Link in some pics and insta posts. I have been immersed in sketching landscapes over the last few months, in preparation for my Cheltenham exhibition.
My preference is to be out in the landscape, to soak up the whole experience, so it's been a little weather dependant.
The act of sketching records, but also exercises creative muscle embedding places in my memory through observation and mark making. This way, when I'm back in the studio my painting becomes much more instinctive.
It's fair to say I had a bit of resistance to sketching when I started out on my art journey. I remember my art tutor expressing horror at my plan to tear out the pages of my sketch book I didn't like! He is awesome btw - you can find his sublime oil paintings here.
I saw drawing as a natural talent I lacked. I thought pencils were a bit boring & really wanted to crack on with painting. After all, shouldn't I leave it to Leonardo, Michelangelo and other Ninja Turtles, who could really draw!
But as my landscape practice has grown sketching outside, 'en plein air' has become a vital step in my painting. There's lots of resources out there on the how and the why of sketching so here I'll share a few of my thoughts and practices.
Pencils aren't boring!
So let's talk art supplies! I love a box, basket, tin, even a used match box! So I have no shortage of sketching 'kits'.
I tend to bring way too much when I head out to sketch but I'm learning to simplify to help me focus more on 'gathering together' the landscape. Check out me and the kitchen sink before I exercised some restraint with my supplies!
I mix up my kit depending on the location & time, but a few supplies make it to every outing.
My favourite is a 14B pencil - I know! Who knew there was a 14B!!! No shiny graphite just dark, matt lusciousness. It does wear quickly so a sharpener's a must.
I also carry a water soluble black/dark pencil, a small tin of charcoal & a few water soluble crayons & pencils in my basic kit. That said I usually bring along a few more materials - here you can see what's in the case. And here's my summer sketching kit, which is neat enough for my back pack.
When I do take paints I try to keep it to a limited palette, so I'm not distracted by too many colours & can get on with mark making. I've brought acrylics with me in the past, but more recently I've been bringing water colours - the jury is out on which I prefer, but I like the variety.
Here's one of my concertina sketch books which I started with almost a monochrome palette. I've used ink here which is a really effective dark. However a few crayons can offer a riot of colour .
So I change the materials I bring out with me regularly to include some - soft & oil pastels, water soluble crayons - carandache neocolours, inktense, woodies graphite sticks, coloured pencils, charcoals, water colours & inks.
I try to exercise restraint but frequently have to decant my bag into the boot of the car before I can walk off into the countryside. It doesn't have to be a huge haul of materials to capture the place.
Check out Helen Glassford's simple pencil sketches - mesmerising! Clearly pencils aren't boring! At some point I'll share the surfaces I sketch on, until then may the sun shine on your sketch book!!
Let me know how you use drawing in your practice - it's fascinating how different we all are.
If you're interested in where the sketches lead me, then you might like to visit my collections.
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