action.
WS20
The Green Facades of Amsterdam: Capturing and Contrasting Greenery with Surrounding Buildings in Watercolour
Monika Wołk, Poland/UK
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: When I think about Amsterdam first thing coming to my mind it's not their bikes, canals or coffee shops it's their building facades overgrown with climbers, doorsteps overcrowded with pots of plants, trees growing so close to buildings that they almost taking them over. It's nearly impossible to find doorway without something green creeping or flowering next to it. From blossoming blue rain in the spring to flaming Virginia creeper in the autumn, green facades are a jewel of the city of Amsterdam. In this watercolour workshop we will embrace and sketch very important asset of Amsterdam street scene. During this class I will explain and show my method of capturing greenery and contrasting it with building facade. I will demonstrate how to mix and apply watercolours to
produce a vibrant and transparent wash. I will teach students my own technique of creating a field of texture that will give the illusion of greenery.
The workshop is divided into two topics. Each section has an introduction to the exercise, a short demonstration of the watercolour techniques and is followed by 50 min time for students to paint their own sketch. The class will be perfect for beginners and for more skilled sketchers who wants to learn something new about watercolours. The workshops also includes review of my own sketching tools and sketchbooks.
LEARNING GOALS: Sketchers will learn: ● How to spontaneously create a field of texture that will give the illusion of greenery like tree, climber, shrub etc. using spray bottle as a tool ● How to apply with confidence the colour of the building facade around the greenery to define its shape ● How to identify light and shadow within the scene, and how to apply them to the sketch to create some strength of form, contrast and interest ● How to produce ively and transparent watercolor wash
SUPPLY LIST: ● Folding chair ● Watercolour paper or watercolour sketchbook with fine grain texture - ● Watercolour paints - I use lemon yellow, hansa yellow medium, naples yellow, transparent orange, ultramarine, cobalt blue, cerulean, alorizon crimzon, winsor red, quinacridone gold, burnt sienna, burnt umber ● Portable mixing palette and water container ● Small spray bottle - tool handy for wetting paper, keeping paints moist and vital for my method of creating texture. I will have some spare bottles available for students ● Paper towels or piece of cloth for soaking up excess paint ● Soft pencil, eraser and watercolour round brushes with good point
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
MONICA WOŁK Website: www.monikawolk.com Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/wumonika/ Instagram: wu_monika_sketching Monika grew up in Poland and since 2013 has been living and working as a landscape architect in Manchester in the UK. She graduated from Warsaw University of Life Sciences and participated in the Erasmus Programme at the University of Porto where she completed two semesters as a part of her landscape architecture degree. When she moved to England Monika discovered Manchester Urban Sketching Group. Since that time she hasn't stopped painting on location. In the subject, she's seeking for a combination of a striking composition and beautiful light effect. She's interested in a scene that is dramatic from the drawing and painting point of view. In her sketches, she uses mainly watercolour with an emphasis on architecture, landscape, and atmosphere of the place.
WS21
Framing the City – A few Guidelines on Image Composition Nina Johansson, Sweden
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Have you ever wondered how to tackle the view you are standing in front of when sketching? It is too wide, too busy, too complicated to make a good composition of. “Where do I start? What do I choose to include and what can I leave out?”
Image composition is not an exact science, but there are a few good guidelines that are helpful to know about, no matter what kind of subject you are drawing. In this workshop we will look at how to build a good composition when sketching. It doesn't have to be very complicated – once you have these basic guidelines in the back of your head, it is easier to get started and end up with an interesting sketch.
LEARNING GOALS: In the workshop, participants will get an understanding of a few basic image composition ideas, mainly: ● The rule of thirds ● Leading lines ● Balance ● Foreground – background ● Triangular composition Participants will also try these compositional ideas out in their own work, both together in small group exercises and individually. Sketching together with others, and making small thumbnail sketches will be tools that we use to find interesting compositions.
SUPPLY LIST: Any techniques will work for this workshop, but it is a good idea to keep it simple to be able to concentrate on composition rather than finished sketches. Paper and pencil are perfect. Colour is optional. Use supplies that you are used to, so as not to struggle with learning a new technique while working with composition.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
NINA JOHANSSON Website: http://ninajohansson.se
Nina Johansson is a teacher, illustrator and painter living in Stockholm, Sweden. She graduated from University College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm 2002, and teaches informative illustration and graphic design at Mälardalen University in Eskilstuna. She is an avid on-location sketcher, with urban environments and everyday life as preferred subjects.
WS22
Line Flow: Discover How a Simple Line Can Be a Launch Point and Join Spaces Norberto Dorantes, Argentina
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: There are several ways to build a perspective drawing . Through a rigorous and classical method of perspective (horizontal line, vanished point, drawing basic and pure volumes) or fluid line that works as a link between the forms and background. The linear exploration leads us to find new possibilities in terms of knowing, it is a kind of game in which the forms are in a link no matter the distance or the visual plane in which they are. To paraphrase Paul Klee: "The line is a point that has come a walk" and in this sense that in this proposal we will work on the idea of a fluid line, continuous, that communicates with the space in a dynamic way and organic.
LEARNING GOALS: The Participants: ● Will acquire the ability to build their sketch of urban space through fluid lines. ● May easily find the proportions of buildings, objects, people and other environmental elements. ● Will also explore the possibility of drawing complex structures or details (eg a boat or an architectural style) ● Will learn to find a balance between the line and the stain ● Will use the stain and color as protagonists of his drawings.
