15. Sketching Round Up
Beach days, Family Time and New Art Supplies
Can you believe we're already in August? The summer is flying by, and with my children off school, it's been a whirlwind of activity. Despite the busy schedule, I've managed to squeeze in some sketching moments that I'd love to share with you.
Family Getaway
A few days ago, I had the pleasure of visiting my sister
, along with our children. Between the chaos of cousins playing, we found time to chat about our ongoing sketching projects. One of the highlights was a trip to Stonemill, a lovely quiet spot along a local river where the children can swim and play. We were determined to sketch together on location, so we made sure to take some basic sketching supplies along with us, and carved out a moment to draw together. There's something magical about sketching alongside a fellow creative, sharing techniques and inspiration.
Beach Sketches
We also enjoyed a day at the beach, where I couldn't resist pulling out my sketchbook. Again, I tried to keep it nice and loose, not worrying about detail or accurately depicting everything! I was glad to have done another sketch on location, something I always want to do but never seem to actually do!
Postcards of Summer Challenge
I've been participating in the "Postcards of Summer" daily prompt challenge over at my other substack - The Sketching Sisters. My approach for this challenge has been quick, loose line drawings with a splash of watercolor, much like I have been doing all Summer actually! It's been incredibly fun and liberating to create these small, daily pieces without the pressure of perfection.
Sketching Tip: For all of these postcards, I've been experimenting with continuous line drawing. This technique involves drawing without lifting your pen from the paper, which results in a fluid, dynamic sketch. It's a great way to capture the essence of a scene quickly and can lead to some fun and unexpected results. Give it a try in your next quick sketch!
I highly recommend trying a daily challenge if you're looking to invigorate your practice!
If you would like to join in with these summery daily prompts, head over to The Sketching Sisters to find out more.
New Art Supply Love
I recently treated myself to a new Peg & Awl 'Sendak Mini' artist roll, and I'm absolutely love it. It's a beautifully crafted, robust pencil case that's perfect for holding my essential on-the-go art supplies. If you're interested in the Sendak, I will be recording a video about it showing what I pack it with, and what I like and don’t like about it - hopefully I can include this in the next newsletter!
Recent Reads
While not directly related to sketching, I wanted to share that I just finished "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" by Gabrielle Zevin. It was a fantastic read! I'm now diving into "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens. There's nothing quite like losing yourself in a good book during summer. Let me know if you have any good recommendations to add to my ever growing ‘To Read’ list!
And finally…
I'd love to hear about your summer sketching adventures. Have you tried any new techniques or visited any inspiring locations? Drop a comment below and let me know!
Happy sketching,
Emma x
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Great continuous line work. I loved Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, too.
Beautiful artist roll! ☺️ lovely round up and so nice to have got to sketch on location with you 😊