After reading about Dr Sketchy's online I got curious and wandered on down, sketchpad in hand…read more Spending an hour and a half sketching a gorgeous burlesque dancer is not the way I usually spend my Thursday nights. The experience, though, was a heap of fun and something I intend to do more often when Sketchy's starts up again in 2012. The event I attended was the end of year celebration, and took place in Puritan, a lingerie store on James Street, rather than the usual Glass Bar. This setting made the night even more unusual and surreal. The lighting was a little bright and took away from the intimacy of the night, but the enthusiasm and sense of community among the attendees more than made up for it. We were treated to a variety of costumes and poses by reigning Miss Burlesque Australia, Sina King, who was enthusiastic and friendly. Tickets were $20, which bought a Strom cocktail on arrival (Strom being the event's sponsor) and wine throughout the night. Nibblies were also provided. Normal Sketchy's events are $15 entry, so keep an eye out for next years' events, and remember to take your sketchpad and pencils!

Dr Sketchy's Anti Art School isn't so much an art class as a social event, one where you get to…read moredraw scantily clad burlesque dancers. The first time my friend invited me to join him for a Dr Sketchy's night I did not know what to expect. As soon as I walked in I was greeted with a free cocktail and a lot of smiling faces (both from regulars and the folks running the show). A very voluptuous and stunning woman in a red corset happily posed and chatted to the "artists" sitting closest to her. Now I say "artists" in inverted commas because Dr Sketchy's is an Anti Art class. They don't teach you how to draw nor expect you to have any talent whatsoever. They just encourage you to enjoy yourself and sketch away. This encouragement also comes in the shape of prizes given out throughout the night for things such as "most creative incorporation of Santa into the sketch" or just "model's favourite". You don't have to be the most artistic in the room to win these either. I was definitely not the best but got a prize anyway (I think they were being nice because I was a Dr Sketchy's virgin). There are plenty of opportunities to sketch away, chat and drink throughout the night. The model poses for different periods of time ranging from 1 min to 15 min poses, allowing you to practice different techniques. She also had a costume change half way through to mix things up a bit. There were some poses where her breasts were almost exploding out of her corset but everything stayed quite PG the whole night, much to some of the "artist's" dismay. The whole night cost fifteen dollars which sounds like a lot but for such a fun, interesting and unique night out in Brisbane the price it is totally worth it. It is best to keep an eye out on the Dr Sketchy's Brisbane facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/DrSketchysBrisbane?sk=info) for info on upcoming sketch nights usually held on the first Tuesday of every month, as the website (http://www.drsketchy.com) covers the Dr Sketchy's chain across the entire globe. The Brisbane Sketchy's is held at the Glass bar at the Judith Wright Centre on Brunswick Street, which is the perfect, classy venue for it. Whether you go to draw, drink, or just have fun socialising while doing something completely different, I highly recommend checking out Dr Sketchy's.

The Stitchery is a fashion based art run initiative based in Fortitude Valley. It was born from a…read moreband of QUT Creative Industries graduates wanting to get together to actively promote sustainable fashion. As part of their vision, they run community projects like the silk scarf painting workshop coordinated for women in Kelvin Grove's Afghan community, in effort to develop and empower diverse communities. As a fashion based collective, they explore how to create inclusive and sustainable communities through innovative fashion design, exhibition and curation. They have a whole bunch of really cool events happening on a regular basis- the current one being 'life drawing with clothes on', where women model kooky combinations of threads and have an audience draw them. It's beneficial to everyone- to the artist who gets to draw something different than naked bodies, to the amateur fashion student who is learning how to speedily sketch an idea, to the model who may be testing life modelling waters out in a less confronting manner than what is otherwise offered, to the clothes that get a fine coat hanger to display themselves on. This is how the Stitchery works. It is one of my favourite new artist run initiatives to come out of Brisbane. Check out their website regularly. There is an abundance of cool things to join up for here. How to make LED bikini's, upcycling workshops and more.