Sketchbook Tour #3: Jiří Zralý

On Saturday March 18th, about twenty urban sketchers had the pleasure of attending the USK Prague Sketchbook Tour led by Jiří Zralý. The Talk began with Jiří presenting his childhood drawings which clearly showed his emerging creative personality and interest in art. Next he explained his early experiments with oil painting followed by watercolor sketching, culminating in his ongoing study of expressive line drawing charged with bursts of vivid color.

We received a unique firsthand account of how Jiří's commitment to continous learning and practice allow him to keep refining his craft, and stretching his creative boundaries.

Thank you Jiří for taking us on an this educative journey with you -- a journey reminding us that artistic development requires not only passion but perseverance.

About Jiří

Jiří always liked to draw, but when he found his father's old oils and tried to paint his first canvas, he fell in love with painting.

His path then led him into the digital world, where he drew fantasy worlds in Photoshop, only to return to oils again. However, oil wasn't practical for working at home, so he tried watercolour. Since then he has been drawing and painting on and off, trying all sorts of media.

As he became more involved, he found that he needed to practice more and put away the large canvases for the time being. His sketchbooks have become a great friend, and he is constantly filling them with sketches of the city, people or figures. He likes sketchbooks for their narrative nature, how they tell the story of a man trying to learn something that fascinates him.

About Sketchbook Tours

Sketchbook Tours is a series of events designed to stimulate learning from each other. The project is part of our mission to bring educational content to our members.

During each Sketchbook Tour, one urban sketcher will take us through their sketchbooks, offering us the unique opportunity to not only learn about their favorite mediums and techniques, but also understand the thoughts and design decisions behind their work.

We will hear the story of their artistic development, discover how they learn and what inspires them. And we will get to interact with them directly through questions and discussions in a safe, fun, and encouraging environment.

You can find an overview of the whole Sketchbook Tour Series here.