Urban Sketching: Sundays in the City  A new, limited-run workshop running Sunday mornings from 10:00am-12:00pm starting September 20th and ending October 25th, 2026! Instructor Bio Kate Kern Mundie is a Philadelphia-based painter and teaching artist working in American impressionism and realism, with training at PAFA and the University of Pennsylvania and work in the PAFA permanent collection. She teaches workshops and classes for teens and adults in the Philadelphia area and serves as a Winsor & Newton Artist Demonstrator, leading workshops in oil, watercolor, and gouache across the East Coast. Kate brings years of experience in plein air and observational work, with a teaching style grounded in clarity, strong foundations, and a practical, inclusive approach to materials and technique.   Class Pricing: Full Series: 6 classes Members + Students : $200  Non-Members: $250 Class Description:

Explore Philadelphia’s rich urban landscape through on-location sketching. This six-week class blends traditional drawing techniques with modern urban sketching practice, moving through different neighborhoods and vantage points across the city. Each session includes a focused lesson on drawing the built environment, figures, light, and color, with students working outdoors when weather permits.

The Philadelphia Sketch Club serves as our home base for the first session and as a touchstone throughout the series; from there, each week takes students to a new location around the city. The final class includes a group discussion and sketchbook review.

Open to all skill levels and ages*. Students bring their own materials; the instructor will provide samples to try.

* Students under 18 must have signed parental consent form. Email signed forms to executivedirector@sketchclub.org with the subject line “Urban Sketching Fall 2026 Consent Form” 

What Students Will Learn

• Core urban sketching techniques for capturing buildings, streets, and public spaces on location
• Quick figure drawing to bring life and scale into an urban scene
• Reading and simplifying light and shadow on architecture
• Color and value strategies for working quickly outdoors
• Composition choices specific to sketching on site — vantage point, framing, and what to leave out
• Building a personal sketchbook practice that continues beyond the class

Sign ups are now closed!

 

Locations Schedule & Syllabus:

Week 1 – September 20: Philadelphia Sketch Club

Week 2 – September 27th: Rittenhouse Square

Week 3 – October 4th: Washington Square

Week 4 – October 11th: City Hall

Week 5 – October 18th: Rail Park (BSL to Spring Garden)

Week 6 – October 25th: Wilson Park / Christ Church Yard (MFL to 2nd Street) 

* If it rains we will meet at the sketch club or Reading Terminal Market 

Materials List

Students bring their own materials; the instructor will provide samples to try.

In Week 1, the instructor will bring a variety of supplies to show students different possibilities for building out their own sketch kit.

Essential Supplies

Drawing

• Sketchbook — spiral-bound or hardcover (any size). Mixed media sketchbook recommended.
• Pencils — 2B and/or 4B
• Kneaded eraser
• Pencil sharpener

Optional Supplies

• Compact travel watercolor set (W&N Cotman Field Box or similar)
• Watercolor pencils or crayons (Caran d’Ache Neocolor II or similar) — an optional, less messy alternative for on-location color
• Waterbrush or one small round brush, plus a collapsible water cup
• Small palette, if not built into the travel set
• Fine-tip and/or brush waterproof pens (e.g., Micron or similar) for ink line work

Urban Sketching Good to Haves

• Bag or satchel that keeps hands free while walking between locations
• Binder clips or masking tape to secure loose pages in wind
• Lightweight folding stool (optional, but helpful for longer sketching stretches)
• Hat or sunblock for sessions in direct sun
• SEPTA Key card or transportation for weeks meeting off-site
• Baby wipes for clean up

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