Small Sketch Kit, Big Results

Every time I draw on location, it surprises me how the process unfolds, and even more how it turns out. Over the years I've learned to trust my instinct out there, and in this video I want to show you what that looks like in practice.

I found a lovely spot in the park with a view through the greens toward a white building in the distance. I had my watercolors with me, plus just a small handful of colored pencils, nothing else. Not my usual full kit, and definitely not my preferred sketchbook format either. But limited tools often push you into more interesting choices.

I started with watercolor, keeping the whites of the building untouched and loosely bringing green washes on the page, trying to catch the light and the shadows moving across the scene. Then I built up the drawing with colored pencil on top, using the side of the pencil for softer, blurred areas like the reflection, and the tip for sharper detail on the building itself.

At one point I didn't have the "right" color for the flowers in front of the building, so just used a different color instead.

You don't have to use local colors. You can make a creative choice and trust it'll work, and it might work even better than the "correct" color would have.

Click image to watch the video

Materials shown:

• Stillman & Birn Delta series sketchbook

• Daniel Smith watercolors

• Caran d'Ache Luminance colored pencils

Free video!

This demo actually comes from my Patreon archives. I share tips and inspiration there every week, and this video was originally just for my members. Today they're gifting it to you, free to watch.

Watch another free process video on Patreon.

You could become a member too, which means you also get extra perks. There's a 7 day trial, no strings attached.