SUPPLY LIST: We do not need a very sophisticated but only that which you feel comfortable in specially in fluidity way. Basically a fount pen, feather ballpoint pen in different colors of ink and a set of watercolors or whatever you want!
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
NORBERTO DORANTES
Website: http://www.norbertodorantes.com.ar/
I was born in Mexico City and I love draw in location! I’m architect and educator currently teaching at the College of Architecture of the University of Buenos Aires. I am a founder and director of Taller Perspective and Sketchiton. I have also taught at the Society of Architects and other professional associations. Recently the Fundacio Enric Miralles invited me to collaborate with their academic interchange in the experimental workshops during 2014-17 in Barcelona, Spain like Sketch Tour . I specialize in the architecture design (analog/digital media) and concept drawings. My work has been recognized in several competitions of architecture and drawing. I have taught many urban sketching workshops in different cities like: Florencia, Italy (2019), Chicago, USA (symposium 2017), Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA (2017), México city, México (a lot of times) included 2018, Lisbon, Portugal (symposium 2011) and 2017 “Capital Iberoamericana de la Cultura”, Barcelona, Spain (symposium 2013), Amsterdam, Netherlands (sketchiton Amsterdam 2015), Paris, France (sketchiton Paris, 2016), Manchester, UK (symposium 2016), Singapore, Singapore (symposium 2015), Quito, Ecuador (2015), Paraty, Brazil (symposium 2014), Buenos Aires, Argentina (lot of times), At the historical city of San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina, and Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina and others cities.
WS23
A Sense of Place and A Story Told Pat Southern-Pearce, UK
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: This workshop will be a gradual build-up of skills, story-telling and recording: in thumbnails, colour, atmosphere and text. We all notice different things and everything we add deepens our SENSE OF PLACE and being there: people, bridges, bicycles, brick patterns, clouds, sunlight, reflections…so much. Thumbnails will lead us in, but developed in a different way and we’ll look at potential layouts and sizes and possibilities.
They’ll be lettering too, and practise, with handwritten words and thoughts adding to the mix and story told. Expressive colour will play a part, with blending and overlays in skies and there’ll be limited colour considerations, too, to bring unity and balance to a page
LEARNING GOALS: ● Swift fluid line ● Catching the moment in the sky ● Expressive colour blending and interplay ● Colour balancing and unity ● The zing of selective whites ● The strength of blacks ● Blue for distance ● Developing the idea of thumbnails and extending drawings outside the boxes ● Exploring possibilities for layout ● Hand lettering skills
SUPPLY LIST:
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
PAT SOUTHERN-PEARCE https://www.instagram.com/patsouthernpearce/
Born and raised in the North of England and trained as a painter, Pat is known for her calligraphic works on toned paper, her skies, her sense of place and for sketching in carparks! Alongside her work with sketchers and schools in the UK she travels the world teaching workshops and tutored at both Manchester and Chicago Symposiums. She had sketches on Exhibition in Venice in 2017 and 2018 and before that in Moscow. Working freely and treating sketches like paintings, she begins with shapes against the sky, then the sky itself when it changes and inspires. The rest follows.
WS24
BEAUTIFUL EYES: Let’s Go Window Shopping! Paul Wang, Singapore
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: We cannot help but look into the eyes of a stranger or a friend when we meet. Windows and doors like our eyes are openings to spaces and even secret stories beyond. Just like our eyes are the windows of our body and soul, windows and door ways are also vital architectural feature of the building and city. They let light and air into the room. Zooming in and drawing these openings as strong focal points can help draw us into the sketch and hold the gaze of the viewer. Inspired by Vermeer’s famous painting ‘The Little Street’ painted during the Dutch Golden Age, every window and door tells a rich architectural history and shows us the Dutch way of life. The size, shape and ornamentations of the openings becomes important clues that can tell us how the climate and way of life may have evolved over the years. So let’s go window shopping and take a peek into the stories beyond the walls.
LEARNING GOALS: This workshop is about studying and accurately depicting windows and doors of buildings so that we can create a sense of time and place. The viewer often is drawn to the ‘eyes’ of the building and setting them right on the façade is crucial. Openings behave differently under direct strong sun, cloudy day and sunset back lit conditions. The workshop will also employ the concepts of RESIST – SOFTEN – BLEND to help participants find the pleasure of sketching successfully on-location. PRIMARY LEARNING GOALS 1) Sketch & Render windows/doors in 3 lighting conditions SECONDARY LEARNING GOALS 1) Depict & suggest reflections on Window panes. 2) Choice & usage of colours for internal shadows.
SUPPLY LIST: ● Pan or Tube Watercolour paint (Include Indigo, Cerulean Blue, Orange, Warm Yellow) ● Soluble & Non-soluble Pencil (2B or 4B), Wax Pencil or crayon (White). ● Loose sheets of Hot or Cold press Watercolour paper (A4) & Watercolour sketchbook ● Brushes, mixing palette, spray bottle & paper Towel.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
PAUL WANG Website: paulartsg.wix.com/paulwang Email: paulartsg@gmail.com Instagram: paulwang_sg
PAUL is a passionate art and design educator in Singapore. Inspired by his interior architecture and stage design training, his sketches are always bursting with dramatic colours. His strokes and splashes may look spontaneous but are highly choreographed. Paul’s distinctive style of vivid colours and convoluted lines seeks to encapsulate the ever changing world. Look closely and see the story behind each sketch. He is also an Urban Sketchers’ correspondent for Singapore and is currently serving as an advisory board- member for the global Urban Sketchers group.
