Let's Sketch!

Let's Sketch Chicago

Lincoln Park Zoo

Saturday June 18, 2022

12:00 PM – 3:00PM

Lincoln Park Zoo is a free 35-acre zoo located in Lincoln Park in Chicago, Illinois. The zoo was founded in 1868, making it one of the oldest zoos in the U.S. It is also one of a few free admission zoos in the United States.

Details:

We will meet in the central square by the Lions outside habitat. The meeting time is 12:00 noon. We will go sketching and come together again at 2:45 pm at the same spot by the lions to see our sketches and take photos. If you arrive late, no worries. Just pick a place to sketch and meet back by 2:45pm for the group photo. 

Transit/Parking: 

Please check the zoo website for parking info. Street parking is possible if you don't mind searching and walking. CTA options are available as well.

Hope to see you at the zoo! 

Cover sketch by: Paul Ingold 

Have You Heard!

Save the Date!

Details to Follow!

Let’s Sketch Chicago

 

Let's Sketch Chicago

A Favorite Spot

Sunday, January 16, 2022

12:00 PM – 3:00PM

Hosted by  Mary Jo Ernst and Urban Sketchers Chicago

Happy Holidays and New Year!

This time of the year it is natural to reflect upon our year as we put 2021 behind us. We are hopeful for the New Year and take note of the blessings we have and organize our goals for 2022.

Due to increased risks of Covid this will be an online/virtual meetup without an in person event. Let’s stay safe and healthy!

Details:

• For the January theme think about your favorite spot that brings comfort and inspiration. 

• You can use the first 3 weeks of 2022 to sketch your spot and please share why you chose the subject matter. 

• Sketches will be shared Sunday Jan 16th in the spirit of our in person throw downs. 

• Do not stress if you cannot post on the 16th, post when convenient.

The Admins of USK Chicago wish you a very Happy New Year and look forward to meeting in person again once the pandemic settles.

Banner sketch by MJ Ernst (Wilmington, NC a great source for inspiration)

T&T Thursday

And still growing!

What is an Urban Sketch?

By  Alex Zonis

We continue to welcome new sketchers into our group, our numbers at this writing is an impressive 1620! Every couple of years it seems useful to touch on the common topic of what is an Urban Sketch.

An Urban Sketch simply is:

• Drawn on location, or mostly on location. 

• The location can be urban or rural

• it can be inside or outside.

• It means that you are out there with your sketchbook reporting on the world as it unfolds in front of you.

There are some No’s too 

An Urban Sketch is not: 

• a drawing from a model

• a still life on a page without background for context

• drawing made from a photo

Through the most difficult months of the pandemic we became more lenient in our moderating and acceptance of posted sketches. Why add more stress to people’s lives - was the justification.

Now, as we are emerging on the other side of the stressful times, Urban Sketchers Chicago is returning to our core mission - sketching on location. This also means that we are returning to moderating our USk Chicago page to the pre-pandemic level.

Here’s our favorite graphic on what is, and what isn’t, an Urban Sketch.

Want to keep up to date by email? Fill in your email address in the place provided in the upper right corner under the banner. We look forward to hearing from you.

Cold Weather Sketching

Let's Sketch Chicago

Chicago Cultural Center

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2021

 12 PM – 3 PM

Welcome to USk Chicago first hybrid Winter Sketchmeet!

Our main location for November will be Chicago Cultural Center.

Sketchers attending on Sunday Nov 21 will gather at the Washington entrance at 12:00 pm. Enjoy in-person meetup, the beautiful space, and please take photos. This meeting will not have a host, so if you can organize yourselves for a group photo, it would be great.

Sketchers can start sketching this location now. We are looking forward to your indoor and outdoor sketches from this location.

Out virtual throughdown will take place on Sunday Nov 21 starting 12 noon on our FB group. Share your sketches of this month and see what Chicago Art and Culture scene is like reported by our sketchers

If getting to downtown Cultural Center is too much for you, please go and sketch your local Art or Cultural Center and share your sketches at the throwdown.

Consider: 

• Noyes Art and Cultural Center in Evanston 

• Logan Center for the Arts in Hyde Park

• Oak Park Art League in Oak Park

• Art Center Highland Park in Highland Park

• Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago 

• or similar.

Sketch by Alex Zonis

Want to keep up to date by email? Fill in your email address in the place provided in the upper right corner under the banner. We look forward to hearing from you.

Sweet Home Chicago

Sketch of Bahái House of Worship by Alex Zonis

Let's Sketch

Chicago Architecture

 Open House

Saturday, October 16

12 PM - 3 PM

Event by Shruti Vijay and Urban Sketchers Chicago

Every October, the Chicago Architecture Center hosts one of the largest architecture events in the world — Open House Chicago. The members of Urban Sketchers Chicago usually choose an Open House site and sketch individually at the site.

This year we are trying something new.

We have 5 different locations that we can choose to sketch. This way we can sketch together and report this great event. 

How to participate:
You can choose any one of the below location and meet on Saturday October 16, 2021 at 12 noon. 

• Wait around for a few minutes for other sketchers to show up. 

• Sketch anything you like at this site: architecture, people, neighborhood. In the end have a throw down and take photos of people and sketches. 

• Post your sketches and photos on our Facebook group. 

LOCATION 1: Downtown
HAROLD WASHINGTON LIBRARY CENTER
400 S. State St.

