about us

This is the website of the berlin group of the international network Urban Sketchers.

Urban Sketchers

The term ‘Urban Sketchers’ was coined in 2007 by journalist and illustrator Gabriel Campanario. He first founded a group on the online platform Flickr and a year later a blog, both of which are dedicated to direct graphic storytelling.

In an 8-point 'manifesto', he and his colleagues defined a few conditions that still shape the practice of the now global network. Drawings are always made on site, based on direct observation, the documentary narrative aspect of drawing is emphasized and the network is expressly open to artists of all experience levels.

In 2009, an umbrella organization was founded in the USA. Since 2010, it has organized annual 'symposiums', meetings in different cities, with workshops, sketch crawls, lectures, etc., manages various online channels and encourages the establishment of local groups, the 'Regional Chapters'. There are currently over 300 such local groups and hundreds of thousands of members of the network worldwide.

Our Manifesto

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

The Urban Sketchers‘ logo was created by Italian graphic designer Franco Lancio.

Berlin Urban Sketchers

The Berlin group of Urban Sketchers was founded in December 2010 and has been a ‘Regional Chapter’ of the network ever since. In addition to this blog, there is currently a Facebook Group, and Instagram..

There are irregular drawing meetings that everyone is welcome to come to. Meetings will be announced on this page. You can also subscribe to a newsletter with announcements there. Meetings are also announced in our Facebook group. The Berlin group currently has around 100 active illustrators, and our Facebook group has around 1,600 registered members. Over the past 13 years, the group has held exhibitions, presented our work with partners such as galleries and creative markets, and held workshops. Most importantly, thousands of drawings of our city were created! They show its residents, its infrastructure, cafes, museums, and all types of transport, etc. - sometimes beautiful, sometimes ugly, sometimes captured by experienced illustrators, sometimes by enthusiastic beginners, a subjective contemporary documentation of life in Berlin. Drawn directly on site.

In September 2023, the Urban Sketchers Germany meeting took place in Berlin - 700 illustrators from Germany and around the world drew our city for a weekend!

Click here for a detailed history of the Berlin Urban Sketchers group.

Kontakt: berlinurbansketcher(at)gmail.com

The copyrights of all works published on this website belong to the original authors/creators.