WS25
Change Your Point of View! Adding More Drama Into Your Scene Reham M. Ali, Egypt
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: In life, your point of view makes lots of difference. It also matters in drawing and sketching. Small changes can make big impact on your work and take you over your limits and make you think out of the box and because urban sketching is all about telling a story of a place or a building... But what if you couldn’t feel that connection/ Or simply couldn’t figure out the story behind this place or finding an attractive point in your scene?! (a situation I believe all of us have experienced!). in this case you either leave and relocate or transform the scene into one that is more interesting and more individual by changing the way you see and interpret the architectural scene you want to capture. So, let’s add some drama to our shots!!! Participants will learn how to capture more interesting sketches of specific sites depending on two main factors : 1-seeing 2- interpretation
exaggerate features (seeing) ● You can dramatically alter your sketch composition just by changing your perspective consider your eye like a camera and you try new camera angles. Low angle , Twisted angle and combining them Focus (interpretation): ● Applying shadows and shades to create more impressive scene and how to use this skill as a means to achieve dramatic focal points in your sketch ● Handle (backgrounds – foregrounds) or even lack of them to create more emphasi to your points of interest. The workshop will start with introduction to explain what kind of spots could match the idea with a collection of sketching made by the instructor. Then a life demo to show how to create an extreme perspective angle that could change an ordinary view. During this demo the instructor will explain the 3 points perspective and how to combine this rule with what exactly you see (remember this workshop is not all about the technicality of perspective it’s about how you see so you can sketch without struggling ). Then how to create dramatic focal point using strong and expressive watercolour technique. Sketchers who want to be more loose in their style will benefit the most from this workshop. It does not only make you sketch more freely but will also help you deal with any mistakes you could have made in the perspective!
LEARNING GOALS: ● Learn how to connect eyes, mind and hand especially to compose the sketch in order to capture the essence of the scene, while playing with full and empty spaces, values, contrasts, relationships between lines and colors. ● When and how to choose which details in the building that improve your concept ● Drawing unusual perspective views without fear ● Learn to accept your mistakes they are part of your style ● Learn how sketches can tell different stories by changing your point view
SUPPLY LIST: ● Waterproof ink pens (technical or fountain pens or nib pen ) ● Small Watercolour palette ● Watercolour paints ● Sketchbook or loose paper, preferably watercolour paper or water-friendly paper at least A5 size or bigger ● Brushes (try to have at least one big brush size 8 or larger if possible ) ● Small plastic container of water ● A stool to sit on while working ( optional) ● Viewfinder or and similar app you can make your own using two L shaped catted paper
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
REHAM M. ALI
Instagram: reham_m_a (Alexandria, Egypt) Reham studied Fine-Arts and holds a Ph.D. degree in Interior Design from the University of Alexandria. Works as Assistant Professor of Interior Architecture. She has been drawing since childhood, sketching architecture came as a natural part of her study and work, she began sketching on location since her senior year in college, and in 2015, she discovered Urban Sketchers and since then she started to focus on sketching her hometown city, Alexandria, which is the main subject of her watercolor and sketching work. She is also a workshop instructor in both Egypt and Saudi Arabia where she works now as Assistant Professor at IAU university.
WS26
Play and Rhythm: How to Capture Character with Limited Content Richard Briggs, Australia
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: The aim of this workshop is to focus on the facades of Amsterdam’s unique buildings and their connection with the waterways. Using a step by step process, we will look to capture these characteristics by using a line based approach with limited content, and to not sketch everything that you see. Observation will be the first step to using this approach, as studying what you see before putting down any marks can allow for a clear focus when sketching.
The second step will be how to break down complicated scenes into elements, with simple shapes and key lines leading to a sketch that is distinctive but not visually overwhelming. What’s left out is just as important as what’s included in a sketch. Using this approach, this workshop aims to explore the character of Amsterdam’s facades looking at items such as; the distinctive and detailed tops of the of the buildings, the rhythmic patterns of the windows, and how people have activated or personalised the point where the building meets the ground. Discovering the relationships of these buildings with the surrounding waterways will also be a focus as it defines the spirit of place. Collectively we will look at: ● The composition of a sketch, and how to focus on certain parts of what you see ● How to have a playful approach when deciding what to include and what not to include ● How to some fun with perspective, rhythm and use of the continuous line technique ● How adding pockets of colour can enhance a particular characteristic or observation This workshop will be low tech and is open to most skill sets and levels of experience as using rules of thumb for one-point perspective will be the only technical requirement. At the end of the workshop each participant will have learned the importance of observation, and how to produce a sketch with a limited content that tells a story about a Amsterdam’s character.
LEARNING GOALS: ● Look at complex and busy scenes and be able to reduce the content of sketch to keep it clear and punchy ● Understand the role of observation before sketching and how looking can lead to clear and defined sketches ● Look for edges, lines, shapes of a street scene and facades to form interesting sketch compositions ● How to break down complex views into simple shapes and elements ● Learn techniques continuous line technique and how to break down forms into simple shapes when sketching
SUPPLY LIST: ● Small notepad for thumbnail sketches and observation notes ● A3/A4 sketch book ● Pencil, pens (some colour) that the sketchers feel most comfortable to use ● Something to sit on (such as a portable chair) and wet weather gear ● An eye for detail and a delight in observing!
