The Urban Sketchers Symposium in Toulouse is starting next week, and this year I won’t be participating. For the lucky few that are going to be there, whether as official symposium participants or as “free range” sketchers I thought I’d write down some insights and tips that I gathered from last year’s symposium in Poznan.

In no particular order, here they are:

• Talk to people – even if you’re shy or an introvert, the symposium is THE place to connect with people not only because everyone will be nice and kind and many are also introverts, but also because you have a guaranteed shared interest: urban sketching. If you’re unsure how to approach people, just ask them about their favorite sketching setup or tool and see what happens.
• Wear your badge everywhere, even at breakfast at the hotel, even if it’s “just” an urban sketcher ID tag. This lets other sketchers know who you are, and opens up opportunities to connect and share with other sketchers. Invite them to join your table at the busy hotel buffet, or ask them where they had lunch or where they’re going to sketch next.
• Swap and share art supplies. People rush from place to place, and people forget or misplace art supplies all the time. It’s worth packing some extras and sharing them around – pencils, pens, a tube of paint, etc. You could save someone’s workshop experience with this simple gesture, and it costs you next to nothing. And swapping art supplies, even for a brief sketch is a great cost-effective way to try before you buy. I packed a whole pencil case full of a range of pencils for a workshop and then forgot it on the desk in my hotel room. Thankfully the wonderful instructor and workshop participants had enough to share to help me out and allow me to fully participate in the workshop.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help – whether it be directions to the starting point of the sketchwalk, help with understanding something you didn’t get in a workshop or demo, or assistance with your gear, people are ready to help if you just ask them.

• Go early to collect your badge and goody bag and take time to appreciate them. The symposium crew put in a LOT of effort to create amazing goody bags with the sponsors. Collect the bags early and help the symposium and sponsor out by posting about them on social media (Instagram in particular, using the correct tags), and by using them and enjoying them. In Poznan most of the attendees sat in a room adjacent to the one where we collected the bags, did a throw down post and then a sketch with lovely supplies that we got. There was a wonderful view of a historic building next door and it was really fun to create this shared sketching moment. Also remember to share and swap with other sketchers and the volunteers.

• Follow the official symposium instagram and use the official tags. The Instagram will have giveaways and useful information (some of the giveaways are also open to non-symposium participants), and the tags help spread the word around and bring positive attention to the city and the sponsors. It was amazing to see as the symposium advanced how much attention Poznan got due to hundreds of talented sketchers bringing it to life.
• Embrace the locals. They will notice you because you’ll be noticeable – large groups of sketchers call attention to themselves. Remember to represent the urban sketchers community, be kind and welcoming, and answer any questions they have. From my Poznan experience the locals will embrace you in return – with kind words, tips, stories and sometimes a free drink or a bite to eat (but don’t do it for the freebies!). Children in particular are attracted to sketchers, and we oftentimes shared bits of sketching paper and art supplies and invited them to join in.
• Respect the instructors and lecturers. It’s tough to stand in front of a crowd and talk about your art. Don’t mess with your phone during lectures, listen to the instructors, be kind and respectful, and be open to learning. This is a given, but it’s worth stating anyway just in case because it’s that important.
• Be nice and kind to the volunteers and talk to them. Many of them are sketchers, many of them are just locals who answered ads and are curious about sketching and the symposium. Share your work and be kind to them – it’s a tough job performed by a dedicated and small group. People gave them stickers, sketches, art supplies, and just chatted with them. A great volunteer can really improve a workshop, and it’s worth acknowledging their work.
• Be nice and kind to restaurant and cafe waiters, baristas and owners. Urban sketchers love to camp in these locations to sketch, but be aware of your surroundings. Don’t hog tables during rush hour, be sure to order food and drink (don’t share one dish for four people, even if you’re broke. It’s not fair for the waiter or for the restaurant), tip well, and clean up after yourself. Tag places if you sketch them to raise awareness to the meal you enjoyed there, and remember that you represent urban sketchers everywhere.
• Come with art supplies to donate. There will be an opportunity to do so throughout the symposium. We all have too much or supplies that we no longer use, so donate them (if they’re in good condition) to the local charity the symposium is sponsoring. The front desk volunteers usually start the collection on the first full day of the symposium.
• Go to the art market. Make sure to visit all the stalls – many if not all of them are sponsors, and there will be local suppliers that are worth checking out. Try new things, talk to the vendors (they’re usually very knowledgeable), and be prepared for the rush of the first day crowds. Many stalls will also have giveaways and contests set up, so be sure and ask about them.

