It took a pandemic to get me to start drawing again. Specifically: urban sketching. Sketching is not a requirement of urban studies.
Or is it, and I somehow slipped by…?
At the same time, I find myself often wondering how I am not already doing this.
Can I be an urbanist if I am not sketching urban scenes?
I’m not sure when this subtle thread of existential imposter insecurity began, but I think it has been fed by three months of physical distancing with four times the normal amount of computer screen time.
Before moving to BC last year to start this program, I lived in Greece for five years – part of the time in Athens and the rest in Thessaloniki. During that time, I traveled quite a bit within Europe for meetings and program activities with colleagues from different countries, city knowledge exchange workshops, partnership events, and for fun visits with friends. In all that time, I should have filled several sketchbooks! There were many occasions where I thought about it: this is such a great scene to sketch! I really need to start drawing again. Etc.
Growing up, I loved art. My undergraduate art class was the last time I really spent time drawing. It’s too easy to rely on our phone cameras these days. In five years of living in two beautiful, historic and inspiring Greek cities, and exploring 18 cities across 13 other countries in Europe, I produced zero sketches or drawings. I took lots of great pictures, though!
What did it take to finally get me to pick up some basic art supplies and start sketching? The context of physical distancing, and the following specific motivators:
1. One day, earlier this month, I had enough of my laptop screen. I needed to get away, but it was raining, and after 10pm.
2. I was looking forward to my first full summer in BC, and getting to know Vancouver better, and my options for social outings have become limited.
3. I was missing my friends and adventures in Greece, especially as they recently started posting summer photos of the beaches there.
So I pulled up some photos from my Greek cities and some of the European cities I visited, and laid out pencils and watercolors. I discovered the growing, global community of urban sketchers, founded by artist Gabriel Campanario after publishing his book The Art of Urban Sketching in 2012. People from cities all over the world share their sketches, their process, and their stories about why they sketch, and why they choose particular places or moments. This urban sketching movement even has an eight-point manifesto that includes principles like drawing on location and from direct observation, sharing drawings online, and “We show the world, one drawing at a time”. Sketching from photos is not in line with these principles, but I am too nostalgic about my previous adventures and missed sketching opportunities to care too much right now. With more sunny days, I’ll get out and sketch my current city on location, and try to share online. Either way, it is a great break from the screen time that dominates many of our lives these days, and I hope to make it a regular practice that I keep. Most importantly: you don’t have to be an artist, or ‘good’ at drawing. Just spend some time with a pen/pencil and sketchbook during your adventures or everyday life, and draw what you see in a streetscape, architecture, a moment in a café or the library. Here I go.
