Just got back from San Juan Capistrano and thought I'd share a journal sketching technique that I love! It includes pencil, ink, and water colour pencils and is quick and colourful. I've been sketching and painting while on vacation for too long to remember and have finally settled on a very portable art tool kit - I don't go on any trips without it - I'll share it's contents with you below and give you some tips for one of my favorite techniques.
I can't say enough about how much sketching works for me as a way of bringing back great memories - I can still smell the sea air and hear the birds when I look at sketches from a Mediterranean trip that I took years ago.
You don't have to be a great artist to do this - my skin is thick enough to show my journals, but that is not what it is about - THIS IS FOR YOU TO ENJOY so don't let worrying about how good they are wreck the experience. Trust me - I have some very embarrassing examples I could show you, but I think I have only ever ripped out one because it gave me no joy. Landscapes don't have to be the object you sketch, although I like them the best - a floorplan of a particularly nice hotel room, a hat with a glob of bird doo on it, a slice of a moon etc. can all bring back great memories. I have also started adding in eye-catching paper mementos like museum entry tickets - these with a quick sketch of the most memorable thing you saw or some decorative doodling and musings on the day make great journal entries.
Bare bones traveller's art tool kit
I aim to carry everything I need in a large ziploc bag (about 10X12 inches) so that it is portable and protected from moisture.
- Sketch book
- Hard cover, spiral bound with acid free paper is essential.
- 7X10 inches is my favourite, but these can be hard to find - my current one is 5X5 which is a bit small but very easy to carry
- fairly heavy paper is good because you will be putting water on it, but I avoid water colour paper if it has tooth (texture). As long as you don't use too much water and you can tolerate a bit of wrinkling, most sketch books will work.
- Water colour pencils
- I like the Staedtler Karat Aquarell set of twelve. It gives a reasonable range of colours without being too overwhelming. Be sure they are pencils; water colour crayons are also fun to explore, but they don't work as well with the ink technique described below.
- Water cartridge brush(es). They go by different names - they are synthetic brushes that have a chamber in the handle of the brush that can be filled with water and eliminates the need for a water jar - I have three different types, but my favourite is medium size with a pointed end and is all you need for most things. Not all art stores carry them so call first.
- Drawing pencil - I usually use a regular mechanical pencil with an eraser on the end for convenience.
- Waterproof fine tip pen - archival waterproof ink - I use Sakura Micron 01
- Kneadable eraser
- Pencil sharpener
- Paper towel
Optional item ideas: Here are a few other easy to carry options that I add depending on my destination and mood. On long trips I take a selection and change out the options for variety sake.
- Drawing pencils (HB, 2B, 4B, 2H).
- Water colour palette and a few small brushes
- Water colour crayons
- Oil pastels
- Bits and pieces for embellishing your water colour (e.g. salt, tooth-pick for scratching - see reference to Karin Huehold's techniques below)
- 5X7 sheets of water colour paper - or water colour paper post cards and cards - these make great gifts to send home to friends and family
- 5X7 sheets of grey paper and black and white conte for contrast sketches
- brush tip coloured ink pens
- glue stick for attaching ticket stubs and other mementos to decorate around
- ETC - the list could go on forever!
Quick and colourful sketch technique
The first and most important thing is to pick something meaningful to draw and to find a comfortable place to set up for an hour or two (20-30 minutes once you get practised).
The deck off our room made for a particularly luxurious experience (notice the wine glass and credit to me that you will see that it is still relatively full at the end - by the way the ash tray is for pencil shavings only).
This is the view from the deck that I wanted to capture.
Select a manageable object to draw. In this case, I wanted to remember the water, the distant view of Dana Point, the swirling birds (the little black smudges in the sky are thousand of birds, not dirt on my camera) and the curiously located Amtrack line.
Using your pencil and eraser draw a very basic outline of your composition. Spend a few moments to make sure your proportions are working (the old artist technique of holding your pencil at arm's length to judge relative size works well). Look at your composition to see if you like it - I chose to add some clouds for interest. My apologies for the quality of the pictures, but hopefully, these on-the-fly snippets will give you a general idea of the approach. Remember to keep looking at your view - you should be spending 30-60% of your time doing this - not only to get a good outcome but to enjoy the experience.
Once you are happy with your sketch, retrace your marks with the water proof fine tip pen and erase your pencil - be sure to brush off all the eraser bits or they will wreck your painting. Don't worry about adding too much detail yet - this comes later.
Before you start with the water colour pencils you may want to experiment first on a separate page. Try shading medium and light coloured areas and apply water with the cartridge brush. Squeeze the brush gently to get water on it. Some colours are very vibrant and move easily, others do not. Notice that the colour stays on the brush and can be washed and blended beyond the coloured area. When you want to clean the brush, squeeze gently and wipe on paper towel. Try applying the water colour pencil to wet paper - you get very vibrant colours this way.
Once you are ready, start lightly shading in an area with the water colour pencils.
Start with lighter, distant areas - the sky and water in this case. I have used darker blue higher in the sky and on the shore line and light blue on the horizon and for most of the water.
Avoid wetting adjacent areas with different colours at the same time unless you want the colours to blend. Scribble in darker areas and shadows, leaving light areas. Use your brush to soften/blend the scribble, pull subtle colour to the light areas, and blend colours. You can go back in with the water colour pencils and brush if you like once it is dry. When you have filled in all of the areas and your paper is dry (this happens fast outdoors), use your pen to bring out details. Use loose, random little scribbles, stipples, or hatchings to bring out shadows without covering your colour - do a little to start, you can always add more but can't take them away.
Outline details like tree trunks and fill in dark areas like windows. Try outlining interesting water colour edges to accentuate them.
Add your signature, the date, location and any interesting quips. Sit back and enjoy the view and reflect on what you want to remember about the place!
One of the best things about this technique is that it is quick and you learn with each picture you do so be patient and enjoy! At the very worst you've spent dedicated time looking at something you enjoy and focusing on what you are seeing.
This and other journalling techniques I use are distillations of several workshops, courses, and lots of experimentation. I am particularly indebted to Karin Huehold who got me thinking about a "journal" rather than a "sketch book" and who has taught me innumerable nifty water colour tricks (check out
http://hue-hold.com/about-the-artist/). I highly recommend her "little water colour" techniques approach - it is a very liberating and non-threatening way for a non-watercolourist to venture into the medium. My thanks also to Bob Treacy for sharing his years of experience with ink sketches and his joy for documenting the world around him.
Using your pencil and eraser draw a very basic outline of your composition. Spend a few moments to make sure your proportions are working (the old artist technique of holding your pencil at arm's length to judge relative size works well). Look at your composition to see if you like it - I chose to add some clouds for interest. My apologies for the quality of the pictures, but hopefully, these on-the-fly snippets will give you a general idea of the approach. Remember to keep looking at your view - you should be spending 30-60% of your time doing this - not only to get a good outcome but to enjoy the experience.
Before you start with the water colour pencils you may want to experiment first on a separate page. Try shading medium and light coloured areas and apply water with the cartridge brush. Squeeze the brush gently to get water on it. Some colours are very vibrant and move easily, others do not. Notice that the colour stays on the brush and can be washed and blended beyond the coloured area. When you want to clean the brush, squeeze gently and wipe on paper towel. Try applying the water colour pencil to wet paper - you get very vibrant colours this way.
Start with lighter, distant areas - the sky and water in this case. I have used darker blue higher in the sky and on the shore line and light blue on the horizon and for most of the water. 
Outline details like tree trunks and fill in dark areas like windows. Try outlining interesting water colour edges to accentuate them. 
