USk Summer Stories 2026

This sketch was made in the temporary pavilion at the Serpentine art gallery in Hyde Park London and reflects themes I explored in the summer sketching challenge. The pavilion is made from curved walls in red brick, I enjoyed the connection in the forms of the pavilion with the Serpentine lake in Hyde park created in the 18th century.  I sketched with pencil, pen and water colour, which I continued to explore in combination and separately through the summer sketching. This sketch seemed to encapsulate a story which evolved over the summer, travelling between Prague, the Czech mountains and UK. I chose to sketch many places connected to water: streams, canals, rivers and lakes with unique stories how water shaped the history, people, natural and urban landscape. Many places are linked together by rivers flowing long distances. It was particularly rewarding to link the places and rivers which I sketched in this summer story as a final page in the sketchbook.

Gary

Crowds of turists in the courtyard of the National Palace od Pena, Sintra, Portugal. The whole tour of the palace was like standing in a queue all the way.

Hana

The afternoon is rainy and I already made two unsuccessful sketches of people. People... They are constantly moving, disappearing, running away from rain. Stressful factor for a slow sketcher like me. But then there is a restaurant that is waiting for dinner time. It offers peaceful stillness and passing people can remain just shadows.

Karolína

This was a special moment for me-- a friend with a lake cottage invited several members of our jamming circle to come out for the weekend. We were so busy catching up with each other and eating great homemade meals and playing music together that we barely went in the water. On the last day, it was breezy, the water was weedy, and these friends decided to just hang out on the dock. The lively sky and rolling hills caught my eye, and it also happened to be my birthday. It was a lovely moment and I made this sketch to mark the occasion.

Gwendolyn

I chose this sketch because I like the decisions I made. We had just half and hour and it had been drizzling on and off. I omitted most of the buildings and park, just drawing an outline and a few windows with color that hint at the life inside. The protagonist is the statue, which almost comes alive and I'm sure is full of stories. In the back, the skies are still moody and it might rain again at any time. Park Kajetánka in Prague.

Ezequiel

This sketch is from the Urban Sketchers Symposium, which took place this year in Toulouse — also known as La Ville Rose. It was a sunny and hot afternoon, and Place St. Étienne was flooded with sketchers. What I loved about Toulouse were the narrow streets, the warm color of the buildings glowing in the sunlight, the shutters, and the overall friendly atmosphere. It felt as if there was someone sketching on every corner, creating a wonderful sense of belonging. For me, all of that is captured in this picture.

Lenka

The end of summer is kind of associated with nostalgia, so I drew the things that surrounded me at the cottage and titled the picture: “It’s Nice at the Cottage.” The peaceful atmosphere is completed by an empty half-litre beer glass my husband drank, a coffee mug, the wind rustling the dish towels on the line and setting the wind chimes ringing—I’d just painted my toenails and finished the drawing when the first dry leaf from the oak tree fell onto the table.

Ivana

Jiřího z Poděbrad Square in Prague had only just reopened after nearly two years behind construction fences. I had already sketched the Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord — also known as “The Church with the Big Clock” — but it was one of the hottest days of summer, and I was looking for somewhere shady to draw.

I spotted Rose and Isaac sitting in the shade beside the entrance to the metro station, so I joined them.

In front of us stood this enormous tree, one of the few places offering any shade in front of the church. Behind it, children splashed through the jets of the United Europe Fountain (Sjednocená Evropa Fountain), taking advantage of the newly reopened square to cool off. People came to rest in the shade beneath the tree, check their phones, sip an ice coffee, then move along. 

Ken

A slow walk through Paris.

Stories hidden in the walls and roofs, documented in quick sketches.

Julia

The Church of St Apollinaris in Prague was founded by Charles IV in 1362; the view shifts to the Regional Maternity Hospital at St Apollinaris, the construction of which – situated not far from the older public hospital that operated in the canons’ house adjacent to the Church of St Apollinaris – was decided upon in 1862. It was built between 1865 and 1875 by the Czech architect and builder Josef Hlávka. And above it, you can see the DPP central control centre, dating from 1978.

