Travel Sketching Workshop in Istanbul
From 15th to 18th of May 2026
Fascinating city where East and West converge, Istanbul is a blend of the history of ancient civilizations with vibrant modern life. As the only city in the world that stretches across two continents, Europe and Asia, it offers travelers a unique experience. Its stunning landmarks, such as Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace, its bazaars filled with scents and colors, and the views of the Bosphorus make this destination a captivating place for any traveler and artist.
This workshop in Istanbul is open to people wishing to learn or improve their drawing skills in Urban and Travel Sketching.
It also aims to discover Istanbul with a creative and personal approach through drawing.
During this workshop you will learn to develop your sense of observation to depict a bit of everything that surrounds you in your sketchbook: traditional architecture, emblematic buildings and elements of a place, characters, street scenes, details…
We will remind in a playful way some fondamentals of drawing, such as perspective and composition, and we will learn to forget them occasionally to play with the spontaneity of our lines.
We will also explore complementary techniques to drawing such as collage, typography and watercolor.
Observation, experimentation and letting go will be emphasized.
This course will help you acquire the confidence and ease necessary to progress.
Programm
Friday 15th to Monday 18th of May 2026
Time: from Friday to Monday, from 10 am to 5/5.30 pm
(lunch break included)
We will send information regarding meeting point for the 1st day by email.
Lunch: We will have lunch together the first day and freetime for lunch the following days to anable participants to rest.
Diner: Nothing is planned.
Transport: we will walk from place to place, and also use public transport.
Sketch-barcelona reserves the right to cancel this workshop in case of not reaching a sufficient number of registered participants.
We will send the payment details by email.
y pago por email.
- Istanbul
- From 15th to 18th of May 2026
- Duration: 4 days
- 450€ /person - only pedagogical part
- Accommodation, and transport to go to Istanbul not included
- From 7 people
- Level: beginners and amateurs.
- Sketching kit not included
- Spanish, French and English.
- Set aside an additional budget for personal expenses and museum admissions.
- Advance payement of 50€ to formalize the registration.
Wish to know more
How the workshop is planned
I have planned the workshop so that all the participants can manage their budget as they wish, choosing the mode of transport or accommodation that best suits them in Istanbul.
We recommand that the participants arrive the the day before the workshop to be there the day of the workshop at 10am.
Every day we will meet at 10am in a different place in Istanbul. We will draw outside all day long if the weather is ok. We will get inspired by different themes: buildings, people, a street atmosphere, details…).
We will have lunch together the first day of the workshop to get to know each other better, and the other days, each one is free to eat alone or with other participants. The workshop will go on after lunch until 5/5.30pm.
Important to highlight
– Small group (maximum 10 people).
– Your state of health must allow you to keep up with the group. We draw and walk during our workshop days. In addition, the streets of some cities may be sloping, with varying degrees of steepness.
– It is necessary to register in advance.
– Classes can be taught in Spanish, English and French.
– The price only includes the pedagogical part.
Are not included: transportation, accommodation, meals, museum tickets, extraordinary expenses, nor material.
– We will dedicate our time to learning urban sketching. We will not have time for touristic visits.
– No obligation to eat together during the workshop, although we propose to have lunch together the first day to get to know each other better.
– We will travel mainly on foot and occasionally by public transport.
– Sketch Barcelona reserves the right to cancel the workshop if the minimum number of participants has not been reached, or due to Force Majeure.
Practical aspects for before the workshop
Flights. There are direct flights toIstanbul from the main European cities.
Insurance. You can take out travel insurance to handle the practical aspects of the trip: flights delays or cancellation, theft and robbery, accommodation problems, illness or cancellation. Sketchbarcelona will be responsible only of the teaching part.
Accommodation. You can book an accommodation through pages such as Booking.com, Trivago, Airbnb … It is better to choose an accomodation in the centre of the city, or that it is well connected (bus, train or metro).
Folding chair or stool. I recommend you bring a folding stool to be able to sit anywhere and draw comfortably. The floor can be dirty or damp. You can find them in Decathlon or Amazon, in the hunting and fishing section.
Additional information
Please consider preparing a list of important contacts in order to manage travel risks or specific needs.
For example:
- Address and telephone number of the Consulate of your country of residence.
- Health insurance abroad, travel insurance if you have one, (accommodation, means of transportation, loss or theft of personal property, etc)
- Details of your bank in case of loss or theft of your credit card