The challenge to sketch one hundred people in five days is the brainchild of artists Marc Taro Holmes and Liz Steel, who jumpstarted the initiative seven years ago. During this week, thousands of amateur and pro artists worldwide line up beside them to sketch people, live or from reference photos. It doesn’t matter, as long as you keep the stream going, putting out as many sketches of people as you can, and posting them online to share with the wider community.

Artist, teacher and communicator Emerson Ferrandini invited me for a chat in the 167th episode of his excellent podcast Arte Academia. Aired on September 20th 2022. We talked about art education, students’ greatest challenges and how can a teacher help overcome them.

Darth Vader is arguably the ultimate fiction villain of the 20th and 21st century, even though he lived a long time ago, in a galaxy far away.

Gru is a villain intent on stealing the moon, but finds redemption in the process.

oris Johnson is the current prime minister of the UK. His wacky demeanor might conceal a Machiavellian intelligence. No matter if planned or improvised, his tactics of wit and confusion appear to be the political weapons of choice of the current era.

Riga Sketching School gathers online workshops, interviews and other activities that you can watch or sign up to. I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Agnese last month, and share how my art has progressed throughout the pandemic of the Covid-19 virus.

Sheldon Cooper is the socially inept physics genius protagonist of the TV sitcom The Big Bang Theory. His rare moments of emotion are frequently of anger and frustration at a world that simply does not obey his optimal solutions.

Salgueiro Maia, a key player and a Carnation Revolution hero for many, led a mechanised cavalry column into Lisboa, aimed at taking key targets and capturing the government members. His role in the negotiations was critical for the peaceful outcome of the Revolution.

Corto Maltese is the last of the romantic soldiers of fortune. The mythical character, authored by Hugo Pratt, stands on the edge of ancient traditions and modern history. Pandora Groovesnore is the future… and his impossible love.

Sped up process of a watercolor I did for the #6fanarts #sixfanarts challenge. Spike Spiegel is one of the main characters of the awesome anime show Cowboy Bebop

Next saturday, April 18th, at 5pm (GMT+1), I will open my watercolor and sketchbook exhibition, live streaming from my home, on Instagram.

The merciless ocean of Santa Cruz, Portugal, as seen from the cliffs. I took the reference photo for this piece last summer, during the Santa Cruz International Watercolor Meeting, surrounded by world class watercolorists. But it took half a year to gather the confidence and skill to have a go at it! I invite you to take a look at the video and see what you think.

Genoa-Lisboa Sketch Connection

March: Baccalà / Março: Bacalhau

This is one of the thousand ways Portuguese have of cooking cod fish, and happens to be my favorite. Gather the ingredients: cod fish, potato, chickpeas, carrots, egg and a choice of your preferred greens (broccoli). Boil everything and serve soaked in olive oil and vinegar. Garlic optional. Simple, effective and tasty!

Fellow sketcher and frequent workshop student Zé Resende has many talents. Working with leather is one that she acquired while in Riga. When she started posting her excellent designs, I knew I had to have one! She made mine according to precise measurements and functionality indications and combined them into a sleek look and feel that feels natural to wear.

SM.LT‘s Layflat watercolor stonebook is a fun surprise to pull out of your backpack. The stone cover is a neat, whimsical feature that garners attention, but the true value of this sketchbook is in the fine watercolor paper inside.

Genoa-Lisboa Sketch Connection

February: Waterfront / Fevereiro: Beira-mar

The waterfront of Lisboa, on the Tejo river, is 17km long, but for many years, most of it was only partially accessible and difficult to get to. Between shipping containers, port equipment and the railway line along the shore towards the ocean, just a few spots were available to promenade. Nowadays, the city is improving its relationship with the river, and giving the waterfront back to its citizens.

Genoa-Lisboa Sketch Connection

January: Narrow streets / Janeiro: Ruas estreitas

Have you ever lived in an apartment where you could handshake your neighbor from the building across the street? Or even collect their hanging clothes? Narrow streets are a feature of the old parts of both Genova and Lisboa, sometimes even coupled with stairs. In Lisboa, the narrowest alleys can be find the old districts of Castelo, Alfama and Mouraria.

Genoa-Lisboa Sketch Connection

For the next 12 months, Valentina Raiola and I will share with the world the similarities between Genova and Lisboa, through sketches and text, in our blogs and social media. We will each post one sketch per month, each one based on a theme that connects both cities. Think Inktober but less frantic and establishing a bridge between two places and two people.

SM.LT’s Authentic Albums collection includes the Authentic Watercolor stitched sketchbook. This is a laid back piece of design, perfect for a relaxed sketch, for your daily practice, or for your long weekend away doodles. It’s lightweight, super portable and the A5 format is large enough for your wide angle sketches.

I saw flashbacks from the 2011 Lisbon Symposium, which, at a distance, looked really tiny. I saw these past ten years that changed my life completely, and I saw the main role that the urban sketchers had in that change!