Many of us may have tried a drawing class in our time, be it life drawing or with a clothed model or other subject. For me it was something my art student friend would take me to in the first year at uni, which I reprised a couple of years later in Paris as it fitted in well with the Bohemian lifestyle I was cultivating (the fact that I cannot draw was a non-issue). However I’d never done an art class quite like the one at “Dr Sketchy’s Anti-Art School”.

Dr Sketchy’s is the brainchild of Molly Crabapple, an artist and model of New York origin. It came about through combining her two passions/professions when she decided to start having models pose in more elaborate costumes, along different themes for each session. Past Dr Sketchy themes have included ‘Gonzo’, ‘Sodom and Gomorrah’, ‘the 1920s’, ‘The Weimar Republic’, ‘the 18th century’ and ‘Film Noir’. I was lucky enough to catch Molly at the Paris session – she was on a brief tour of Europe visiting her different branches – and she even took the opportunity to pose, this time on the theme of ‘toys’ (although these toys were somewhat more risqué than those I remembered from my childhood!) Since she launched the first one in New York in 2005, it now operates in an impressive 15 different countries and 40 cities.

Sorrel Smith is the organiser of the Parisian incarnation of the event and the girl is obviously doing some good promotion as by the time I arrived there was barely any space to sit. Everyone was at the ready with their pads and pencils (you can also buy the tools there) and ready to go. Sorrel underlined the idea of mixing drinks, art and performance to create a fun evening and sure enough between different models you can grab a drink and be entertained by different cabaret-style acts. You never know who you might see as acts often come from different parts of the world. I already recognised London-based Vicky Butterfly as a past contributor to a Paris night – she had flown in especially to do it.

Despite the fact that I remembered how awful I am at drawing, I had a great evening. You don’t have to be a sketching pro, lots of people were in groups with their friends – you are also welcome as a spectator for free, while to draw requires a modest contribution. If you happen to be any good, there are little competitions. All in all it’s a fab way to spend an evening and with branches across Europe in Rome, Helsinki, Turku, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Hannover, Dublin and various cities throughout the UK I recommend you look up the next one near you on their site ASAP. The next one in Paris will be the unmissable ‘Alice in Wonderland’.

http://www.drsketchy.com

Video from a previous Paris event