For a while I’ve been drawing with the infamous Manchester urban sketcher Len Grant on a series of experimental shared drawings across the city. Our idea is simple: We each begin on an A2 sheet of paper before swapping every 20 minutes, responding to what the other has created. The results are playful collaborative drawings that capture the people, places and architecture around us with different perspectives on the same scene. We’ve been sketching our way around Manchester in bars, cafés, public squares, cultural venues and outdoor spaces, with several guest artists joining us along the way.

In August we’ll be taking this collaborative approach to Our City and Beyond, a project with HOME Manchester and Network Rail, documenting and capturing Manchester Oxford Road Station and the people who are passing by and stop to talk to us! Find us there drawing live on August 20th.

Below are two of our latest collaborative urban sketches created in St Stephen’s Square, Manchester.

We have nearly 30 of these drawings now from all over Manchester and more news coming soon about exhibiting them! As a Manchester illustrator and live artist, projects like these are a brilliant way to connect with people, experiment creatively and celebrate the community and city through drawing.