Summer Project- End of June to September
This Summer take your drawing and appreciation of your surroundings to a whole new level!

How to start travel sketching:

Artists throughout history, have gathered visual information as they travel. In notebooks and journals and sketch books; on napkins and ticket stubs, the backs of envelopes and in photographs to sketch from back home.

The world is your studio.

The beauty of sketching outside, with limited resources is how portable it can be, and how any surface—from a table at an outdoor café to the desk in your hotel room or a picnic rug on the beach—can become your work space. Once you have mastered the perfect formula for your own comfort and drawing methods, it will become a new habit and part of your practice.

See with your eyes, not with your brain.

Begin by framing your sketch with your eyes and fingers, and choosing the perspective you’d like to capture. Our brain often tricks us; for instance, telling us a roofline slants up when it actually angles down. Take a paintbrush and hold up against the angles of buildings or paths in front of you. Take the time to really study a scene, and draw without naming every object or being too judge-mental on your markmaking.

Make use of all your senses.

Though drawing is primarily a visual exercise, flexing your other sensory muscles can deepen memories you can recall for artwork later on. What do you smell? What do you hear and which sounds stand out the most? What is most important to you? With each observation, consider making annotations on or around the drawings. These notes will help you create evocative mementos of the wonderful places you experience in your travels.

You will need a good quality sketchbook (look for paper sturdy enough in weight that it won’t buckle; 140lb, or 300 gsm, works well) and a pen, colored pencils or a travel-sized watercolor field kit will help bring your drawings to life.

Your favourite art materials ( a different one each week) For example pencils, pen and ink, oil pastels. Keep things simple and lightweight.

A way to be comfortable as you draw, like having a good back support or cushion. Sit in the sun or the shade according to what you find most comfortable, wear shades if you want to blend in!

Take your sketchbook with you if you sit in the garden, go on a walk, or a car journey, even a cafe or day out. 

Don’t over think, just draw. Draw without looking too much at the paper, cover the page in sketches and notes. The more loose the better. 

Practicing drawing rather than a finished piece each week will strengthen your mark-making, confidence and gather tons of information for future projects.

See some more examples below on pinterest
Pinterest

 Each week will focus simply on a different type of media. Draw any views or objects you see.
Week one
PENCIL
(at least a 2B or darker)

There are hundreds of tutorials online helping you with every aspect of your work. Here is a quick one about your set up

We look forward to seeing your drawings and celebrating your Summer. Please email lizatthebeachhut@yahoo.co.uk if you would like to join the weekly (free) online gallery

Liz x