Drawing Workshops, Illustrations: let Travel Sketchbooking become part of your company

  • for the greatest pleasure of all
  • for positive effects on the interpersonal communication, and on creativity

You will find here below a few references.

In June 2016, the Paris based PR agency Influences asked me to join a cocktail party organized for their client Gemalto, and to sketch mood scenes (decor, figures, details of the cocktail party), as well as portraits. At the end of the party, the drawings were given to the General Manager for which the event was set up.

An original way to keep a souvenir of that evening, designed as the first step of a journey.

I offer this kind of service for your events, seminars, or else to illustrate your corporate documents. Contact me!

In May 2015, a London based PR agency (wishing to stay anonymous in regards of confidentiality towards their clients) asked me to set up an outdoors teambuilding workshop for 14 staff members.

In a short time, participants learnt how to sketch what they saw, studying basics such as perspective, composition, use of shading and values.

Not only was the class a lot of fun, but also the team members felt that they could trust their eye, see things in a new way, become even more creative through achieving drawings. A new experience for most of them, sketching made their day in Paris special!

In June 2014, the major photography company Fujifilm, through its PR agency Pschhh, had me lead a workshop, as part of its corporate event, « Talents Nomades » (“Nomadic Talents”). Set in Paris, this event was punctuated by a press conference, a lunch party for professional photographers, and a cocktail opened to the general public.

My job was to draw whatever the participants asked me to draw: a memory from a trip, a dream, a place or person they loved… After a brief conversation to decide on the drawing's subject, I had 5 to 10 minutes to complete the sketch.

Meant to be on the first page of a travel sketchbook that was offered to the visitors, these drawings were made with India ink and watercolor.

The operation, whose goal was to stir up the participants' creative sensibility, was very successful. It established connections between drawing and photography.

Between 2011 through 2015, the Louvre works council Calao (Collectif Action des personnels du Louvre), in charge of organizing leisure for the Museum staff members, has been having me lead several “Travel Sketchbook at the Louvre” workshops for the Museum employees.

Six times a year, we create graphic reports in the Museum galleries. Goal: let the Louvre staff rediscover their workplace, reinforce their creativity, and observe the hidden marvels that the eye does'nt always see.

The drawings were exhibited at the Louvre Museum canteen. A beautiful success due to their talent, and that aroused the interest of their colleagues, happy to exchange about this subject during their daily meal at the company restaurant.

In 2011, the Management Progress Association APM (Association Progrès du Management) had me lead the workshop “Travel Sketchbook: how to see everyday life differently”. During a one-day seminar, twenty managers focused on learning how to draw. Goal: becoming aware of the choices a painter needs to make while creating. The participants discovered the importance of looking, of attentiveness, and of creativity. Qualities that can be used effectively in the daily management.

The workshop was illustrated by examples from the History of Art.

Benefits for the participants:

  • A higher confidence in their ability to see and excel.
  • A Self-Measuring and Self-Development tool.
  • New ideas on how to combine overall vision, and attention to details.

I offer this type of workshops, that are easy to organize in a seminar room at your company, but also outdoors. The workshop can be extended on two days if necessary, and why not abroad, or in a picturesque location?

In September 2008, the magazine « La Vie du Rail » (Railway Life) asked me to accompany two journalists to Lille, during the “Grande Braderie”, a major annual festival in this city of Northern France. Goal: sketching the train stations, drawing the SNCF (National Railway Company) staff members, interprete the atmosphere on the platforms and in the waiting rooms, in order to illustrate a special issue of the magazine.

Theme of the article: the impact of the Grande Braderie festival on the local railway organization. Result: we created a “Log Book”, combining texts and drawings. I was able to do some of the drawings while the journalists were doing their interviews, making it an instant graphic report.

In this format, I offer the following services to companies:

  • Teambuilding, teaching the staff the basic skills for professional drawing.
  • Possible use of the drawings made during a Teambuilding session, to illustrate an internal magazine or an Annual Report.
  • Upon order, creating drawings and watercolors for your documents (Greeting Cards, Official Reports, slideshows).
  • Creating graphic contents for your Websites, intranet, social medias.

Other references:

  • Festival Biennale du Carnet de Voyage (Travel Sketchbook Biennal) in Clermont-Ferrand (in the center of France), November 2010: leading workshops for the general public.
  • Festival « Ecritures Nomades » (« Nomadic Writing ») in Lomme (Northern France), May 2010: leading workshops for the general public.
  • Leading workshops for school groups (primary school and high school). One of the workshops took place at the Musée des Arts et Métiers, in Paris, and was combined with the visit of an exhibition on robots.
  • Teambuilding in Giverny for a group of 15 persons, mostly beginners. Learning how to draw helped them understand better how Claude Monet and the Impressionists worked.

And yourself? How will you use your Travel Sketchbook? Let’s meet to discuss it!

A few elements on the Teambuilding workshops:

Organizing a “Drawing Sketchbook” workshop for your teams makes the group meet with a challenge, enhance its creativity, renew its eye, and have enriching exchanges.

Workshops are designed according to the company’s needs. It is not necessary to know how to draw already.

Example of Workshop organization:

1. The group's objective is to produce a documentary together on a given subject (ex: a day at work, a department activity, a project under development...).

2. After learning how to draw (individual, two-by-two and group exercises), the group imagines a narrative (series of sentences) to explain the chosen subject.

3. Each subgroup is in charge of illustrating a sequence of the narrative.

4. The group meets to share its drawings.

5. Option 1: After this "realistic description", imagining a series of drawings representing the “ideal sequence”.

6. Option 2: Using the drawings to illustrate an internal magazine. Explaining the project to other staff members through a slideshow, etc.

Drawing develops:

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  • Well-being, through the playful aspect, and the concentration needed
  • Positive attitude, while acknowledging the qualities of each drawing
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  • Consciousness of the diversity in points of views
  • Sense of detail and observation, attention ability
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  • Creativity, while finding solutions to reach a goal
  • Communication, exchange with one's team mates
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  • Re-discovering one's work environment
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A few possible extensions to the workshops:

- Exhibiting the drawings made by the teams

- Publishing the drawings in an Internal Magazine, a PR Document, a Greeting Card, a Website/Intranet, etc.

- Associating the drawing session with a coaching session (ex: themes such as Active listening, Innovation, Communication)

- Displaying a slideshow (during a company meeting, a conference, etc.)

- Illustrating a Greeting Card, an Annual Report, an Official Report, with drawings upon order: see "Corporate Report" in the "Illustrations" rubric

- Organizing a 2 day workshop, in a French or European city, or about a theme specific to the company (ex: site, competence, new product fabrication and launching, project development), etc.

My specific approach:

A PR consultant for six years before turning to painting and writing, I have knowledge about business issues.

My teaching experience with various students helps me find solutions that suit each group and personality.

I can bring my writing competencies, for an editorial project, or for workshops that would be based on drawing and writing.

I can find ideas for the specific needs of your company.

For more information or to make an appointment: click here to contact me.

See you soon!

Photo credit: Event organized by the Agence Pschhh / Photo credit: Pschhh

Other photos / Photo credit: Pauline Fraisse

Showing the single result

Entreprises

Organisez un atelier de « carnet de dessin » pour les équipes de votre entreprise, et stimulez la créativité du groupe tout en offrant un nouveau regard sur l’entreprise. Le croquis rapide consiste à dire l’essentiel, d’une manière simple et efficace. Il développe capacité d'attention ("être à l'écoute") et créativité ("trouver des solutions, face à une contrainte donnée"). Les visions individuelles sont mises en commun, afin de constituer un reportage collectif.