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
RICHARD BRIGGS
Website: www.richardbriggs.com.au Instagram: richardbriggs_artist
Richard Briggs is a practising artist and British registered architect based in Sydney Australia, and through his sketches he aims to provoke and inform discussion on the built environment. His simple line drawings explore the hidden gems in our cities encouraging the viewer, visitor, and the inhabitant to look at the streets in a different way. From the finer details to large expansive lines of a city skyline, his drawings evolve into patterns that form spaces and urban quirks which aim to convey a sense of place. Briggs has been exploring and drawing streets for the past 18 years and was a workshop instructor at the Urban Sketchers Symposium held in Manchester in 2016, and has run workshops in Sydney as part of the 10 x10 program. He has taught drawing on location in private practise, public forums and co-runs a course at University of New South Wales in Sydney which helps built environment students explore cities using urban sketching as a tool.
WS27
Unfolding Stories: Recipes and Ingredients for Visual Storytelling Rita Sabler, USA
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: We all love sketches that are not only beautiful to look at but also tell a compelling story. How do you infuse your sketch with meaning that is intuitively and universally understood? Successful visual reportage requires familiarity with your subject, research, and time for extensive exploration. How do you tell a good story with limited time, tools, and a language barrier? This workshop will introduce you to the key ingredients of a visual story and teach you easy to follow recipes to put together one of your own, when your time is limited. We will discuss key
techniques that make your story easy to represent and follow. Finally we will put all of our ingredients together, selectively applying such techniques as isolating, motion framing, captioning, zooming, etc. creating a story about the Waterlopplein flea market.
LEARNING GOALS: 1. Become a keen observer of your environment. 2. Learn the ingredients of a successful visual story. 3. Learn the techniques that will help you save time and make your story easy to follow. 4. Learn to zero in on the key elements that are crucial to your story and eliminate everything that’s not important. 5. Capture human gestures and posture. 6. Learn to capture main activity by using “motion framing”. 7. Create your Waterlooplein visual story in a small accordion using the elements and applying techniques learned in the workshop.
SUPPLY LIST: ● Your favorite sketching materials. ● Portable watercolor kit and waterbrush. ● Waterproof pens or markers. ● Small sketchbook for trials and brainstorming. ● A simple accordion for your final visual story. ● Make sure your toolkit is light and portable. We will be moving around and sketching standing up.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
RITA SABLER Website: portlandsketcher.com
From drawing on Brazilian favelas in Rio de Janeiro to detailing Hindu celebrations in the temples of Singapore I have happily trotted the world documenting its wonders in my many sketchbooks. My sketching passion has often led me on a quest for finding sketch worthy subjects anywhere from the driest desert in the world, to Bangkok street markets, to the daily life in my hometown of Portland. Drawing is my therapy, my passion, and my refuge. It is my way of experiencing and communicating with the world around me. I have presented lectures on sketching around the world inspiring my audiences to cultivate the lifelong passion for visual storytelling. My work has been featured in solo and group expositions around Portland. I hold a B.A. degree in Psychology and Art, an M.A. in Linguistics, and a Masters in Interface Design from The Elisava School of Design in Barcelona. When not sketching I am a busy designer, parent, tango dancer and a tango pianist.
WS28
Drawing Cyclists with iPad + Procreate
Rob Sketcherman, Hong Kong
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: They whiz through tunnels under the Rijskmuseum and sail over the many sun-dappled bridges of the city. A huge part of Amsterdam’s character is the sight of cyclists on its streets, as well as the landscape of bicycles parked everywhere. To leave bicycles and cyclists out of your sketches for fear of attempting such seemingly complicated components would be a real shame! (That’s like going to Paris and not drawing the Eiffel Tower!) Yes, it looks complicated, but things always look hard to draw until you know how. And even when not drawing cities ruled by cyclists, adding one (or a few) adds a different level of character to your work. This workshop introduces accessible ways to draw cyclists for sketchers of every level, including those who feel they can’t / don’t draw people / are unsure about how to sketch digitally. We’ll break it down into easy bits and have you sailing along!
LEARNING GOALS You’ll go from knowing next to nothing about using an iPad for urban sketching, to knowing the basic minimum in order to sketch proficiently with your iPad and Apple Pencil, using the best creative app there is, Procreate. Once you feel more confident with this digital medium, we get down to learning the secret of drawing cyclists! We will first learn the important basics of using Procreate: • Get familiar with the user interface and important tools • Learn which brushes are best for urban sketching • Discover how layers can help you plan colors and compositions
We then use our new digital skills to: • Decide how to tell a story with people and their bicycles. • Discover a simple formula to remember the most important parts of a bike to draw. • Understand how to accurately draw proportionate people on bicycles every time. • Learn how to draw cyclists even when they move fast!