LOCATION 2: Near North Side
FOURTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
126 E. Chestnut St. 
Enter at southwest corner of Michigan & Delaware.

LOCATION 3: North Shore / Evanston
BAHÁ'Í HOUSE OF WORSHIP
100 Linden Ave.

LOCATION 4: Oak Park
PLEASANT HOME
217 Home Ave.

LOCATION 5: South Loop
CLARKE HOUSE MUSEUM
1827 S. Indiana Ave. 
Enter via the porch stairs on the west side of the house, on Indiana Ave. 

In all the excitement please do not forget our Manifesto to draw on location, indoors or out, capturing what we see from direct observation.

This sketch meet will not have an admin-host and will be self-hosted.

Want to keep up to date by email? Fill in your email address in the place provided in the upper right corner under the banner. We look forward to hearing from you.

Come and Sketch with Us!

 

Sketch by Barbara Weeks  

Let's Sketch

Lincoln Park Zoo

Sunday, September 19

12 PM - 3 PM

Hosted by

Yelina Noskina,  Alex Zonis and Urban Sketchers Chicago

Let’s take advantage of the weather before the summer ends and sketch at the Lincoln Park Zoo. 

There are so many Animals (those living in the habitats and those walking around them) and Gardens to see. 

The Lincoln Park Zoo is one of the last free zoos in America, providing access to hundreds of animals and surrounded by amazing views of Chicago architecture. And should it rain, we can always sketch in the interior animal houses throughout the zoo.

Details:

We will meet at the north end of the Nature Boardwalk, just south of the entrance to the zoo, near The Patio Café.

There is both street parking (if you are lucky) and a parking lot at the south end of Lincoln Park.

There are also the 22, 36 and 151 buses that stop nearby on the weekend.

Want to keep up to date by email? Fill in your email address in the place provided in the upper right corner under the banner. We look forward to hearing from you.

 

September Sketching Prompts

• September 5  –  Back to School                              

• September 12  – Intersections

• September 19  – Light and Shadow

• September 26  – Everyday still life (those things that pile up on counters and tabletops)

Prompts by Gail Dokucu

Sketch by Rachel Pasch Grossman

Have fun!

For Your Drawing Pleasure!

August Sketching Prompts

• August 1  –  Eating outside                              

• August 8  – What's blooming?

• August 15  – Dog days of summer

• August 22  – Signs, marquees, billboards

• August 29  – Drawn to music

Have fun!

Prompts and sketch by Alex Zonis

Want to keep up to date by email? Fill in your email address in the place provided in the upper right corner under the banner. We look forward to hearing from you.

 

Let's Sketch

Chase Plaza

Sunday, July 18

12 PM - 3 PM

Hosted by

Mark Jones and Urban Sketchers Chicago

Details

This month's meet up will be at Chase Plaza in downtown Chicago. There are wonderful sketching opportunities at this location including the Chase building, the plaza and the fountain, and the Chagall mural, 'Four Seasons'.

We'll meet at the stairs on the Monroe side. 

July Muse

 

July Sketching Prompts

Show Us What and Where

• July 4  –  It "says" summer

• July 11 – Street furniture (hydrant, mailbox, etc.)

• July 18 – Something tiny BIG

• July 25 – The oldest thing you see

Have fun!

Want to keep up to date by email? Fill in your email address in the place provided in the upper right corner under the banner. We look forward to hearing from you.

And We're Back!!!

 

Let's Sketch

Riverwalk

Sunday, June 27

12 PM - 3 PM

Hosted by

Alex Zonis and Urban Sketchers Chicago

As we are coming out of hibernation, what can be better than Chicago Riverwalk on a summer day! A favorite destination from years past, we will revisit and sketch it anew.

Details

We will meet at Chicago Riverwalk south bank, at Vietnam War Memorial. This is between Wabash and State streets and down by the river.

Lots to sketch at Riverwalk:

• spectacular skylines

• gorgeous architecture

• bridges and bridge houses

• boats and kayaks

• people

•  landscape

• and more!

Plus bustling outdoor restaurants serving brunch!

Sketch on banner by Alex Zonis

Want to keep up to date by email? Fill in your email address in the place provided in the upper right corner under the banner. We look forward to hearing from you.

Merrily We Roll Along!

Let's Sketch

Boats!

Sunday, June 6

12 PM - 3 PM

Hosted by

Gail Dokucu, Rachel Pasch Grossman,

and Urban Sketchers Chicago

Here's a prompt for good weather and a fun location.

Let's look for boats to sketch, from dinghies to freighters, from sunfish to schooners, from tall ships to toy boats.

Settle yourself by a marina, a dock, a river, and sketch a vessel. Extra credit for sketching *in* a boat, which some of our kayaking friends have done.

Details

While this prompt may seem to favor our lakeside members, landlubbers like me have a chance to find our way to new ports of call, and/or broaden our notion of what is a boat.As long as the sketch follows our urban sketching guidelines, we'll take that rubber duck in your bathtub or a leaf floating down a stream. 

Wishing you fair winds and following seas!

Banner Sketch by Maria Delton

Remember that we are following USk Global’s guidelines of sketching live on location and not from reference photos. All skill levels welcome – happy sketching! 

As usual, we will post from noon to 3 p.m. to share and discuss, but late submissions are always welcome.
Please include #uskchicago and #uskathome on your posts to Facebook and Instagram.

Want to keep up to date by email? Fill in your email address in the place provided in the upper right corner under the banner. We look forward to hearing from you.