ERRCH!! THUMP! " Please remain in your seats till we reach the terminal"
I'M HERE! . . .
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| OK, Not exactly the Weather I pictured for my Sketching Trip!!! |
My Outdoor Sketching trip to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia has begun.
Let me tell you, there are tons of things to sketch there. My trip this year was focused on the Western side of Newfoundland and Eastern Shore and Southern Shore of Nova Scotia. I wanted to do hikes, walks and sketch, poke around lighthouses and old buildings. Outdoor Stuff.
And I did. . . .
But to have Success and bring home oodles of Great Sketches, there are 5 Must-Do Essentials for a Great Trip
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| Nova Scotia: Must have the Peggy's Cove Lighthouse in your sketchbook. How can you not?! |
***See my YouTube: Sketching Adventure: Newfoundland and Nova Scotia for more Highlights!!
1. Have a small traveling kit & book:
You have only a short window to sketch - light, weather, bugs, new sights - they all call to you. Keep you kit small but full of essentials. Give your kit a few test runs before a big trip to make sure everything is there. At 5 x 7.5 x 1.75, I mean small. Your book should be about the same size.
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| My Art Supplies in my Travel Kit - 5 x 7 x 1.75 in |
See My Really Smallmendous Art Kit. To see what's in my kit. Each year/major trip, I check it over to see if there is something new to add. This year I added Payne's Gray to my watercolours and a white marker pen. Both turned out to be great additions.
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| Had to capture one of these Windswept Trees by the water. (Half Page Ink Sketch) |
2. Work BIG and small:
Sometimes you have only a few minutes, other times an hour. Pick the thing that catches your eye and sketch it. If time is short, I often go straight to my pen and sketch a small drawing. Later, in the evening I might add colour or leave as is. A half page or full page, even in a small 5 x 8 sketchbook book takes time.
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| Pocket-Sized Memories from Newfoundland & Nova Scotia |
Other Quick Alternatives are: pencil or pen sketch only; pen work with pencil shading; quick pencil sketch and add watercolour; or one of my favourites is only paint the focus area in a pen sketch and leave the rest as line work.
3. Monitor your Expectations:
Success breeds Success. If you are disappointed with your work, check out your expectations. Are you putting too much pressure on yourself to make a 'finish piece'? A sketch is a sketch. It doesn't have to be finished. Or Fill the whole page. Just capture the idea and move on.
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| Really feel like I caught the spirit of the barren west coast of Newfoundland |
Guard against your Critical Voice. I find this a big one for me. At some point in my sketch I feel that 'critical voice' step in. SHUT IT OUT. It is one thing to tell yourself that you need to move a line but once you start hearing stuff like "this isn't working, that's not right, . . . ". You know you need to stop the chatter and get to work. This is a sketch. You are capturing a feeling. A memory. Let it happen. I guarantee when you look at it later you will be impressed with what you could do in such a short time!!
Don't expect to finish a whole page in one sitting. See #4 Down Time.
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| Nova Scotia: When I saw Mrs Perkins in the house, I just knew I had to put her in my journal |
4. Save Stuff for Down Time:
There is always Down Time on any trip: waiting for tickets, people, food, rides, ferries, life. When you have a minute take out your book and add stuff: dates; notes on the location/names/special notes; add a bit of colour. I seldom add more to the drawing part as I find an outdoor sketch has a certain energy to it and adding too much later changes that energy. If I do add colour, I try and recreate some of the conditions: sit outside in similar light and wear my sunglasses if I was wearing them when I started. Sunglasses do change the colours so if you start with sunglasses, finish it up with sunglasses.
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| Newfoundland Coltsfoot - makes a great decoration for a page |
5. Treat your Sketchbook pages as the Composition:
I think this is a biggie for Sketchbooks. And probably the biggest change for artists new to sketching. When sketching, your canvas is the TWO PAGES facing you. This means that the look of the two pages is your composition - not any particular sketch. To finish the page you are balancing your notes, your journal comments and your drawings. Not to say you can't do a 2 page spread and I certainly do, when I can, but most of the time it will be smaller things.
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| Newfoundland: Orange House & Crabbing Boat at Crabbs River |
If I find I am on the move a lot, I will do smaller sketches and take pictures of something I want in a larger format. This will become one of my Down Time Activities. (see #4)
Outdoor Sketching can be a big or small part of your trip. But you will find as your sketchbook grows, those sketches will become some of your best memories of your trip.
***See my YouTube: Sketching Adventure: Newfoundland and Nova Scotia for more Highlights!!
Awesome Opportunity - 2 Artist Retreats in the Shuswap
September 15-18, 2023
Join me for 4 DAYS of Outdoor Sketching, nature walks, deck and beach time, creative conversations, gourmet meals and simply relaxing
Join me for 4 DAYS of Outdoor Sketching, nature walks, deck and beach time, creative conversations, gourmet meals and simply relaxing
Your Hosts, Joanne Denis and Myself. Cost: $450 single room or $300 shared room
Art instruction, transportation (from Lower Mainland), meals and lodging included (Bring your own art supplies. Space is limited to 8-10 attendees, Register Early
Art instruction, transportation (from Lower Mainland), meals and lodging included (Bring your own art supplies. Space is limited to 8-10 attendees, Register Early
Outdoor Sketching Classes - Dates are HERE!!
Outdoor Sketching Classes
July 27, 10-12:30pm
August 3 & 10, 10-12:30pm
Experience the Joy of Sketching in Nature with Wendy .
2.5 hr classes; located in Surrey Parks; Beginner to Advanced Welcome.
Class Size: Max 3 $55 per session
Available for booking special outings for you and 1-2 of your friends. Gift Certificates Available.
Contact Wendy to REGISTER
Original work, Commissions, Private Drawing Lessons, Prints and Cards of her Work,
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Have a great Artful Day,
Wendy