SUPPLY LIST Required: • The 2018 iPad (budget) + Apple Pencil OR • iPad Pro + Apple Pencil • Procreate app • A comfortable case / tablet holder for drawing Handy optional equipment: • A stool if you’d like one • Sunscreen • A hat NOTE: 1. Please do not bring older iPads which do not work with the Apple Pencil. You will be frustrated with the performance, and many features we address require a good pressuresensitive stylus. No third-party styli are as good as the Apple Pencil. 2. Please update your iOS and Procreate before attending the workshop.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
ROB SKETCHERMAN Blog : http://www.sketcherman.com/blog Instagram: @robsketcherman YouTube: Rob Sketcherman Facebook: The iPad Artwork of Rob Sketcherman
Rob Sketcherman is a self-taught artist and urban sketcher whose work has taken him on commissions of all kinds, from documenting an international film festival through sketches, painting a 5-storey high mural for a boutique hotel, and live-sketching a million people celebrating with the Pope in Fรกtima, Portugal. He has taught at USk Symposiums in Singapore, Manchester, Chicago and Porto, and conducted iPad creativity workshops internationally. Rob works exclusively with an iPad and the app Procreate, relishing the freedom and speed his minimalist kit brings, and its ability to let him work inconspicuously anywhere a good story beckons.
WS29
Channeling Rembrandt: Expressive Sketching in Fude Pen and Sepia Ink Róisin Curé, Ireland
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: A 17th century urban sketcher, Rembrandt drew the town in which he lived. While Rembrandt used a quill pen cut from a goose feather and iron gall ink from trees, if he were alive today I think he would have loved a fude pen filled with sepia ink. In this workshop we will sketch with a fude pen in waterproof sepia ink. Bringing the analogy with Rembrandt's drawings to its conclusion, will use the same sepia ink to colour our sketches, with the emphasis on lights and darks, or chiaroscuro. With a fude pen, you are guaranteed an expressive line. Fude is Japanese for brush, and the
flattened nib of a 55o fude fountain pen is the perfect marriage of a fountain pen for convenience and control, and a brush for its variable line. Because of its line range from very fine to very wide depending on the angle at which it is held, a fude is the only pen you'll need to bring with you when urban sketching. It takes a little getting used to, but most people who try one become converts. A bonus to the lovely look of the line is the fact that sketchers using a fude will quickly discover their own style – everyone will use the line width according to their own artistic instinct. The versatility of a fude pen means you can be as delicate or as bold as you want when it comes to lettering
LEARNING GOALS: ● To familiarise themselves with a 55o fude pen: to get to know what it does according to how it's held. ● To become comfortable with drawing directly in a fude pen and not to “thicken” lines after fine ones have been drawn in a regular pen. ● To experiment with sepia ink and to discover its versatility as a tonal mechanism. ● To learn to recognise lines that are in shadow, and lines that are in sunlight: to associate weight with thickness of line. ● To learn to build up areas in shadow: for its dramatic potential and also to become more familiar with the idea of using tonal values.
SUPPLY LIST: The students will need the following: ● A 55o degree fude pen, no less degrees, with a converter. ● Waterproof brown ink – lots of it (I use Document Brown by De Atramentis) ● No. 8 and 12 brush with good, springy tip ● Watercolour paper with a surface smooth enough for fountain pen. Hot-pressed watercolour paper is a good choice. ● A fountain pen with a very fine nib filled with waterproof brown ink
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
ROISIN CURE Website: roisincure.com
Róisín Curé lives in Galway on Ireland's wild west coast. She teaches drawing, watercolour and storytelling to children and adults and is a freelance urban sketcher. She founded Urban Sketchers Galway in 2014 and teaches USk workshops within Ireland and abroad. She holds a Master's degree in Geology and loves to marry education, storytelling and sketching in her favorite media of ink and watercolour. She will publish An Urban Sketcher's Galway in 2019 with Currach Press. Her website features an almost-daily urban sketching blog, and tutorials on different aspects of art, at roisincure.com.
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Amsterdam Green Microsketching Santi Sallés, Spain
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: The main mission of this workshop is to learn to draw nature (in this case in the parks of the city). The aim of the workshop is to give a different vision of capturing nature in their sketchbooks, creating a composition using vignettes with different scenes of nature. We will practice and mix with the green watercolors and we will do exercises to understand the morphology of the different elements of nature. We will pay special attention to lights and shadows.
LEARNING GOALS: Most people don’t know how to draw nature correctly but instead they like it a lot. They usually use watercolors with artificial greens and have a lot of difficulty getting natural greens. The main and most interesting is that they know a new and original way to capture the nature drawings through vignettes. (microsketching). Learn to work by layers, to use natural and real green colors and capture light and shadows correctly
SUPPLY LIST: Yes, it’s very important to use the right greens. I will bring 5 watercolor tubes of the Sennelier brand with different greens for the participants of the workshops. They will need Prussian blue, burn Sienna, and Black watercolour .They will also need an oil-based pencil. The other materials are the usual ones, brushes or water brushes, color pencils (greens) and fountain pen and calibrated pens, etc ...
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
SANTI SALLES Website: www.santisalles.com Flicker: https://www.flickr.com/photos/santisalles/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/santisallesargila Instagram:santisalles
Illustrator, graphic designer and creative formed in ELISAVA, with more than 20 years of experience working for different advertising agencies and companies. I have published in La Vanguardia, El País, GQ and Vanity Fair. I have 8 published books where drawing and illustration are the main medium. I’m Urban Sketchers in Barcelona and Catalonia. I have participated in different travel notebook festivals such as Matitte in Viaggio in Italy and Rendevouz du Carnet de Voyage in France. Since 2014 I usually teach sketching Workshops, Conferences and Demos.
WS31
Barges, Schooners and Trawlers: Sketching Amsterdam’s Historic Harbour Shari Blaukopf, Canada
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: The rich culture and history of Amsterdam have been shaped by the water that surrounds the city and runs through its canals. And no symposium sketchbook of Amsterdam would be complete without documenting at least a few of the boats that ferry residents and tourists through the city, carry goods, serve as residences, and provide evidence of a storied seafaring past.
