Urbansketchers.org is an arts blog site for sketchers who draw locations in cities from direct observation, not from memory or pictures. They sketch the places they visit as well as the places they live in. This community was created by Gabriel Campanario in 2007, and it includes artists from all around the globe who share their sketches on this blog. Readers are able to see drawings of places such as London, Portugal, and Korea, all in one blog!
The format of the blog is fairly simple, and puts all the focus on the drawings themselves. Each artist posts a series of sketches about the country they are in, and usually write short entries about the location. The posts usually allow the reader to get a short glimpse into the life of the artist, but are primarily about the locations sketched. Artists post frequently, and there are usually at least two posts every day. There is always an interesting new set of sketches to look at in this blog.
I really enjoyed looking through this blog because not only are the images aesthetically pleasing, they are also informative in their own way, and I’ve learned more about the places that are visited by the artists. I’ve seen what people eat in different countries, how they dress, and even historical sites I didn’t know existed! This blog will cause serious wanderlust; I added to the list of places I’d like to visit as I read through this blog. So many places have been documented through sketches on the blog, each with a different style of drawing; there’s always something new to look at.
Each artist has their own style of drawing: some use watercolor, others don’t color their sketches, some write captions, some focus on people, some post the occasional personal picture, and so on. This personal touch is a very engaging aspect of the blog, and the reader gets this from each artist. The reader experiences the place through the eyes of the sketcher, so while enjoying a picture of the location, they gain insight on some of the artist’s thoughts and interests.
For example, artist Mike Dakubara’s sketches from his trip to London show what he enjoyed about the city. Most of his sketches focus on historic sites and scenery rather than people and culture. His images sometimes included people, but he usually chose not to color them in, while most of the rest of the image was colored. This shows that he had a more personal trip, and enjoyed the physical location and history of the place rather than its people.
The community is also very supportive. Most posts have a few comments about how nice the sketches are or how interesting the location seems to be. The combination of pleasing art, shared personal experiences, and a supportive community made this blog very enjoyable for me. The global aspect of this blog was very interesting as well; anyone from around the world can contribute their art to this blog. Urban Sketchers has artists from all over the globe, which brings many different types of perspectives and experiences. This blog is truly great, and I don’t think I can get tired of looking at the endless posts!
http://www.urbansketchers.org/
Review by Safaa Slimani
