Little Draw for August: Gear Up for Ellerslie

 For seasoned urban sketchers, the thrill of capturing a city's essence in a single frame is an undeniable draw. Urban Sketchers Auckand has an upcoming session at the iconic Bridge of Memories (the spiral staircase) in Ellerslie. This structure and street of busy shops promises some perspective challenges and bustling shoppers we're happy to rise to.

The key to a successful sketching expedition often lies in your toolkit. Portability is paramount. You don't want to be lumbering around and spending your entire sketching session setting up tools! 

Whether you're a watercolor enthusiast, a pastel perfectionist, or a pen and ink aficionado, your kit should be easily assembled and disassembled leaving you plenty of time for the good stuff: capturing our world, one drawing at a time. The beauty of urban sketching is often its spontaneity, and having a compact setup allows you to seize fleeting moments of inspiration.

Check out these equipment suggestions:

• Everything you need to start Urban Sketching by Taria of urbansketchingworld.com
• My favourite Urban Sketching supplies: gouache kit by Julia of juliahenze.com
• Sketching Tools by Liz Steele
• Six Essential Supplies for Urban Sketching by Sketchbook Skool
• Travel Sketching Essentials by Stephanie Bower

If you're going to join us this month for our sketching session, remember too the Bridge of Memories is just a starting point. The allure of our sessions often lies in the unexpected. Don't be afraid to wander off and discover hidden gems. Our city is a canvas brimming with potential subjects.

We'll be gathering again at the spiral stairs at 3.30pm for our throwdown.

So, gather your trusty sketchbook, your preferred medium, and a spirit of adventure. We look forward to sharing seeing you on Sunday 18 August from 1pm for our August Little Draw in Ellerslie, Auckland hosted by the Auckland Chapter of the Urban Sketchers of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Ellerslie, Auckland - meet at the spiral staircase

Keep up to date with us on Instagram and Urban Sketchers Auckland Facebook page. We post photos from our drawing sessions on both platforms.