Drawing watercraft and their ever-changing reflections can be daunting! Their proportions can be difficult and their details complex. But that’s what makes boats both a satisfying and challenging subject to paint: the complex shapes of the hulls; the messy tangle of masts, ropes, lines and buoys; the full range of values from light to dark, all closely jumbled together; and finally, the movement in the water that causes reflections to be slightly different each time you look up. In this workshop I will share my love of drawing these vessels (I have sketched dozens and dozens over the past few years) and my tips for simplifying their drawing, painting and reflections.
LEARNING GOALS: ● Overcome your fear of sketching complicated marine scenes ● Simplify boat shapes by understanding structure and proportion ● Use saturated colour to create volume and texture on boat hulls ● Analyze and simplify boat reflections Use the right tools to add details such as ropes, masts, rigging and sails
SUPPLY LIST: ● Brush pen with black ink (for drawing boat shapes) ● Portable watercolour palette with fresh paint in a good variety of colours as well as lots of room for mixing colour ● Good quality watercolour sketchbook ● Small leakproof plastic water bottles ● Brushes: a good quality round brush for large shapes and a rigger brush for details White watercolour or a white gel pen for ropes and rigging ● Pencil or pen for drawing ● Bulldog clips, kneaded rubber eraser, paper towels ● Small folding stool
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
SHARI BLAUKOPF Blog: www.shariblaukopf.com Website: www.blaukopfwatercolours.com Instagram: @sharisketcher
Shari Blaukopf is a Montreal-based graphic design teacher, illustrator, sketch blogger and correspondent for Urban Sketchers. She has a BFA from Concordia University with a specialization in graphic design, but her true love has always been watercolour painting. She is co-founder of Urban Sketchers Montreal and has given many watercolour workshops both on her own and through the Urban Sketchers Workshop Program in Montreal, Portland, Barcelona, Singapore, Manchester, Chicago and Porto. Her watercolours are in corporate, government and private collections in Canada, the United States and abroad, and she is a signature member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour. She is the author of The Urban Sketching Handbook: Working with Color and you can find her online courses Sketching Landscapes in Pen, Ink and Watercolor and Sketching the City in Pen, Ink and Watercolor on Craftsy.com.
WS32
Towers are Like Wedding Cakes & Other “Ah-Ha” Moments Stephanie Bower, USA
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Did you know that towers are like wedding cakes, stairs are like wedges of cheese, and arches are definitely not horseshoes? Some of my favorite and fun sketching “ah-ha” moments have to do with relating architecture in perspective to other things we see and experience every day. I often use these concepts when teaching, as these metaphors can help us to demystify some of the complex forms we see in order to understand and draw them better. For example, towers are indeed like wedding cakes! As the cake gets taller, the layers get smaller, and each of those layers is stacked around a common centerline (otherwise that cake is on the floor in a big wedding disaster!) Visualizing a wedding cake can help you to sketch a tower!
In this workshop, we’ll tackle some sketching challenges by looking at a few complex architectural elements in novel ways. When visualized as transparent wireframe diagrams, you’ll be able to better understand and draw 3-dimensionally. You’ll learn tips for decoding these more complex architectural forms in perspective (no need to fear it or fake it!), and by the workshop’s end, you’ll look at architecture in a whole new way!
LEARNING GOALS: When you can relate complex forms to simple things you see every day, sketching architecture will be easier, better, and way more fun! We’ll learn to visualize complex architectural forms such as towers, stairs, and arches as transparent wire frames, to really understand these forms in space.
SUPPLY LIST: ● your favorite sketching media—pen, pencil (I use a .5 mechanical pencil with 2B lead and ● kneaded eraser), charcoal, watercolor ● your favorite sketchbook ● 6”- 8” straight edge or architect’s triangle, something to quickly snap lines ● folding stool for sitting
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
STEPHANIE BOWER Website: www.stephaniebower.com Instagram: stephanieabower Blog: www.stephaniebower.blogspot.com
STEPHANIE BOWER (Seattle, USA) is a professional architectural illustrator, teacher, watercolor artist, and globetrotting sketcher. Her background as an architect inspired her love of drawing buildings and her expertise in all things perspective. Stephanie has taught sketching for many years, including a decade at Parsons in NYC as well as at five USk symposiums. She now teaches workshops around the world and has two online classes at Craftsy.com. She has received numerous awards and fellowships, including the 2012 & 2013 KRob for Best Travel Sketch and the prestigious Gabriel Prize to Paris. The author of The Urban Sketching Handbook: Understanding Perspective, Stephanie has a new book on sketching coming out in Fall 2019.
WS33
Scavenged Sketches: Gathering Tales of People, Places and Objects Suhita Shirodkar, USA
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: In this workshop, we are scavengers. We won’t pre-plan our sketches. Instead, we will rummage through our surroundings until we find something that catches our eye, sketch it, and then build stories around it. These unplanned sketches aren’t easy: To be able to respond and improvise effectively means being prepared to draw anything: people, places or objects, all with equal ease. It takes having a range of skills and techniques you can call on to create interesting sketches on the fly. Towards this end, we will practice different ways of seeing, composing and drawing, and will learn to put them all together to create complex, multi-viewpoint “scavenged” sketches.
