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  • Sketching Beyond the Classroom

    • October 6, 2026
    Sketching Beyond the Classroom: An Outdoor Sketching Journey to Fort Kochi

    The Department of Animation & Visual Effects, YMBC Baselios College, organised an inspiring outdoor sketching excursion for its first-year students to the heritage-rich streets of Fort Kochi and Mattancherry. Departing at around 7:30 a.m., forty-seven students, guided by faculty members Mr. Vijayan Chandran and Mr. Amal Chandran, spent the day observing, sketching, and creatively responding to one of Kerala's most visually vibrant cultural landscapes. The journey offered students a valuable opportunity to move beyond studio-based learning and experience art-making directly from life, where history, architecture, people, movement, light, and atmosphere come together in real time. Fort Kochi provided an ideal open-air classroom for young animation and visual effects students. Its layered heritage-shaped by Portuguese, Dutch, and British influences -presents a remarkable blend of colonial architecture and traditional Kerala design. The Mattancherry Palace, popularly known as the Dutch Palace, is especially significant for its historic murals and traditional Kerala architectural character, while the Paradesi Synagogue, built in 1568, stands as a striking landmark with its distinctive façade, clock tower, and celebrated interior details. For students trained to observe form, proportion, texture, and spatial depth, these spaces became living references for visual study. The students explored Mattancherry Palace, the Paradesi Synagogue, and the bustling Jew Street, capturing the character of each location through quick studies and detailed sketches. At the palace, they observed the rhythm of tiled roofs, wooden pillars, courtyards, and mural-inspired decorative patterns. At the synagogue and Jew Street, they studied narrow lanes, façades, shopfronts, signage, antique objects, and the everyday movement of visitors and locals. These environments encouraged students to look closely at details that are often missed in photographs: the uneven texture of old walls, the play of sunlight on tiled surfaces, shadows cast by narrow streets, and the human energy that gives a place its identity. Outdoor sketching strengthened several essential artistic and professional skills. Working directly from observation helped students improve their understanding of perspective, composition, scale, and background. Drawing people and street scenes developed gesture drawing, figure proportion, and an awareness of movement-skills that directly support character animation and visual storytelling. Moreover, sketching from life encouraged students to develop patience, concentration, confidence, and creative independence, as each artist had to interpret the same environment in a personal way. Beyond technical growth, the excursion nurtured cultural sensitivity and visual literacy. Fort Kochi is not merely a collection of old buildings; it is a living archive of trade, migration, faith, art, and community life. By sketching its streets, students learned to see heritage as a source of design inspiration. The textures of weathered walls, the colours of traditional façades, the patterns of antique shops, and the quiet dignity of historic monuments can all become references for future animation backgrounds, concept art, production design, and narrative worlds. Under the thoughtful guidance of Mr. Vijayan Chandran and Mr. Amal Chandran, students received continuous feedback on composition, line quality, shading, perspective, and visual storytelling. The faculty encouraged them to experiment with different sketching approaches while maintaining accuracy and artistic expression. This mentorship transformed the trip from a simple visit into a meaningful learning experience, helping students understand how disciplined observation leads to stronger creative output. The students returned at around 7:00 p.m., carrying not only filled sketchbooks but also renewed enthusiasm, sharper observation, and a deeper connection to their artistic practice. "Sketching Beyond the Classroom" successfully demonstrated that learning in Animation & Visual Effects does not remain confined to screens, software, or studios. But true visual storytelling begins with the ability to see the world attentively and Fort Kochi gave the students an unforgettable canvas on which to begin that journey. Outdoor sketching is widely recognised in art education for developing observational, representational, and aesthetic skills while immersing learners in rich cultural and sensory environments.



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