Sketching on the Move in the Gulf Islands

Sketching is a wonderful way to keep a record of our travels, whether it’s a big vacation or a few hours in town.

And whilst travel might be limited right now, sketching round the neighbourhood gets us ready for when we can go adventuring again!

As being on the boat is great for social distancing, we headed out on Island Prism for a few days in the Gulf Islands. It was a great chance to pull out my sketchbooks for the first time in a little while.

Like anything else, I find my sketching skills can get rusty if I don’t use them for a bit. It usually takes a sketch or two to get used to using a waterbrush again. Mine are getting a bit old and worn, so it’s tricky to create detail when I paint, and I tend to forget how the constant flow of water affects washes.

When the boat is on the move, I have to be quick when I sketch. A stiff breeze makes the scenery move by pretty fast!

I have a tendancy to fill up my pages with large sketches. Drawing little boxes helps me to keep my pictures small (and I can always break out of the box if I need to)! The worn waterbrush becomes a blessing in disguise- I can’t get too caught up in detail. and I have to paint fast and loose.

Over the course of a day, I can fill my page up with little sketches. I focus on capturing the atmosphere of what I see, and try to avoid becoming perfectionist about the details.

By the time evening rolls around, I have my page filled up with a mini adventure!

Top Tips For Speedy Sketching

• Draw with a thick pen, a brush or a chunky pencil. It stops you getting too caught up in the details!

• Use a small sketchbook, or split a large page up into boxes to help you stay small.

• Focus on what’s important- don’t try to draw it all!

If you’ve got a sketching question, send me a message- or let me know your favourite fast sketching tips!