LEARNING GOALS:
In the spirit of building a range of techniques for seeing and drawing, each skill will explore multiple techniques or look at things in different ways 1. Drawing People in different ways including ● Gesture Drawing ● Shape Drawing ● Portrait Drawing 2. Drawing Places and Objects considering more than the “mid-range shot”. Exploring ● Extreme closeups, ● Cropped images ● Interesting and unusual angles 3. Composition and Storytelling Techniques including but not limited to ● The Rule of Thirds ● Hierarchy in complex sketches ● Combining disparate viewpoints into a coherent sketch ● Building visual paths through complex sketches ● Using words to complete your story
SUPPLY LIST: ● A medium sized sketchbook: no smaller than 5x7 inches ● Pencil: 2B or darker ● Ink Pen, any kind you use ● Coloring medium: anything that is portable. I use watercolour and colored pencils ● Sketchbag should be compact and portable. We will move around and change angles often and you must carry your bag with you everywhere. A backpack, messenger bag or shoulder bag works best. You will do at least some of your sketching standing up. ● If you MUST have something to sit on, keep it light. I find that sitting down all the time means I don’t step in close enough, don’t explore viewpoints enough or don’t wander around enough.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
SUHITA SHIRODKAR Blog: sketchaway.wordpress.com Instagram: @suhitasketch
Suhita Shirodkar lives in San Jose,California. She grew up in Mumbai,India, to which she attributes her love of color and chaos. She graduated with a Masters in Communication Design from Pratt, New York and has been a graphic designer, a college instructor, and is now a full-time illustrator and teacher. Suhita was a correspondent at the Symposium in Barcelona and has been an instructor at symposiums in Brazil, Singapore, Manchester, Chicago and Porto.
WS34
Rhythm is a Dancer: Learning to Employ Repeating Motifs to Bring in Various Moods in Your Sketches
Uma Kelkar, USA
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: This workshop is open to digital(Procreate app), pencil, ink and watercolor artists. Sometimes, when you are in tight urban space like in Amsterdam city center, majority of your view can be in a single plane-- that is, there is no distinct foreground and background. In such a constrained space, repeating motifs are often employed e.g. windows or similar architecture to promote a feeling of peace and calm. This workshop will present the spectrum of repetition and how to employ it to project different moods in a sketch. Repetition can be used to project
peace, unity, harmony but too much off it can represent lack of variety, lifelessness and boredom. Participants in this workshop will first verbalize the feel they want to put in their sketches, then, come up with strategies to insert the emotion that they wish to convey using the techniques Uma will bring. The workshop will be conducted in a place where we have to capture a flat object, a side of the building for example which will look simple, so drawing will not be a challenge. The idea is to make what may seem boring, un-boring. Or, if we see a lot of chaos, to quiet it down with a harmony that repetition brings. Compared to other workshops that Uma has conducted which are watercolor skill based, this workshop is about compositional techniques and about using existing skills to communicate feelings through art pieces. For digital artists, knowledge of Procreate(the tool) is assumed just like we assume the basic use of watercolors for watercolor sketching workshops. Digital exercises will mirror the exercises with traditional media. If you are a mono color/BW/ink artist, please be aware of the concepts of harmony, balance, unity, gradation and ways to achieve them in your medium of choice.
LEARNING GOALS: What are a few of the most important skills and concepts you'd like your participants to learn from their experience? At the end of the workshop, sketchers will - 1. Feel free to add their emotions to a scene and not just copy it. 2. Will learn techniques to add flavors of repetition for achieving - • harmony • balance • interest
SUPPLY LIST: TRADITIONAL WATERCOLORISTS + INK ARTISTS 1. Watercolor paper - 140lb cold pressed. Fine grain preferred over rough. 2. Choose a brush type that you are used to - the only criterion needs to be that it be big and can carry a lot of pigment. No brushes with water cisterns on back of their body allowed as they don’t let us control water as much. 3. A smaller brush for details. 4. Wet pigments meaning pigments from tubes - your standard colors will work as long as they are not dry cakes, but are in pigment form. 5. Pencil 2B or softer 6. For those sketching in ink only - ink cartridges/refill. 7. Hat 8. Water 9. Water container, palette for paints 10. Bottle to carry away dirty water if garbage cans are not within reach. 11. Open mind DIGITAL ARTISTS 1. Charged iPadPro with Apple pencil and latest version of Procreate app installed. 2. Open mind
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
UMA KELKAR Website: www.umakelkar.com Blog: https://www.umakelkar.com/blog/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/umaPaints Instagram: www.instagram.com/umaPaints Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/arinkima/videos
Uma did not go to art school but went to school to become an electrical engineer from Stanford University - therefore when she is not painting, she designs chips for fiber optic communications. The absence of formal art education frees her from norms and allows her to put her emotions on paper while being bold and exploratory in her approach. She bought her first box of watercolors when she went to college and which saved her from life's madness. It cost $2. As a vengeance of the forced frugality, she now paints large with ample pigment and fattest brushes. However, the efficiency and frugality of brush strokes are informed by her early life experiences. She enjoys the process of reading art and getting engulfed in it. Owing to her passion for painting and drawing, her in-studio and plein-air work has won numerous awards. ● ● ● ● ●
She has been juried into national and international shows, in fact her latest direct watercolor won an award at CWA's 49th National Exhibit. Teacher of watercolor and digital art workshops in Symposiums in Chicago, Porto and now Amsterdam, USK and self led workshops in San Jose, San Francisco and Austin Contributing author as well as a self published author Multiple plein air painting competition award winner Curator of professional gallery show
WS35
Reportage: Memory of a City Veronica Lawlor, USA
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: The word reportage comes from an old French word meaning “to carry back.” In this workshop we’ll focus on how to carry back our experience and memory of a specific place and time through pictures and visual storytelling.
