SKETCHING PORTUGAL: A GOUACHE TOUR by Mireia Gubianas

Hello! My name is Mireia Gubianas, I work as an actress and acting coach based in Barcelona. Travel is one of my greatest passions, I grab my suitcase and go out into the world whenever I get a chance. My other love is drawing. I started Urban Sketching in 2016, a practice based on live drawing to capture your surroundings in real time. 

I actively participate in the sketching community of my city, going out to draw as often as my acting work allows me. Currently, I'm also curating a cycle of Urban Sketching exhibitions at Theater La Villarroel in Barcelona. Starting in April and up to June, the exhibit will feature some of the sketches included in the book.

On the summer of 2018 I had the opportunity to be a part of the International Urban Sketching Symposium in Porto. That experience, as well as my interest in developing the gouache sketching technique, both led me to cross one of the items off my bucket list: to travel throughout Portugal for five weeks. 

As a result, I made over fifty sketches, and I'd like to self-publish a book with a selection of them, including drawings of my favourite locations and landscapes in Portugal. I hope you'll enjoy it!

Why a crowdfunding?

This is my first book, and so far I've learned that the process of drawing, designing and printing a publication is both expensive and highly time consuming. This is why I'm asking for your collaboration. By joining this campaign, you will support the time that I have invested in illustrating the pages and make it possible to finance the cost of printing and distributing the book, as well as the rewards.

This book wouldn't be possible without your help, so please, join it! If you can't contribute financially, you'll help a lot just by sharing the project amongst your friends, acquaintances and social networks. Any support will be more than welcome, and of invaluable help. Thank you so much for your interest in this wonderful and wild idea.

What are the rewards?

By financing the project, you'll get the book for a lower price than it's oficial cost (once it's out, it will be 20€) because it will be almost intermediary-free. It will go straight from my house to yours through the mail. If you're based in Barcelona, you'll be able to pick it up at any of the designated spots, or I can even bring it to your doorstep with my bike if you prefer!

The rewards

You'll find different options for rewards besides the book itself, like postcards, prints of some of the illustrations, and some bonus options like boundles or original artworks. You can also combine different rewards. 
• Postcard: signed print from one of the stops on the trip (4x6 inches)
• Book: signed paperback binded copy
• Book + Unique Illustrated Raffle: print from one of the stops on the trip with original artwork added with gouache, waxes and drawing pencils (5x12 inches) Limited to 50 copies
• Book + Printed Illustration: print from one of the stops on the trip (5x12 inches)
• Pack 4 Postcards: prints from different stops on the trip (4x6 inches)
• Book + Pack 4 Postcards: prints from different stops on the trip (4x6 inches)
• Pack 2 Books + 2 Potcards: two signed paperback binded copies of the book + two prints from different stops on the trip (4x6 inches)
• Book Premium: special edition, numbered and signed copy in hardback
Limited to 50 copies
• Pack Premium: book premium (special edition, numbered and signed copy in hardback) + Pack 4 postcards prints from different stops on the trip (4x6 inches) + 2 illustration large print from one of the stops on the trip (5x12 inches) Choose your copy from prints options. Limited to 25 copies
• Book Premium + Personalized Original Illustration: book premium (special edition, numbered and signed copy in hardback) + one-off, signed, hand-drawn, illustration choosed by you (size approx A4) Limited to 10 copies
• Pack Institutional Donors: 20 books paperback binded copies in a personalized edition. Languages availables: English, Portuguese, Spanish and catalan. Ask for other languages.

Book specifications

The book includes 24 illustrations of my favourite spots in Portugal: buildings, landscapes and urban scenes, accompanied by commentaries from my personal experience during the trip. It features an introduction by Nelson Paciencia, President of Urban Sketching Portugal.

• Closed size: 15 x 21 cm 
• Open size: 15 x 42 cm 
• 48 pages
• Printed CYMK-Digital Offset HP Indigo High Quality
• Paper Offset-Natural Old Mill by Fedrigoni (150 grams)
• Binding: paperback binded with seen thread + sash
• Language: English
• Weight: 110 grams
• Weight Premium Edition (Hardback): 250 gramos

Rewards specifications

• Postcard: Size 3x5 inches. High Quility Printing. Paper Old Mill Premium White by Fedrigoni (300 grams)

• Print Illustration: Size 5x12 inches. High Quility Printing. Paper Old Mill Premium White by Fedrigoni (300 grams)

Choose your print from these options:

• Personalized Original Illustration: Size approx. A4. I'll draw an original hand-on sketch in Mix Media tecnique. Paper Old Mill Premium White by Fedrigoni (300 grams)

What will your contribution be destined to?

• Printing and binding the book (a minimum amount of 100 copies)
• Rewards
• Shipping and packaging costs
• Taxes (5% Verkami tax + 21% IVA + 1,35% bank tax)

If we exceed the goal amount I'm considering editing more copies, perhaps printing a hardcover premium edition, and also covering the design and layout costs, which I'm assuming by myself at the moment.

Scheduled calendar

We are in the pre-production and layout phase at the moment. Our goal is to take the book to the press by the end of March or beginning of April 2019, so it can be distributed by April 23rd, International Book Day (Sant Jordi in Catalonia).

Complicities

It's my first experience in a crowdfunding project, but I'm really fortunate to count on Ignasi López's support, from the company La Bibliogràfica, who is in charge of graphic design and production for the book.

The fabulous team completes with Raquel Maes Photopgraphy as video maker and Serena Altair translating to english.

More Information

• Instagram: @mireiasketches 
• Instagram: @la_bibliografica
• Facebook: @mireiagubianas
• Twitter: @nenamuda