A New City, a New Style: a Diverse Mix of Travel Sketches by Sofia Pereira

Meet Sofia Pereira, an artist who travels. She has sketched her way through Europe; through the bazaars of Istanbul, through the traditional streets of London, and through the colourful architecture of Moscow. What I love most about Sofia’s work is its diversity. She doesn’t have just one sketching style – she has many. Each place she visits encourages a new style, making each piece truly unique. Enjoy!

I notice your travel drawings are in a few different styles – some watercolours, some pencil sketches, and some ink. How did these develop and how do you choose which style to use for each piece?

I have developed a passion for watercolors in the last few years, for me it is a really quick way to add color and life to an art piece. I don’t always use a single style because I like the freedom of having a varied range of possibilities. The decision of making a quick pencil sketch rather than a more detailed watercolor or ink drawing depends on what I want to do at the moment. If I want to capture a moment really fast I am most likely to grab my pencil and do a quick sketch. If I’m relaxing by the sea, I probably will use my watercolors. It is something that varies with the materials I have at the moment and what I feel like doing.

London

Let’s talk about process. What are the steps you take when producing a drawing? Do you sketch on-site or from photographs?

I draw mostly on-site, when I have the time to just sit and look around me. If I’m in a hurry, I take a picture or do a really quick sketch and later continue it at home. Most of the time I have to be really quick If I want to draw a person on the subway or on the restaurant table next to me, or else they leave before I can finish the drawing. Sometimes it’s really frustrating when I forget to bring my sketchbook with me, it always feels like a missed opportunity, so I’ll just take a picture to draw it later. To really answer the question I would say it is always a matter of time and opportunity.

Grand Bazaar, Turkey

It’s obvious travel is a huge inspiration to you. Where has been your favourite place to sketch and why?

Traveling has always been a mind opening process and something I’m really passionate about. I must say that my own country (Portugal) has some of my favorite places to draw. Where I feel the most comfortable and at peace drawing is in the Algarve, by the sea. It always feels like some sort of therapy to me with the sunlight and the waves as a soundtrack. But after visiting so many amazing places, It becomes difficult to chose a place as favorite as I think almost every place is beautiful and special in its own way, but I would say I really loved to sketch in Poland.

Prague

Aside from travel, what inspires your work?

I don’t think there’s a specific thing that inspires my work, I guess life is what inspires me, as my drawings are always a reflex of my experiences – even the most simple things. I feel inspired by the people on the streets, the people eating on the table next to me. I like to observe the diversity, to see that everyone is different from each other – some people look really funny and I immediately feel like drawing them. I also feel inspired by other amazing artists, seeing awesome works of art will always motivate me to do more and better.

Madrid

Why do you sketch whilst you travel?

I think I do it from instinct, just like other people take photographs. Sometimes we take a picture to capture a moment or a beautiful landscape when traveling. But often I guess that is not enough, as I probably won’t remember I took that picture. Drawing will allow me to absorb the moment a bit deeper, retaining the memories of the place – later when I go through my sketchbook I remember exactly the moment I drew it, it has a more special meaning. I think it captures a lot more.

Warsaw

If you could sketch anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

This is a really difficult one. Well, I know it would be somewhere in Asia, it is a fascinating continent in every single way. I’m passionate about drawing places with a lot of movement, colors and life. I guess India and China will always be a dream to draw.

Moscow

Finally, do you have any tips for readers who might want to sketch whilst they travel?

The best tip I can give is to not be afraid to draw. Sometimes people are intimidated by the idea of messing up, or ruining a new sketchbook, they are afraid they are not good enough. Everyone can draw in they own way, we just must not be afraid of the final result, we should enjoy the process and embrace our flaws. Art is all about having a great time.

Take a look at more of Sofia’s work here.

What do you like about Sofia’s work? Do you have a favourite style of hers? Do you have any more questions for her?

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