First we’ll discuss picture design and the thumbnail: how to “walk through” a location and document what’s there with small thumbnail sketches. We’ll look at it from different points of view and think about how to dramatize a feeling or idea with picture design. Then we’ll choose a moment to focus on– a small story happening within the location that we can tell in several drawings, by expanding on our idea of the thumbnail. A woman hanging laundry, a man selling vegetables at a market, a couple having a coffee together at a café, children playing in a fountain – these types of small everyday stories in the context of the city create a reportage – an experience that we can sketch and carry back to show to others.
LEARNING GOALS: ● Learn to embrace the overall environment of an urban setting and find your focus in a picture. ● Learn to work with dimension in your picture-making. ● Learn to make an organic picture of people interacting in a space. ● Find the story that speaks to you and document your memory of a place. SUPPLY LIST: ● Any supplies you like to draw with are fine, but here are some suggestions: ● A fountain pen (can be a Pilot disposable or low-cost Schaefer pen with cartridges) ● A portable brush pen ● A few soft graphite pencils (3B or higher) ● Some color materials: a small watercolour kit and brush, colored pencils, markers or pastel pencils ● are all good choices. Try more than one for variety. ● Please bring a sketchbook that is at least 9” x 12’ so you have room to draw several thumbnails on ● one page. 11” x 14” is even better if you feel comfortable going to that size. ● A small stool is always good for comfort and flexibility on location.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
VERONICA LAWLOR Website: www.veronicalawlor.com
Veronica Lawlor’s reportage illustrations have led her around the world, completing assignments for a diverse group of clients, including Brooks Brothers, JP Morgan Chase, 3M, and the Hyatt hotels. She recently completed a series of reportage-inspired illustrations of NYC for an interactive children’s wall at the NYU Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital in New York City. Veronica’s emotionally charged reportage drawing series of the 9/11 attack on New York City is featured in the Newseum in Washington DC. In 2011, she was nominated by Canson USA as their representative for the Canson Prix, and her work was presented at the Louvre in Paris. An urban sketchers correspondent, Veronica is on the illustration faculty of Parsons the New School for Design and Pratt Institute in New York City. She is the co-founder of the Dalvero Academy. Veronica Lawlor is the author of One Drawing A Day and One Watercolor A Day, as well as the Urban Sketchers Handbook: Reportage and Documentary Drawing. (Quarry Books.)
WS36
Minimal Color, Maximum Punch... Focus Your Story with Color! Virginia Hein, USA
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Color brings energy, mood and emotion to a sketch! Composing a dynamic sketch starts with discovering the visual story that you want to tell, deciding what to include, and what to leave out. In this workshop we’ll bring two ideas together for more dynamic sketches: first, focus and edit the sketch, then we’ll make bold color decisions to spotlight the heart of your story.
Amsterdam is certainly rich in history and atmosphere, and its urban landscape is full of stories waiting to be discovered. Spend time in just one location, and you are surrounded by a multitude of choices. Where do you put your focus? Some things seem to pop out immediately, while you might not notice other things until you’ve sat sketching in that spot for awhile. In this workshop we’ll practice choosing what to emphasize in different sketches, while practicing the art of eloquently leaving something out. We’ll use color to describe the mood and feeling of the location, and bring emotional impact to your story. Why leave something out? Leaving some space around your subject gives it some “breathing room”. In a sketch, that space gives the eye a place to rest, and the negative space around your subject can eloquently draw attention to it. We’ll explore the location and get a feel of the place using all our senses. Then, we’ll focus and select to practice framing the stories that we see. We’ll do several quick-sketch exercises to practice composing sketches with minimal color but maximum punch!
LEARNING GOALS: ● Practice visual storytelling—to highlight and bring attention to an interesting visual story ● Practice the art of leaving something out to focus on what interests you most ● Use color to bring emphasis, emotion and mood to a sketch
SUPPLY LIST: ● Watercolor sketchbook or sketchpad (paper heavy enough to use with wet media -- at least 190gsm/90lb is best ● A travel watercolor set or other portable palette of watercolors with plenty of mixing area ● Waterproof ink pen, calligraphy pen or fountain pen with waterproof ink ● Sketching pencils if desired ● Watercolor brushes—flats and rounds in a range of sizes—the larger the better! ● Watercolor markers or other color tools can be used as well. ● Water and a leak-proof water container ● Rags or paper towels
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
VIRGINIA HEIN Blog: http://worksinprogress-location.blogspot.com/ Instagram: virginiahein
Virginia Hein was born in Los Angeles, California, and the landscape of the city is her favorite subject. She has worked as a concept designer for toys and entertainment, and as art director, illustrator and fine artist. Currently she teaches at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, and teaches location sketching workshops. She discovered Urban Sketchers in 2009, and became a correspondent for the Urban Sketchers blog. She has been honored to teach at three international Urban Sketchers Symposiums. She has contributed to a number of books about location sketching, and her book “5 Minute Sketching Landscape” was published by RotoVision in 2017.