10 great places to sketch your vacation
— -- Forget the camera. A growing number of travelers are using a pencil to capture vacation memories. "Sketching makes for a richer travel experience," says Seattle journalist Gabriel Campanario, who founded an online community of like-minded sightseers based at UrbanSketchers.org. Highlights of their work are featured in his book The Art of Urban Sketching (Quarry Books, $26.99). "You don't need to be an artist to do this. If you like to make marks on paper, you're ready to go." He shares some favorite cities for pulling out a notepad, with Larry Bleiberg for USA TODAY.
Seattle
Campanario first began sketching when he moved to the Pacific Northwest six years ago. He saw the city's famous Pike Place Market in a different light when he began to capture it on paper. "It's a visual feast," he says. "You have all the colorful produce in stalls, and then there are the people, buskers and performers." 866-732-2695; visitseattle.org
New York
Architecture and skyscrapers are favorite subjects for anyone who likes to draw. Times Square is one of many standout spots, Campanario says. "As a sketcher you don't have to draw the whole thing. You can zoom in on details." He also suggests sketching at a museum - both artworks and the galleries themselves offer rich material. 212-484-1200; nycgo.com
San Antonio
The centuries-old Spanish missions in San Antonio inspire visitors to this day. They're popular historic landmarks, but artists aren't limited to drawing pictures of tourists, Campanario says. "You can transport yourself into the past, and imagine what the scene would be like back in the 1700s when the missions were founded." 800-447-3372; visitsanantonio.com
Montreal
The city's Mary, Queen of the World cathedral is modeled on St. Peter's Basilica, allowing sketchers to capture Vatican-inspired images in North America. "The closest experience to being in Rome without being in Rome is seeing this building in Montreal," Campanario says. Another visually rich location: the city's Old Port, which is visited by tall ships in September. 877-266-5687; tourisme-montreal.org
Norfolk, Va.
While this mid-size city lacks grand panoramas, it still offers plenty to see, including ships criss-crossing the Hampton Roads harbor, Campanario says. "They're like horizontal skyscrapers." Artists also have found inspiration in storefronts on historic Granby Street downtown. "If you take time to look, you'll start finding great gems in any city." 800-368-3097; visitnorfolktoday.com
London
England's capital can overwhelm visitors. But a notebook provides an excuse to slow down and take it one bite at a time. Campanario says some visitors like to draw in Piccadilly Circus, with its fountain and flashing neon advertisements. Others head to the British Museum, which will even lend sketchers a stool. visitlondon.com
Venice
You'll be following a long tradition if you take a sketchbook to Venice. There's always someone standing behind an easel in St. Mark's Square, Campanario says. "It's a great feeling to be among other people doing the same thing." But he does have some advice. Watch out for the pigeons, which have been known to make an unwelcome contribution to many a drawing. 212-245-4822; italia.it
Barcelona
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