Preparing for the Urban Sketchers Symposium... or any sketch trip really
What to pack for the Urban Sketchers Symposium or any trip where you plan to sketch...
I’ve been an urban sketcher for over 16 years, have been attending the Urban Sketchers Symposiums since 2018, and this year I’ll be giving a demo in Toulouse. Here I gathered serious, unusual, non-trivial, and fun tips for your upcoming trip to the Symposium. Or any sketch trip really. Enjoy!
BEFORE YOU TRAVEL
Make a “yes” pile
Make your art supplies pile.
Half it.
Ask yourself “Have I used _ the last three times I was out sketching?“. If it’s a no, then remove it from your “yes” pile. Same as you don’t travel in new shoes (I hope you don’t!), you don’t go to the Symposium with unknown art supplies unless… unless nope, don’t take those.
Same with tools that disappointed you. That leaking pen, unruly brush, too thin paper - out. Take only reliable gear.
Look at the “yes” pile. If you didn’t have _, would you have to buy it on location to make a sketch? Your “yes“ pile should only have needs & not want-to-experiment-with’s. You can always buy new supplies at the art market.
Are all tools compatible with each other? Make sure there are no orphans that you won’t be able to use.
If you have workshops at the Symposium - check if you have all art supplies needed. For each workshop those are listed in the Symposium program.
What I also do is analyze my Symposium gear from last year & further optimize it. This year my travel stool weighs only 800g instead of the previous year 1.5kg.
Prepare your gear
Once you have the final “yes“ pile - make it travel ready:
Fountain pens are all filled & working, pencils sharpened & a sharpener packed.
Watercolor pans are clean & filled. And by the way, when was the last time you used that supergranulating quinaphthalone ultramagenta? Take it out.
Pack a zip lock bag to protect sketchbooks from accidental spills inside the bag.
Other things before you go
Make stickers—It’s become a tradition to not only connect via social networks but also exchange small physical items, the easiest being a sticker with your sketch and name on it. The name part is important so that people can find you after the Symposium, your Instagram handle would do just fine.
Check the expiration date of your sunscreen! Expired sunscreen is not as effective, and you might get a sunburn if you don’t check this seemingly small detail.
Small water spray, like the one for watercolor sketches. Evaporating water creates a cooling effect.
Pack a lightweight scarf, like a cotton one below. You can wet it & wrap around your head or neck & cool it tremendously. This can be life saving. The ultimate good karma is if you pack an extra scarf & share with a fellow urban sketcher.
Take a (half) filled sketchbook - people love going through those, and it will be a great conversation starter. Plan carefully so that it doesn’t make your daily gear too heavy. The ideal sketchbook is just your current one that already has some sketches in it.
What to do at the airport?
Sketch of course & look around—you might meet an urban sketcher taking the same plane/train. Other useful ideas:
Skip duty free shopping - save money for the art market. ;-)
Clean space on your phone. You’ll take many, many photos.
Research cafes, restaurants, supermarkets, and ATMs.
Save useful links and resources like these:
WCs around the venue
Arriving at the Symposium
When you arrive at Toulouse and go to register, study the Symposium program. If your workshop starts at 10:30, you must be at the meeting point earlier, usually around 9:45. If you arrive at the meeting point past 10, you won’t find anyone there because the group has left the meeting point and walked to the workshop location.
Goodie bag is not just art supplies. Read all brochures because some sponsors do contests with fun prizes, so you might win what you wanted to buy.
Bring cash. Many vendors at the art market accept credit/debit cards but many take cash. Come prepared.
During the Symposium
Pick your battles. USk Symposium is an amazing experience, and you can do anything but not everything. Listen to your body, take breaks, stay hydrated, don’t skip meals, & ensure you get enough sleep even though you’ll want to scroll social media & watch the new shared posts from the fellow sketchers.
Connect with people. Make friends, connect, and follow each other online. It’s not only about learning new techniques but about human connection, and some of the best meaningful connections I’ve made were by making friends amongst urban sketchers.
Take notes during your workshops, even the same sheet as your sketch, it can actually improve story telling and become a helpful and fun memory.
Come to the workshops with an open mind, channel your inner child experimenting, and don’t compare your work to others. Go wild, not perfect, this might produce even better results.
Tips you didn’t know you needed :)
Make copies of your IDs and documents & keep them in a different place from your actual ones. Very unlikely but in case they get lost or stolen, you’ll have copies at least.
Start using your toiletries before the trip so that you go with half empty jars & tubes. The ultimate win is if you finish the product during your stay and free up space in your luggage. More room for art supplies!
Ensure your big suitcase is half empty. You’ll get a goodie bag, you will buy items at the art market, get some souvenirs from your trip, and all that must fill in your luggage on your way home. Even if you don’t buy anything, there are often lotteries and raffles at the Symposium, and you can win wonderful prizes that will need room in your suitcase.
Pack less clothes. No one will remember what you wore but people will remember your sketchbook and chat they had with you while sketching together.
While we’re on the clothes subject, thongs take much less space than regular underwear. More room for art supplies! :-D
Don’t pack your filled sketchbooks and medication in the checked luggage. Luggage gets lost, delayed, forgotten at the airport of origin. Don’t ask me how I know.
Sunburn always arrives after “it’s not that bad actually“, & nothing says “dedicated urban sketcher” like an oddly rectangular sunburn outline where your sketchbook protected your lap. Don’t ask me how I know this either. Wear your hat and sunscreen.
Drink water before you realize you’re a dehydrated raisin.
Some vendors might give you a discount if you buy several items.
Follow for more financial advice! :-DLearn a few phrases in French to respond to locals when they compliment your sketch or ask you about the event.
No perfume! A shower gel and refreshing deodorant will do.
Make a few sketches at a faster pace than your usual. This doesn’t give your inner critic time to interfere with the creative process. Confident line in the wrong place is often better than unconfident line in a perfect one.
Accept that there will appear at least one delivery truck blocking your view at least once during the Symposium. I don’t make the rules. Accept it or better yet - sketch it!
If someone says, “Let’s do one more sketch,” check the size of their sketchbook. A3 folks don’t know what 5 minutes is. I use A3…
After you’ve finished your sketch and are about to walk away - turn around & check if you haven’t left anything behind.
You paid for the tickets and the hotel, so go meet people, say hi to that “celebrity sketcher”, have fun. You can be an anxious introvert later in your hotel room but you’ll love your day. You’re only one “Can I see your sketchbook?“ away from making an international friend.
Your favorite sketch of the Symposium might be the one you almost didn’t make because you thought the subject was “boring.” Sketch it!
Do YOU have fun, unhinged or unusual tips that actually work? Share them in the comments!
Oh, I just remembered another tip: a mosquito bite cream or itch reducing device. I use mine all fhe time, and it not only helps with itching but also frees up my brain and I can focus on art. You can get those online, highly recommended.
Perfumes call mosquitoes and their friends!