The ICAA’s Christopher H. Browne Drawing Tours are a reimagining of the long tradition of designers traveling—both domestically and abroad—to study and document precedents in order to inform and inspire the design of new buildings and places. The Drawing Tours aim to enhance practitioners’ knowledge and skills in creative and informed applications of the classical tradition. Each program is guided by leading architects in classical design. Instructors will explore a carefully-curated itinerary of drawing and study sites that introduce participants to the unique design characteristics of the city.

These programs are especially designed for emerging practitioners who have some prior experience working in traditional design, and are looking to expand the breadth of precedents that they can utilize in practice throughout their careers. The Drawing Tours are also frequently attended by established designers, artists, and all those looking to generally broaden their knowledge of classical design precedents.

In 2026, the ICAA’s Domestic Drawing Tour will look at the architecture, design, and urbanism of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Guided by longtime Portsmouth visitor and ICAA drawing instructor Stephen Chrisman, the program will highlight significant local precedents from Portsmouth’s 1630 founding through the 19th century while giving students the opportunity to develop their sketching, analytical, and measured drawing skills. Of particular interest is the Strawbery Banke district, one of the best collections of residential architecture from the 17th through 19th centuries, in varying styles and levels of sophistication, extant today in New England. Participants will have the opportunity to capture details such as the rooflines and ornamentation of key sites, as well as streetscapes, in their sketchbooks. By the end of the tour, students will gain both a richer understanding of Portsmouth’s architectural heritage and a portfolio of on-site drawings.