Among de Young Museum artwork that ranges from years to centuries old, visitors today are free to interact with the pieces by sketching them.
The museum’s program “Sketching in the Galleries” is a drop-in activity from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays, where visitors are invited to use stools, clipboards, paper, pencils, and coloring materials provided by the museum.
Participation is free and so is general admission for Bay Area residents on Saturdays. No matter their skill level, visitors are encouraged to participate.
“It invites people to come here and spend time with the art. The goal is to let more people draw. There’s this idea that only people from a certain background can draw,” said Priscilla Flores, a museum employee overseeing the event.
Aside from encouraging people to try sketching, Flores says the program also increases visitor engagement. According to an observational study by the National Library of Medicine, museum visitors spend an average of about 30 seconds looking at a work of art.
Sketching requires more attention and patience.
“Methodically observing makes people look longer at the art,” Flores said, adding that people often keep their finished work as a souvenir.
Each Saturday, the program takes place in a different gallery. To give people ideas on how to start their sketches, the museum has different drawing prompts for different galleries.
For example, one prompt instructs participants to find an intriguing detail in an artwork as they create a limited color design, and reflect on something they are thankful for.
Sketching from a variety of artworks also offers artists opportunities to gain insight into art styles and techniques.
“I feel like it helps me be more in tune with my art and practice seeing what other people’s styles are. It really shows the difference in everyone’s art and their personality,” said Choon Loo, a returning attendee.
When sketching, some choose to sit on the floor or stand, while others use the stools. Additionally, many participate with friends and family.
Attendee Miriam Martinez participated with her husband and children, sketching from the various paintings around the gallery.
“I’m drawing the trees and the animal portraits in the painting. I like it; it gives me ideas of what to draw,” said Miriam Martinez’s daughter Luciana Martinez.
In addition to being an entertaining activity for museum visitors, sketching is artistically and mentally beneficial. An experiment found that self-perceptions of problem-solving skills and creativity improved after creating art for both artists and non-artists.
For artists, sketching improves observational skills and helps artists develop their own style.
“Through master studying the artworks of masters, we refer to their painting techniques and draw from them suitable methods of expression for our paintings, so as to improve our own painting level and our ability,” said Swing Zhou, a Belmont art teacher who encourages students to learn from other artists’ pieces.
Although de Young and many other museums already allow artists to sketch in the galleries on their own time, the designated program draws in people who might otherwise not.
“There could be hundreds and hundreds of people passing through the event,” Flores said.
At the museum, a survey for the program found that after sketching, visitors left with a range of emotions, the most common being calmness : 67% of visitors felt calm after sketching at the museum.
“It gives me peace just to draw something,” Miriam Martinez said.