• If you are looking for deals, go the art market during the final hours it is open. Although you will find many things out of stock, most vendors will have deals on the last hour or two of the market, to avoid having to ship back supplies.
• Talk to the locals, whether they are sketchers, volunteers or instructors. Ask them for good, cheap restaurants for lunch, cafes worth visiting, shops and market stalls of note, cool places to sketch in, and where they get their art supplies. Their local knowledge is priceless.
• Sketch a postcard. Even if you don’t work in postcard size, or you don’t love the paper, or you feel self-conscious about your work, sketch a postcard and participate in the postcard exhibition. It’s fun to see your work out there, and most participants get prizes, plus you can always donate the postcard for the silent auction and help raise some money for the organization.
• Go to the daily morning briefing. Even if you’re tired, even if you don’t feel like it. It’s short, it starts on time, and it has a lot of important information that you just won’t get anywhere else. Also there are giveaways, but I won’t ruin the surprise…
• Go to the demos, lectures, drink and draws – the morning lectures were great, and worth listening to and learning from. The demos were a fantastic way to get to experience the techniques of sketchers that you couldn’t get a workshop with, and the drink and draws are just a nice way to connect with people and share your sketching love. I will confess that I was so tired at the end of each day that I missed out on the drink and draws and I regret it.
• Be ready to be tired, and try to pace yourself. It’s a lot of fun but very draining to run around town and sketch all day. If you take a lot of workshops or go to all the sketchwalks you will have very little down time between events. Be sure to hydrate, rest, and know your limits. Take into account that you’ll be lugging a lot of weight around (art supplies, a stool, water), and that adds to the fatigue. Check your schedule and if you have only an hour or so between workshops, find someplace close and convenient to grab a bite to eat. Save the fancy restaurant for the evening.
• Share knowledge among the group – found a great place to sketch in? A wonderful restaurant or patisserie? A clean toilet or a decent supermarket? Share that information with other sketchers.
• Follow people on Instagram. Even if you normally avoid social media, this is how you can stay connected with other sketchers after the symposium, and be inspired by other artists.
• Never, ever, ever critique someone’s work. Ever.
• We share, we don’t compare. This is a Liz Steel mantra and something you should carry with you during the symposium. Be inspired, not intimidated, by other sketchers’ work.
• Follow along with the demos – if you’re going to a demo, it’s OK to watch and listen but it’s equally valid to sit down and sketch while the demo is going on, trying to follow along as you work. There is value in both these approaches – don’t be afraid to start out by observing and then dig in with a sketch of your own.
• Try new things, and don’t worry about the results. This is a tough one, but an important one – the point of the workshops and demos isn’t for you to come out with masterpieces, but for you to try out new things. When you do that, you may not like the results, or it may take a few tries. That’s OK. The best workshop I had in Poznan was also “traumatic” in this way – I made several sketches and they were all terrible. Only on the last sketch did things click, and I got one of the best sketches I have ever made – and one that took third place in the postcard exhibition.

• Draw your food. It’s an urban sketchers tradition and a great way to remember a restaurant or cafe.

• Take reference photos – you may not be able to finish a sketch, but if you have reference photos you can return to it later on and complete it.
• If you can, give away sketches. People who were kind to you love receiving sketches as a gift, and you should see them light up when you give them that quick napkin sketch, or a page from your sketchbook. Also consider donating artwork to the silent auction if you can – it helps Urban Sketchers raise money for the great work they do.
• Tell the instructors how great they are. They really are amazing, and they’re artists so they all have imposter syndrome and they love to hear good feedback about their demo, workshop or compliments about their sketches. They are all volunteers and they put in a LOT of work and research into their sessions so be generous with your praise.
• Tell the organizers how great they are. They’re also volunteers and they work like crazy before, after and during the symposium. Let them know that you see them and appreciate them.
• Be very, very kind to the symposium correspondents – they put in a crazy amount of work and effort into bringing the symposium to life for those of us who can’t be there. That means that while you were at that one workshop they zigzagged across the city and went to three, making sure to sketch and take photos in each. And while you were sleeping they were staying up late editing photos and posting to social media. They do a mammoth amount of work every single day, so take the time to be extra nice and helpful to them.
• Be kind. People can get tired, hot, blustered, overwhelmed. Give them the benefit of the doubt and be kind. Look out for each other and help each other through the whirlwind of this symposium.
• Take time after the symposium to decompress and process what you’ve learned. Go over your notes and sketches, look back and what you’ve learned, try out the new techniques and supplies that you’ve gathered, and go out there and sketch!

Have fun, remember to hydrate and use sunscreen, and bring Toulouse to life with sketches!