Urban Sketching: Bill Elkins, Judy Hand, Sue Murphy & Dennis Andrukat

WHO ARE WE?

These sketches were done by members of the Central New York Watercolor Society, who also happen to be members of Urban Sketchers Syracuse. 

Urban Sketchers Syracuse began in November 2017 with 11 enthusiastic sketchers meeting in a Syracuse cafe. We are now one of about 210 international chapters of www.urbanksketchers.com from around the globe. The Syracuse chapter now (June, 2018) stands at 205 members, and typically draws 20-25 sketchers to an event. 

What is "urban sketching"? The Urban Sketchers Manifesto states the following:

• We draw in location, indoors or out, capturing what we see from direct observation.
• Our drawing tell the story of our surroundings, the places we live and where we travel. 
• Our drawings are a record of time and place. 
• We are truthful to the scenes we witness.
• We use any kind of media and cherish our individual style.
• We support each other and draw together. 
• We share our drawings online.
• We show the world, one drawing at a time.

So, many of these drawings are not "precious" in the sense that they are trying to be museum pieces. They are displayed in various forms of "finish", partly to emphasize the on-the-spot nature of urban sketching.

Many of our sketchers are talented artists, but also, many are just beginning to explore sketching, and want to explore and capture their locales or their travels.

There are local chapters in Syracuse, Buffalo, Plattsburgh, Albany and New York City, along with Urban Sketchers group forming in Corning, and an informal sketchers group in Rochester.