Pavel

After a long walk and a visit of this majestic medieval Czech castle (Kost), we relaxed at a nearby inn to enjoy the nice view, sketch, and have a glass of our national treasure (beer). Over our drinks, we talked about one of Kost's former owners—the Lobkowicz family. They ran a brewery, but their beer was so bad they had to abandon this business. Folks even gossiped that they took water to brew light beer from a nearby fishpond called the “White Pond,” and for brewing dark beer, they took water from the “Dark Pond” on the other side of the castle, where dishwater was poured. Ugh! Luckily, our drinks were good—poor medieval folks!

Bára

Summer sketching is mostly about sketching in the morning. 

My favourite Prague 6 — full of small, cosy little parks where you can enjoy a quiet morning with a coffee to go.

Natalya

Plauen. Thanks to an open door event at the end of June, I had the chance to sketch it from very close.

As a kid - while the brewery was still in operation - I could smell the brewing process while walking across the Friedens bridge.

For me it smelled like potatoes. Today the aroma is gone - but the tower and the 'Sternquell' logo is still there.

PS. My great-grandpa used to work as a master brewer here.

Michael

I was exploring a village called Daoulas in Brittany, France on a bike I'd borrowed from a kindly neighbor. It was almost dinner and, thinking that I'd like to get more value for my money, decided to check out a bakery. Taking the quiche and eclair that I'd bought, which the friendly lady shopkeeper packed in a small box with the words 'Souvenir d'été' -- "souvenir from summer"-- printed on it, I headed to a tiny picnic shelter on the riverbank. As I was eating, I gazed at the view in front of me (another neighbor later said the river is named La Mignonne, meaning "cute") -- it was too wonderful not to sketch!

Rose

In the courtyard of the Invalidovna complex during its open day, I felt like focusing on the fountain right in the middle. People were walking around and having fun, while the old fountain looked beautiful, if a bit gloomy. I think I liked those melancholic notes—after all, the complex was closing for renovation, and people won't be strolling here again for a very long time. And by the time this place opens up again, everything might look completely different.

Elena

While visiting Munich this summer, the entire city was overrun by the 150,000 BTS Army—fans—due to 2 K-pop concerts. Part of the city was also blocked off by classical music lovers due to an open-air concert… because of that, it was impossible to walk to the park through the square. So, I had to keep walking through the royal palaces to find a bench to eat my lunch… and suddenly I heard JAZZ... and even though all the people from the square were passing by, I was very happy with the joy in my soul, as it was my favorite music - jazz - by Ray Charles. 

Věra

The intense colors of the summer sunset reflecting across Prague’s rooftops set the scene for this picturesque view, as people casually walk by along the hill at Vyšehrad.

Isaac

Sintra. I stopped for coffee next to a busy road with a view of the white palaces' chimneys, contrasting with the dark forest in the background. Even though the car exhaust smoke was choking me, the smokeless chimneys fascinated me so much that I spent some time drawing in this cafe.

Marcela

When the water supply disappears from the neighborhood a water tanker on the street becomes the most important landmark around.

This year, I chose a square-format sketchbook, and I really enjoyed working across the spreads. It was great for both wide horizontal panoramas and taller subjects. For materials, I used my favourite Koh-I-Noor Magic pencils with their multicoloured leads, along with some new coloured pens. I decided to skip my usual black fineliner and experiment with using more colour instead.

Kseniya

It was my husband’s idea, and at first I didn’t want to go to Pisa. ‘What’s there to see anyway? Just the tower and the tower.’ However, when we arrived, I was impressed. It turns out it’s a whole complex of buildings… I was impressed by the Baptistery and the museum. And there’s also the grave of the famous mathematician Fibonacci. 

And, of course, climbing the tower was a real highlight. Yet, even in such a crowded place, it turned out you could find a quiet, almost deserted spot – the museum. The museum has stunning antique books, sculptures and a cosy garden overlooking the tower, where you could sit in the shade and do some sketching. And that much-needed coolness on a hot day in the museum

Alevtina