Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Get to know Andrey Shmatnik, one of the talented artists leading a lecture at the Urban Sketchers Symposium in Poznań, Poland, on August 20-23, 2025!
#uskpoznan2025
Lecture LS01
How Urban Sketching Changed The Way I See Cities
In this lecture illustrated with examples and his own sketches, Andrey describes his personal journey as an urban sketcher and how his perception of urban environments has changed.
People see cities and urban environments in many different ways, but they
normally have something in common, they like cities that are perceived as beautiful and safe. These two qualities are often linked to each other. The more organized and accurate buildings/streets/neighborhoods/cities look like, the safer and nicer they feel. The word ‘beautiful’ is also very subjective and normally refers to well-maintained and accurate buildings of distinctive and interesting architecture. Therefore, the stereotype of a
beautiful city or building often refers to well-maintained restored and touristic cities.
Western European cities are the stereotype of beauty in this sense.
As an architect, who had an understanding of a city structure and urban features, Andrey felt uncomfortable while walking down the streets of many cities and places that did not meet the co-called European standard of urban beauty. He always tried to imagine how what he saw could look like, being rebuilt, restored etc. This perception changed dramatically after he fall in love with the concept of urban sketching and started doing it himself in 2017.
The Urban Sketchers Symposium is in Poznań, Poland, on August 20-23, 2025!
The Urban Sketchers International Symposium is an annual educational event organized by Urban Sketchers (USk), a nonprofit dedicated to fostering the practice of on-location observational sketching.
It brings together sketchers of all levels for four days of valuable field-sketching instruction, inspiration, and opportunities for participants to meet new friends.
Join us! Registration opens on March 15, 12pm CET on Eventbrite.
eventbrite.com/e/13th-urban-sketchers-symposium-poznan-2025-tickets-1218453680759
QUESTIONS? ALL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SYMPOSIUM IS AT THE FAQ
urbansketchers.org/usk-symposium-poznan-2025-faq
Instagram: instagram.com/andreysh555
Get to know Andrey Shmatnik, one of the talented artists leading a lecture at the Urban Sketchers Symposium in Poznań, Poland, on August 20-23, 2025!
#uskpoznan2025
Lecture LS01
How Urban Sketching Changed The Way I See Cities
In this lecture illustrated with examples and his own sketches, Andrey describes his personal journey as an urban sketcher and how his perception of urban environments has changed.
People see cities and urban environments in many different ways, but they
normally have something in common, they like cities that are perceived as beautiful and safe. These two qualities are often linked to each other. The more organized and accurate buildings/streets/neighborhoods/cities look like, the safer and nicer they feel. The word ‘beautiful’ is also very subjective and normally refers to well-maintained and accurate buildings of distinctive and interesting architecture. Therefore, the stereotype of a
beautiful city or building often refers to well-maintained restored and touristic cities.
Western European cities are the stereotype of beauty in this sense.
As an architect, who had an understanding of a city structure and urban features, Andrey felt uncomfortable while walking down the streets of many cities and places that did not meet the co-called European standard of urban beauty. He always tried to imagine how what he saw could look like, being rebuilt, restored etc. This perception changed dramatically after he fall in love with the concept of urban sketching and started doing it himself in 2017.
The Urban Sketchers Symposium is in Poznań, Poland, on August 20-23, 2025!
The Urban Sketchers International Symposium is an annual educational event organized by Urban Sketchers (USk), a nonprofit dedicated to fostering the practice of on-location observational sketching.
It brings together sketchers of all levels for four days of valuable field-sketching instruction, inspiration, and opportunities for participants to meet new friends.
Join us! Registration opens on March 15, 12pm CET on Eventbrite.
eventbrite.com/e/13th-urban-sketchers-symposium-poznan-2025-tickets-1218453680759
QUESTIONS? ALL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SYMPOSIUM IS AT THE FAQ
urbansketchers.org/usk-symposium-poznan-2025-faq
Instagram: instagram.com/andreysh555
