When asked to sum up the experience of Croquiseros with one word, Rosa Solalinde chose “encounter”. For her, it is an encounter with cities, with people, and with oneself through drawing. In 2014, architect and professor Rosa founded Croquiseros Urbanos Paraguay, a movement that merges urban exploration with the art of sketching.
“We walk through different cities with pencils and paper to document what surrounds us,” Rosa explains. “It is not about technical perfection, but stopping, observing, and connecting through drawing.”
Rosa brought the concept to Paraguay after seeing how popular it was in Latin America, inspired by the international urban sketchers’ community. Croquiseros (meaning ‘sketchers’ in French) is now a university extension project of the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Art (FADA) at the National University of Asunción, offering an open space for professionals, students, and amateurs.
A space for shared creation
What makes Croquiseros special is that it is open to everyone. “We have architects, designers, students, and even people who simply like to draw, it is a space for personal development and shared creation,” Rosa reflects. “In every outing, different artistic languages, techniques, and feelings are mixed together, developing a more intimate understanding of our urban environment.” This diversity makes the group richer, and every session a mix of perspectives, approaches, and life experiences that are put into paper.
Over the years, Croquiseros has developed a community founded upon generosity rather than competition. “We share techniques, experiences, and even memories. The spirit of collaboration has allowed us to create a living graphic archive of Paraguay’s urban history.”
Sketching and discovering cities
The group has organised more than 75 outings around Asunción and beyond, often choosing locations for their cultural, architectural, or historic importance. “Sometimes institutions invite us, and other times we just want to rediscover forgotten corners.”
For her, a peak experience came in one of the meetings. “Children approached us while we were drawing and asked for paper and pencils so they could draw with us. Their spontaneous enthusiasm turned an everyday outing into an unforgettable one.”
Some journeys have prompted strong emotions, especially in former train stations around Paraguay. “Old railway workers would come to share with us their stories as we sketched. People would be in tears, seeing their stories reflected in our drawings. My grandfather also worked on the railways. Drawing each station was a way of paying homage to him and keeping our country’s history alive.”
The act of drawing outdoors changes how participants see the city. “People often tell us: ‘I have walked past this building hundreds of times but never noticed its details until now. ‘” That sense of rediscovery creates a stronger bond between residents and their urban environment.
For Rosa, art invites people to reclaim public spaces. “When we draw in a park or a square, we awaken the unrequited space. It becomes a nexus where art, history, and community meet.”
A decade of drawing Paraguay
When the group celebrated its tenth anniversary, members compiled hundreds of sketches in a book, 10 Years of Croquiseros: Sketching Paraguay’s Architecture. “It was a dream come true,” Rosa says proudly. “The book does not reveal only the architecture but also the stories and sentiments behind every line that we drew.”
Croquiseros has expanded beyond Asunción, holding events in cities like Encarnación, Villarrica, and Luque. The group has also established contact with urban sketchers groups around Latin America, sharing techniques and experiences in international encounters.
A second book edition is already in the works, a testament to the growing interest in saving Paraguay’s urban memory through art. “We want future generations to know how our cities were and felt at this point in time,”
How to join Croquiseros Urbanos?
Most outings take place on Saturday afternoons when the light is best for sketching,, between 14:00 and 17:00. Trips are open to the public and free, and require only online registration. Rosa hopes the movement will encourage even more people to pick up a pencil and start discovering. “Drawing makes us love our environment and makes us feel we belong. Bit by bit, it changes the way we live and look at our cities.”
While the recent The Asunción Times article Why Building This Way? A reflection On Paraguayan Architecture challenged readers to consider Paraguayan architecture on an intellectual basis, Croquiseros Urbanos Paraguay puts them out onto the streets, pencils ready, to experience it creatively and emotionally.
