Once a month, a small group of us meets in a Berlin park or square, sits down outside, and paints and sketches together. It's called Morning Sketches. I co-host it with Dominika and Clare, who run Art Social Berlin. This post is about why we do it.
I like teaching. There's a particular joy in watching someone who says "I can't draw" put down a first wash of watercolour and then smile at what they made. I'd like to help more people feel that.
More than anything, I want more people to sketch and paint. It doesn't need to be good, and you don't need talent or expensive supplies. A pencil, a postcard and a bit of watercolour are enough to start.
Sketching is one of the best ways to document a trip. A photo shows what a place looked like, but a sketch shows what it felt like to sit there, and years later a quick drawing of a café or a view will take you back to that exact afternoon far better than a camera roll of hundreds of photos.
It also changes how you look at things. When you draw something, you have to really see it: how the light falls, how a roof meets a wall, how many windows there actually are. Over time you start noticing details you'd normally walk straight past.
And it helps you be present. We live in a world of constant distractions, with a phone that wants our attention all day, and sitting outside for a couple of hours with one thing to look at and a brush in your hand is a rare break from that. You can't think about your inbox while you're trying to mix the right green, so sketching quietens the mind in a way that feels like mindfulness without ever feeling like a chore.
Berlin in summer is beautiful, and it's a shame to spend it indoors. Sitting on the grass in the morning light with a small group is one of the best ways I know to enjoy the city.
Berlin also has a lot of hidden spots, and picking a place for each session lets us explore them. Dominika tells us about the history and architecture of wherever we're sitting, so we leave knowing a bit more about the city than when we arrived. Looking at a place long enough to draw it makes you fall for it.
Berlin needs more English-speaking communities. It's easy to live here for years and still struggle to meet people if you don't speak German, and a relaxed, creative morning in English is a gentle way to start. Morning Sketches is run in English so that everyone feels welcome.
We also don't want cost to be a barrier. We use a sliding scale, so you can pay what works for you, and the event stays accessible to everyone.
What a session looks like
It's meant to be a playful community space, not a class for serious learners. Groups are usually 6 to 12 people, and we meet on a Sunday morning. You can come alone or bring a friend, and you don't need any experience. We provide materials, but you can also bring your own.
We start with a few warm-up exercises, and then Dominika tells us about the history and architecture of the place we're sitting in. After that we sketch what we see around us, and I help people get going with watercolours on postcard paper and with basic sketching. By the end, everyone leaves with a few little paintings.
The sessions so far
We've run three sessions so far: at Volksbühne on 7 June, at Hansaplatz on 5 July, and at Hufeisensiedlung on 30 August.
The next one is on 11 October at Volkspark Friedrichshain. Come and join us!
If you'd like to join us, new dates are announced on Instagram at @artsocialclub.berlin and @onesquarekaran.