Hi, I’m Taria Dawson — a sketcher from the UK, now living in Johannesburg, South Africa. I’ve been bumbling around the world for the last few years in pursuit of creative adventures. While urban sketching is my main passion, I’ve also dabbled in other crafts like silversmithing along the way!

I first stumbled across urban sketching around 2012, though I didn’t quite pluck up the courage to sketch outside until a couple of years later. (The fear is real!) After experimenting with all sorts of mediums and styles as a hobbyist artist, I eventually found my true home in ink and watercolour sketching. It marries perfectly with my love of travel — especially when exploring alone with nothing but a backpack and a sketchbook.

You can get a pretty solid idea of what I’ve been up to over the past few years from my ebook Sketchy Adventures Around the World. But these days, much of my creative journey is shared on my YouTube channel, Taria’s Sketchy Adventures, where over 100,000 subscribers join me for tutorials, travel vlogs, and sketching inspiration.

I’m also the author of Urban Sketching for Beginners and the creator of the flagship online course Sketch Your Adventures. Over the years I’ve taught hundreds (maybe thousands!) of students both online and in person, helping them build confidence and fill their sketchbooks with meaningful memories.