Classes and Workshops
Portland Summer Workshops
May-Oct, 2026
Where: Various locations around Portland, OR
Join us for the 10th anniversary edition of Urban Sketching Workshops in Portland— on-location drawing series. These workshops are a chance to develop your drawing skills, meet fellow sketchers, and see your city with fresh eyes. To celebrate the 10th year of teaching Urban sketching in Portland we are going all out–offering 10 workshops celebrating the most iconic Portland’s locations and events–from Portland bridges to its gorgeous parks, river spots, festivals, and markets.
Sketchbook Evolution: A Drawing & Watercolor Retreat on Madeline Island
August 31st - September 4th, 2026
Where: Madeline Island, Wisconsin, USA
This 5-day immersive workshop is designed to help you build a solid foundation in sketching while pushing your creative boundaries. With expert guidance from three world-class instructors, you’ll explore exciting subject matter around the island, experimenting with new techniques and concepts that will enhance your skills and boost your confidence as an urban sketcher.
The Art of Travel Reportage at Sitka Center for Art and Ecology (in person)
September 16-17, 2026
Where: Otis, OR (Oregon Coast)
This workshop at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology invites you to slow down and really notice the places you visit through drawing and writing. You’ll learn how to capture the feel of a place through quick sketches, watercolor, and short written reflections. You’ll practice choosing what to draw, simplifying what you see, and combining images and words to tell a more personal story—skills you can use whether you’re traveling far or exploring close to home. Set on the stunning Oregon Coast at Sitka’s campus in the Cascade Head Scenic Research Area, surrounded by forest, estuary, and ocean, the workshop reflects the Center’s mission to bring art and ecology together and encourage deeper connection, curiosity, and creativity inspired by the natural world.
Workshop is sold out. Waitlist is available.
Expressive People in Urban Settings (In-person course)
Tuesdays 4:30pm-7:30pm
September 22 - October 27, 2026 (6 sessions)
Where: Oregon Art Center, Portland, OR
Working from both observation and reference, we’ll focus on what makes people drawings fun and expressive. Through guided exercises and demonstrations, you’ll build a strong foundation in keen observation, learning how to quickly interpret what you see and translate it into confident marks on the page. A key part of the course is learning how to push beyond a generalized human form into exaggeration, playfulness, and humor. You’ll experiment with amplifying gestures, distorting proportions intentionally, and embracing imperfection to create drawings that feel alive, personal, and full of character.
More info and register
Urban Sketching in Guanajuato
November 8-15, 2026
Where: Alma del Sol, Guanajuato, Mexico
Join us in Pueblo Mágico (Magic Town) of Guanajuato for a week long sketching retreat taught by Rita Sabler. We will be hosted by the owner of Alma del Sol Mexican artist and print maker Hugo Anaya. Guanajuato is located in central Mexico. The colorful town is surrounded by the mountains and boasts rich history, beautiful architecture, unique culture, and mild climate. Formally a silver mining place, the town of Guanajuato is now the Unesco World Heritage site popular with artists, musicians and students. It is famous for its colonial Baroque and neoclassical architecture, narrow streets, colorful homes scattered on the mountains, cozy plazas, relaxed pace of life, and great food.
Fundamentals of Drawing Urban Spaces (online course)
Every Monday, Jan 11, 2027 - March 22, 2027
Live Session on Zoom from 9:00am to 11:30 am PST
The seven week course is designed for beginner sketchers and those looking to refresh their drawing skills. We will cover main sketching techniques, variation on strokes, values, composition, perspective, watercolor techniques, and successful ways of building your sketch from start to finish. Instruction, demos, exercises, and group and individual feedback is part of every class.
Visual Storytelling through Drawing (online course)
Every Wednesday January 13 - March 3, 2027
Live Session on Zoom from 9am-11:30am PST
The eight week course is designed for sketchers who want to use drawing as a powerful tool for storytelling, and visual journalism. You’ll learn to document and interpret real-world events—from everyday human activity to cultural festivals, political protests, and broader social phenomena. The course is fully recorded and can be taken asynchronously, allowing you to learn at your own pace.
The Art of Travel Reportage in Southern France: Immersive Workshop
April 17-24, 2027
Where: Atelier Clos Mirabel, Jurançon, France
Framed by the snowcapped Pyrénées mountains Atelier Clos Mirabel is a place where vineyard covered hills roll gently beneath snow-dusted peaks and evenings glow with unforgettable sunsets. It is as close as you can get to an art heaven. We invite you to explore the art of the carnet de voyage, the travel sketchbook. Eugène Delacroix came here in search of clear mountain air but what he found was endless inspiration in dramatic landscapes and timeless villages. His sketchbooks reveal scenes that are still there today—timeless, textured, and full of quiet beauty. You have the unique opportunity to spend a week in this inspiring setting, creating your own travel sketchbook and capturing the spirit of a place that has moved artists for generations.
