Urban Sketchers Goa (USkG) is the regional (Goa) chapter of the Urban Sketchers Group. A non-commercial initiative with the intention to promote the love of sketching on location.
The group became official on November 1st, 2018 and over the past few months, has been meeting up at different locations to sketch. By doing so, they are also documenting a place, the moment and environment at the time.
Above illustration along with all words & information kindly provided by
Urban Sketchers Goa founding member, Darpana Athale.
Urban Sketching is a huge phenomena globally & in India.
It is a great community participative program, where one does not necessarily need to be an artist or architect to sketch. It's open to people from all age groups, all walks of life and professions. The idea is that everyone inherently has a unique, creative way of capturing and expressing what they see. This is what USkG aims to promote. Any medium is welcome, from watercolours to pen and ink, digital or pencil. What it does is it frees preconceived ideas and thoughts of how a sketch 'should be' and eliminates the sense of competition or comparison between two different sketches. No two sketches are alike, as we each perceive things differently. Each sketch an individual expression to be celebrated.
Urban Sketching is addictive because it is meditative, fun, stress-free, helps us observe our environment better, and opens us to everything around us.
Sketches by Vitor Mingacho - Immaculate Conception Church
& Mamarama Restaurant, Panjim
The only emphasis of Urban Sketching, as per the manifesto, is that the sketch is done on location (not an easy aspect to do as compared to from memory or through a photograph) and should be in context.
The latter means that just a profile sketch of a person or animal as a stand-alone, without a background or context does not qualify it as an Urban Sketch. However an Urban Sketch need not necessarily be buildings and built landscape either. It can be structures - people (in a setting), indoors or outdoors, animals, trees, etc. - and any object. The importance is that it be within its surrounding context.
You can read the full Urban Sketchers Manifesto here.
Sketches by Darpana Athale - Mapusa market scenes & Aldona Church
"I have been an Urban Sketcher for four years now, earlier as part of the Pune group, where I was based.
After moving to Goa two years ago, I decided to continue the love for Urban Sketching, and set up the group here in December 2017, as I found a few others who were also keen on sketching. We usually meet on Saturday evenings or mornings, depending on the place and group's interest - at least 2 times a month.
The process is simple - we gather at a particular location, sketch there and around on our own, then meet again in two hours and look at everyone's works together. This helps us learn ideas of composition, techniques of drawing and about different materials from each other. Besides the sketch meets, we sketch anywhere and anytime. Be it while travelling, having a bite somewhere or just sitting at home or in office...
As I mentioned, it is addictive, enriching and participative."
How can you be part of Urban Sketchers Goa?
A Facebook event is created for every sketchmeet wherein the venue and timing is given. All one needs to do is just go there and sketch with them. There are no registration fees to join. They also organise and conduct workshops, sketchwalks and other special events. Details of which are always uploaded on the group page.
You can join their Facebook
group here or follow them on Instagram @urbansketchersgoa
They also have a Whatsapp Group which comprises of regular sketchers, and you can easily join if frequently attending their events.
And now for a little inspiration from fellow artists who've kindly contributed their works from sketchwalks all around Goa with the hopes of getting you out & about to sketch!
Sketches from Fontainhas by Madhuri Bhosle
Outside Alfonso Guesthouse & Gallery Gitanjali
Watercolour & ink by Gauri Damle
Mahadev Temple, Tambdi Surla
Street scenes by Girish Toraskar - A moment on Duler Ground Road,
a fish seller at market & a view of the chapel near the Mapusa police station
Watercolour & ink by Harshad Arole
Outside the Chapel of St. Sebastion & Mamarama Restaurant, Fontainhas
and scenes from the streets in Varca, South Goa
Sketches by Anjanaa Devi Srikanth
Panjim street scenes & Mapusa market
Sketches by Alexandra Belo - Casa Fernandes, Chandor, Panjim City (Patto), Panjim Bus Stand Temple, Dharvalem Beach, & Kingfisher over Panjim Patto Bridge
All artworks viewed here have been contributed by the listed artists and are for single non commercial use by goa.me for this article only. Images are not to be redistributed for personal or commercial use in print or digital format. For purchase or inquiries into any of the above images, please contact us at goa@goa.me and we will connect you with each artist accordingly.