The global phenomenon of urban sketching is taking off in Visakhapatnam. An artist depicts a slice of life unfolding in front of him/her in the trend, that is said to have started in the US more than a decade ago.
This simple and accessible style of art, according to Visakhapatnam-based artist Preethi Gajula Sangita, can make you enjoy the everyday, enable you be present in the moment and be mindful. “Even when we are in a crowded place in the city, the urge to to capture what is in front of us is so intense that the chaos around us disappears,” says Preethi.
A BTech graduate, Preethi has been dabbling in art for nearly a decade and started the Urban Sketchers Vizag group earlier this year.
Her sketchbooks are like journals, she says. “Every day, new buildings are constructed, old houses demolished and trees cut down. I flip through the pages to recollect which old house stood where and what plants were there in that previously empty plot. Going though my sketchbooks is like a run down memory lane,” adds Preethi.
The group, which has been meeting every Sunday since February this year, is a fast-growing community of artists and art enthusiasts who connect on social media, agree on a location, gather, and then, for two hours, lose themselves in the scene before them in the medium of their choice. They usually use graphite, ink or watercolour, to define an artistic perspective, find the angles, and pay attention to colours and shades, the play of light, foliage, textures and the architectural details.
All that is required, especially for beginners, is a sketchbook and a pencil or pen. The venue is usually under the shade of a tree in the well spread-out Andhra University campus, a rocky corner at the beach or a serene elevated space overlooking the coast.
While beginners might be initially nervous to take out a sketchpad in public, there is also an “incredible creative synergy” that bonds and inspires the group.
According to Aditya Phani Shankar, being part of an art community inspires them to explore and document the character of a city and its growth in myriad ways. “It’s amazing how each of us tries to capture the essence of the moment, but every outcome is unique. Every time I step out for urban sketching, I try to create a story. Once at one of the sessions at Tenneti Park while we were looking at the coast and an abandoned ship, I saw a baby’s first photoshoot and all the emotions centred around it. I painted that beautiful moment,” says Phani, who was drawn to digital art and illustrations two years ago and has a steady follower base on Instagram for his unique perspectives of capturing Visakhapatnam in the medium.
A BTech graduate, Phani’s relationship with art has been slow and steady and something that has been deeply fulfilling, nurturing the artist in him. “I am more into character designing and find patterns and textures very interesting to explore,” says Phani, who creates art in his iPad with a software and stylus. “Being a part of an art community where we get to gather and create has introduced me to many different artistic styles and perspectives. I get to learn from every work of art. It’s beautiful how the same scene in front of me is created in so many different ways,” he adds.
Post-sketching, the sketchbooks and pads are held up for the artists to see how everyone else interpreted the setting. And there might be a group photo, a cup of tea or coffee, before it is time to rejoin the reality of fast-paced life.
Art educator Tanya Narayan’s sketchbooks are a colourful diary of her observations of everyday life. “When we swap a camera for a pencil in recording a moment, you focus on details of the moment and the subject in a way that only you can experience. For me as an artist, being a part of the urban sketchers group has helped me take quick decisions on my artworks and go with the flow of the moment,” says Tanya.
Corroborating with her, Preethi says, “Many times we go crazy clicking pictures of a moment as a reference to paint later. In the process, the picture captures many unwanted elements and the focus is often lost. In urban sketching, an artist can establish the light falling on the subject at that very moment. In fact, going through the sketchbook days later takes us back to the scents and sounds of the scene in a way that a photograph perhaps cannot.” Preethi’s favourite location is Andhra University. “There is a historical charm about the place and its buildings. The canopy adds to its poetic essence,” she adds.
The urban sketchers of Visakhapatnam meet on Sunday mornings in bigger groups and during mid-week in relatively smaller groups to document the city’s changing urbanscape. To be a part of the group, all you need is a sketchpad and a frame of mind to sink yourself in your surroundings for the moment. Perhaps years from now, when someone opens a sketchbook dated Visakhapatnam 2023, a moment in time will come to life again.
