Ep 8 - Sketching the World with Luis Simoes
In today’s episode, I am speaking with traveler and urban-sketcher Luis Simoes about his travels around the world. Luis quit his job as a graphic designer in his early 30s to backpack around the world, to travel cheap and light, and to draw all the interesting sights he saw. What motivates a salaried young person to take on a life of little comfort, certain risks and constant instability? Is there really a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow? Or is the goal the journey itself? This is the longest session I have recorded, and that’s because I had so many questions for Luis and he had so many great stories to tell.
But for those intimidated by the length, I have some good news! There is a break close to the one hour mark, where I summarize all the things we have discussed, and introduce what lies ahead. In this first part, we travel the first legs of the World Sketching Tour from Portugal (his home-country) to Russia, and take the Trans-Siberian Express to Mongolia and China. We talk about the benefits of making art as a way to see the world, the idea of not having fixed travel plans, and what it is like to confront an infinite, alien landscape that is sometimes urban and sometimes completely natural.
You can find Luis’ work on Instagram[at]worldsketchingtour or by visiting www.worldsketchingtour.com.
Related Links
Sagar Fornies, Barcelona-based urban sketcher
Don Low, illustrator and artist
Lapin, Barcelona-based sketcher
Rob Sketcherman, Hong Kong based digital urban sketcher
Transcript
04:00 Nishant asks Luis how he took the big decision to QUIT.
“I projected myself for the next 5 years and I asked myself the most basic question which is - what makes me happy? What is the thing that I love to do?”
The importance of timing, and doing things while decisions are easy to take in life.
How you have to be ‘selfish’ to really do the things you want in your life.
13:45 How did you get into drawing, how did you decide to make it such a big thing.
Pursuing a design job because of joy of achievement, deciding to ‘grow’ by getting out of the comfort zone.
How he came back to sketching, how it happened through USk.
Nishant talks about “permission”
Luis relates how meeting Urban-Sketchers was an important motivation to travel. Discusses the experience of drawing in the company of sketchers, learning from watching.
22:00 Nishant asks about the USk-ers Luis really wanted to meet.
Sagar Fornies, Barcelona-based sketcher who really influenced Luis.
They talk about USk community advantages
Nishant talks about how learning only worked for him through the USk community
33:10 Nishant asks about the first trip, how he decided route and budget
Luis describes the first trip - Europe from Portugal to Russia, discoveries about different cultures, then traveling with parents by CAMPER VAN. One year of travel.
47:30 Nishant asks about Trans-Siberian Express
Do you feel pressured to draw certain things when you’re in a new place vs the things you’re comfortable drawing?
Nishant asks about Mongolia, and what it’s like to sketch such a different world.
64:00 N introduces a BREAK.
Consider this a brief intermission before we rejoin the adventures of Luis Simoes. So far we have talked about his reaching the big decision to quit a full-time job in favour of uncertainty and an unsettled life. I was delighted to hear Luis took inspiration from the same kind of people and activities that inspire my work - the global urban sketchers’ network and the Urban Sketchers organization.
In the second half of this conversation, I ask Luis about how cycling came into the mix, as we bike down South America and up the Western coast of Africa. I ask him about how he connects with the people he meets and the people that follow his work. We conclude with the work he has put into his website, to offer tutorials and prints and stories to thousands of fans around the globe.
Happy listening!
65:35 Nishant asks about cycling
Luis relates the first great cycling expedition, going down South America, and the experience of Bolivia during rain.
They talk about sketchbooks.
Luis talks about taking inspiration from urban-sketcher Don Low.
They bring up the task of drawing around people who don’t give you the kind of space you might want, i.e. drawing in a chaotic urban situation.
Luis asks about consciously sketching vs subconsciously, and they stress upon the importance of repetition and regular practice.
They segue to how teaching is another way to learn, by virtue of forcing the teacher to put into words what is their own subconscious process.
Nishant asks about Luis’ supplies, and how he packs his backpack for such long journeys.
Nishant asks about what it's like to have people notice you, esp with different cultures in other countries.
91:30 Nishant asks about drawing protests in HK in 2014
They discuss how character seeps into sketches when you draw fast.
They discuss people’s different skill sets, and how we retreat to our comfort zones whereas we should do the opposite in our sketchbooks.
101:35 Nishant asks about Africa trip, and sketching in places that are unfamiliar and maybe even uncomfortable
“It’s good to have plans, but life has taught me it’s better to not have plans.” - Luis
Luis relates experience of sketching people and landscapes on his Africa trip.
110:30 Nishant asks about sponsorship, crowdfunding, Patreon.
Luis explains the way he designed his Patreon pledges and slabs, and why he moved away from Patreon to do things on his own site/brand. They discuss how important it is for creative professionals to figure these things out.
Luis details his ventures during COVID lockdown to reach fans - weekly tutorials and live drawings, Instagram reach outs. The up and down of doing things virtually.
Nishant: “To have a strong sense of what you want, what you enjoy and then to follow that, and not just not think about what other people are saying. That’s such an important thing to do and you need so much confidence to do it.”
125:30 Luis’ answer to why a non-artist should consider urban sketching - uniqueness, investing in yourself, the hand-eye connection, the importance of having a project to occupy yourself even if you’re alone.
Thank you for your attention, and I hope you liked this podcast.
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