10 x 10 Workshop No 1

On Saturday, I did the first two events of my 10 x 10 workshops: 10 sketching workshops to celebrate the 10 years anniversary of Urban Sketchers. I am not running all 10 myself (phew): I am running 4 and the rest are being done by my partners, Simone Ridyard and Len Grant, over in Manchester.

We met on Saturday morning in the Winter Gardens. I had 12 students, which was a really nice size group.

We looked at how to simplify the crazy overload of information you are faced with when you sit down to sketch. I showed them techniques for building an overall impression of a particular space, by selecting and combining elements, then how to add to the sense of the moment, by adding in overheard snatches of conversation, sound effects or comment. When you really stop, look and listen, you notice lots of things you otherwise miss.

It was a really mixed range of abilities, with one real beginner, through to one or two people who were quite accomplished, but looking for new ideas.

In the afternoon, I had 12 students again, although they weren't all the same 12. That session was about how to get the best from concertina sketchbooks. I taught them techniques for flowing different kinds of subject matter together, to give more of the sense of an ongoing period of time spent somewhere, rather than separate 'snapshots'. 

Everyone worked really hard. Those who had been with me all day were exhausted by 5pm. So was I! It was really good fun though and I was genuinely inspired by some of the fabulous work created.

If you want to get involved in any of this summer's remaining 10 x 10 workshops, contact Simone, as she is coordinating the bookings for us. I think there is just one place left on my August 12th workshop on simple ways to tackle complicated architecture. There are a few more left on some of the Manchester ones though.