Is sketching from photo considered urban sketching?

The admins at the Urban Sketchers Facebook group would occasionally share the image above to remind people of what's considered urban sketching.

And occasionally, there will be people who will wonder if sketching from photo or imagination can be considered urban sketching because for whatever reasons, the person cannot sketch on location.

Urban Sketchers started as an online Flickr forum in 2007 which was started by Gabriel Campanario for people to share on-location sketchers. This activity quickly grew in popularity and the group of urban sketchers grew so big that there are now regularly meetups in local chapters, and workshops and international sketching events held over the world.

Urban Sketchers manifesto

• We draw on location, indoors or out, capturing what we see from direct observation.
• Our drawings 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 styles.
• We support each other and draw together.
• We share our drawings online.
• We show the world, one drawing at a time.

The first point of the manifesto is the most important because urban sketching focuses on sketching on location.

Urban sketching vs sketching from reference photo

Urban sketching is sketching on location. It's not urban sketching if you've sketched an urban or rural scene from a photo because you were not on location. The subject matter can be considered an urban sketch, but the activity is not.

For example, you can paint a landscape in the studio or outdoors. Either way, the landscape painting is still called a landscape painting. But the portrait can either be studio art or a plein air painting.

Urban sketching is a category of art. Studio art is a category. Plein art painting is a category. Some categories can overlap. Plein air painting can overlap with urban sketching. Sketching from photo can be considered studio art. But sketching from photo does not overlap with creating art outdoors. And studio art does not overlap with plein air painting.

What's the difference between drawing from photo vs from location

It's perfectly fine to practice drawing from photos. Artists use references all the time. After you're more confident with your drawing technique or skill, you can challenge yourself by sketching on location.

For urban sketchers, the enjoyment comes not just from the art itself, but also from the experience of sketching on location. The sketch doesn't even need to be completed and can have stories to tell.

There are reasons why urban sketching is a category by that are unknown to beginners, and these reasons only become apparent with experience.

Below are some of the reasons, and you can sort of tell that I'm writing from experience.

1. The perspective you see in photos vs real life is different. E.g. Point your camera up a building and you will see the vertical lines converge in the photo. Look with your eyes and the vertical lines are straight.

2. You cannot choose the composition or perspective because that's locked in by the photo. You cannot go lower to ground to get a lower view, move away from the wall to see what's on the wall. Most photos are taken with people standing up but many urban sketches were sketched while seated because it's uncomfortable to stand and draw for long periods of time. The look is different.

3. You will not feel the sight, sounds, weather, climate, fatigue, or fun of drawing with friends when drawing from a photograph.

4. You will not experience the disappointment when a vehicle comes along to park in front of you to block your view.

5. You will not get free drinks from shop owners who see you sweating outside under the sun.

6. You will not have residents who live around the area tell you stories of the neighbourhood they lived in for decades.

7. You will not discover new places to visit because you happen to walk down the wrong street.

8. You will not get that heightened sense of awareness like a tourist when you're walking around familiar places.

9. You will not be chased out of private property even though you're sketching in a "public" space like inside a shopping mall.

10. You will not be questioned by the police because you look suspicious, as if you're taking notes for your terrorist plans

11. You will not get your wallet pickpocketed. Ok, that's a good thing.