Wanderluster Design Co.

Hi! I’m Samer, and I’m an architect living in beautiful San Francisco, California. I'm also an avid world traveler and have been to over 230 countries + territories. I love the unique situations I end up in when I pause to sketch whatever it is at that moment that happens to be taking my breath away. I always sketch "live" while traveling (never from a photograph), and I hope my sketches inspire you to get out and see the world! So… why do I sketch? I love to draw and I love buildings, but there’s so much more to it: when I sketch, I have to pay attention to every single element and detail of the building — I end up ‘getting to know’ it, studying its architecture in a way that just looking at it as a whole cannot do. Once you study the parts and pieces in that much detail, you gain an entirely new appreciation of what you’re looking at, and what went into its creation, when you zoom back out. Also, my sketches are usually of an important architectural sight in a city, and naturally there are many people around it… a mix of locals and tourists, passers-by and loiterers. Many are curious, wondering what I’m looking at and what I’m doing. It’s a different way to interact with local people as well as fellow travelers. The curiosity level is different in each country too — sometimes I’m literally surrounded by people while sketching, almost to the point of not being able to finish! Other times, I’m treated like a celebrity, with strangers asking for a photo with me, even an autograph! Most times, I’ll just get a pleasant “very nice!” in the local language, which always makes me smile. I’ve met many people, had some great conversations, and made new friends and travel buddies just by stopping and putting my pencil to paper. So, enjoy browsing the sketches below, and as you look at them, try to imagine that behind almost every sketch lies a great story!