People and the Sea: A Immersive Reportage and Urban Sketching Workshop in Portugal
April 29-May 3, 2027
Setúbal, Portugal
Setúbal is a working port town full of life. Picture boats rocking in the harbor, nets drying on the docks, the vibrant Mercado do Livramento. Over five days, we’ll explore small-scale fisheries and tell visual stories of the people, boats, market, and marine life that give this town its character.
“I want to thank you for a wonderful experience this morning, it was the highlight of my week! Your instruction and your process are so clear and "do-able", they give one confidence to just go.
Thank you for your insights and your very clear instruction. Your paintings have a friendly accessible quality that makes one think "I can do that too!". And the handout is genius. I look forward to taking another class with you.”
-Liz Williams , Portland, OR
Student Testimonials
“The online class I took with Rita Sabler was my favorite activity of the year. I have a degree in studio art from 25 years ago, but having worked in a different field, my drawing and painting became rusty. Rita’s online class was a crash course, helping me to remember perspective, composition, tonal values, storytelling, drawing, and seeing. She demonstrated ways to prepare and complete a sketch that I wasn’t taught in art school.”
- Jen, Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada
“Drawing Cities in Ink and Watercolor with Rita Sabler provided not only the technical foundations, but also the practice and confidence to develop my urban sketching skills. The live zoom classes provide ample opportunity to receive personal feedback and guidance during class. Each class is developed around solid content for a specific topic, building on top of the skills developed on previous classes. I highly recommend the course!”
- César Landin, Mexico
“I really enjoyed the logical approach to the “Fundamentals of Drawing Urban Spaces.” The instructor explained the steps of the process we need to complete in sequence, emphasizing that troubleshooting practice makes the difference in the final drawing we do. Thank you for sharing your valuable sketching knowledge and experience!”
-Diane Mills, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
“An unexpected "gift" of this course, was being retaught how to really look and observe life all around me. I look forward to attempting more urban sketching as the weather improves! Thank you for everything, Rita!”
-M.P.
“Rita Sabler is an excellent instructor, super helpful and inspiring. The course was really enlightening, she made difficult concepts very simple to understand. I learned a lot from her drawing process and her feedback every week.I am so glad I decided to take this course. I would highly recommend it!”
- Marisol Pastrana, Italy
“Rita Sabler makes the problem of simplifying the chaotic visual scene easy to follow. No one has taught me that so clearly. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks!”
-Thia Bankey, Portland, OR
“Really enjoyed the class and appreciated the feedback. I thought Rita Sabler did a great job of explaining in a way that was accessible and understandable to me - a beginner - even though she also needed to present in a way that was also good for the more experienced class members. Thank you!”
-2024 Fundamentals of Drawing Urban Spaces Student
“Rita Sabler ‘s manner of instruction is always so clear, non-judgmental and supportive. I value the way she reviews the basics – line, value, thumbnails, etc – all of the elements of a strong composition. It's like first getting all of the ingredients together before making a delicious cake!”
Susan, Portland OR
“I was impressed and pleased at how quickly the instructor responded to my questions. She quickly understood what the question was about and then answered it clearly. Not all teachers do that. A lot of instructors let themselves be de-railed. As a teacher, Rita Sabler is a Gem!”
-Student from Lantzville, BC
“Drawing architecture and complicated scenes has always been a challenge for me - something always seemed wrong in my sketches. Rita’s “Drawing Cities'' online course equipped me with valuable know-how and suggestions for a process which gave me confidence to sketch even the busiest surroundings.”
- Martina, Germany
“Rita is approachable and relatable, and she teaches with focus and patience. She has a talent for selecting what is good about a student’s sketch, and she suggests tweaks to make future sketches more successful.”
- Jen, Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada
I was not new to urban sketching or a beginner sketcher when I signed up for this course, but I struggle with where to start when sketching a big scene on location and I feel like I sketch very tight and controlled, which frustrated me. This course gave great tips on how to approach a scene and not feel so overwhelmed. Over the 7 weeks I could feel my approach to sketching really loosen up. I loved the tips Rita shared and really feel grateful for the skills I learned.
-2025 Fundamentals of Drawing Urban Spaces Student