Sketching is a wonderful hobby to have as it involves calling on all of your key creativity in some quick fire and rapid drawing exercises. It also involves the artist who can sometimes live with a solitary lifestyle on occasion and be wrapped up in the confines of his creativity, experiencing all of the beauty and sensation of the real world and enjoying the pleasure of the immediate environment.

 

If you are keen to try your hand at sketching and would like to organise a sketching trip, consider the following points before setting off:

 

1. Whilst some artists enjoy simple pencil sketching, there are others who will take some lightweight field watercolor paints so that simple colours can be mixed whilst at the scene. Take brushes and some water so that you can also mix the paints to your personal satisfaction and also, take a few pencils, a sharpener and any other equipment that you would usually use and which will help you out in the field.

 

2. Taking a camera with you is also a good idea as this resource will help give you a visual reminder of the setting when back at home.

 

3. Select a site where you feel comfortable, safe and of course, inspired. Sketching can be done anywhere, whether in a beautiful woodland setting, in addition to a mountain or in a busy shopping centre. The choice is entirely yours and the idea is to be able to stimulate your creativity as well as capturing colours, and the essence of the chosen subject.

 

4. Don’t set yourself too hard a task initially as you will only become despondent if your sketch is not successful. Instead of sketching or painting the scene as a whole, break it down into manageable segments.

 

5. Take a blanket or folding chair to sit on so that you are comfortable during your sketching pursuits, if you are planning to be out sketching for a while, ensure that you have enough food and drink to last the duration of your trip, and that you also ensure that you leave the location as tidy and rubbish free as you found it.