Urban Sketching: Like park run but for artists?

Most people have heard of park run… it costs nothing, you turn up and run 5km, you are part of a community and at the end you get to see where you came alongside everyone else. Then for some, you go for coffee and a chat! There is support no matter what level of experience you have.

Urban sketching is so similar… it costs nothing, you turn up and sketch for an hour, we see how we all did in a wonderful supportive community and at the end we gather (usually in a coffee shop) and have a chat. Just like park run, urban sketchers is also a world-wide community.

After a conversation with Su Melville in June, myself and Lesley Keck set about starting a group in our own city of Milton Keynes. A fantastic blend of the old with new build locations, make this a perfect place for a group to be based.

In a world that moves quickly—too quickly, urban sketching offers a rare invitation to slow down and truly see the world around us. The idea of sketching somewhere in public and on your own can feel intimidating and scary… doing this within a group makes it feel so much easier. For many of us, creativity isn’t just about making something, it’s about the connection with other like-minded people.

When you take out a sketchbook in a public area you begin to notice the details: the curve of a railing, the symmetry of rooftops, the splash of colour on a grey day. Sketching in public teaches you to be present and aware, it validates stopping still and noticing. We’ve all seen the videos of someone staying still while other people rush around in a sped up video. Urban sketchers is just that… you take up a position to sketch from and the world carries on moving around you.

This simple act of “looking” is a powerful wellbeing tool. It slows the heart, steadies the mind, and creates a small pocket of stillness inside even the noisiest environment.

Creativity Without Pressure

Urban sketching isn’t about perfect drawings. In fact, the appeal often comes from not overthinking. There is no right answer and no perfect painting at the end of the time. It’s a wonderful opportunity to be creative without expectation. You learn to accept the lines you make. I choose to draw in pen so I cannot erase the elements I would normally be more perfectionist about. It is an opportunity for my art to be more free flowing and fluid.

The Joy of Sketching in a Group

Although outside sketching and painting plein air can be solitary, there is something special about doing it with others. When a group gathers—with sketchbooks, pens, paints and folding chairs — there is an immediate sense of belonging. There is the unique position of being in your own time and space and yet being with others…

You’re all there for the same purpose: to pause, to notice, to create.

Even better is the gentle encouragement that naturally forms when sketchers sit together. No comparison, no judgement. Just shared enthusiasm and quiet companionship.

And then, of course, comes the chat afterwards—one of the best parts.

Conversations Over Sketchbooks

In our MK urban sketching meet-ups, after the drawing comes the reveal: everyone lays out their sketches down for that group “work photo”

“Oh, those bikes look amazing!”

“I didn’t even notice that sign!”

“I love how loose your linework is.”

“That mark was when it started to rain!…”

These chats are light-hearted, supportive, and grounding. They remind us that creativity is a social glue, and that shared experiences—even small ones—help us feel more connected. For many people, sketching meet-ups become a community: a way to make new friends, explore new places, and simply feel part of something. I'm amazed by the variety of ways we all see the same place or how we depict it.

Sketching as a Gentle Escape

Urban sketching gives you permission to take a break. You don’t have to buy anything, go anywhere special, or carve out hours of time. Our group meet ups are for about an hour and can be done with the most basic of materials…. The shared experience can begin to work its way into other moments in your week. I arrived early to Kettles Yard in Cambridge last week, but with an A6 sketchbook and pen in my bag, I found a bench to sit on and spent 15 minutes sketching.

A reminder to breathe.

A way to turn the ordinary into something more meaningful.

In the End, It’s About More Than Drawing

Yes, urban sketching helps you improve your art skills—but it is a wonderful way to support your wellbeing.

It helps you:

• slow down

• notice beauty in unexpected places

• feel connected to others

• practice just being

• build confidence

• explore your environment with fresh curiosity

  
  

And at the heart of it, the world-wide community of urban sketching is about being creatively present, eyes open, and mind calmer than it was a moment ago.

I had never really done sketching before, I usually work in oil paints and in a very controlled way, but I have seen so many benefits to my practice as well as my wellbeing. A freer style of painting, new ideas being generated, less perfectionism, exploring different mediums to record with, seeing differently. I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes to within my art practice!

Have you tried it? Do you agree?