Sketching While Traveling by Roger Marz

Sketching while traveling is a race against time. Tour buses generally allow only enough time for a photo stop at scenic places. There is never enough time to erase and start over. Success depends upon getting as much of the scene translated into as few lines as possible. Learning to quickly render with easily transportable tools is to relearn the art sketching for most artists. Sketching is an “expression of an impression, abstracted from reality and designed to fool the eye.” The artist is always asking the question “Do you see what I see?” Lines with or without color can be as expressive and as personal as a signature.

They key to sketching is lines, and seeing the minimalistic amount of them present in nature. Work at capturing the full image without getting bogged down by too much detail. Compare this approach toward the quick studies in a figure drawing class; with under five minutes of time you must omit or hint at the details in order to capture the full pose being held at that moment. The idea in both works is in capturing the moment.

It takes practice to be able to draw lines quickly. Practice sketching every day. Dashing off sketches requires being satisfied with good enough rather than perfect. Looking intently at your subject matter with that purpose in mind sharpens your visual memory. Use the negative spaces to help shape the positive ones. Allude to shapes and shading with minimal drawing. In a pinch, steal a trick of Cezanne’s and indicate a shape with a set of light parallels. Trust the viewer’s eye and mind to put it together.

Drawing in any form goes beyond representing what is before you, but delves into capturing a moment in time, including the feelings it evokes. Thus travel sketches will often differ from a photograph by giving a glimpse into our own perceptions and reactions to a place. This is true even for scenes of the past. Some of my favorite sketches were done from memory. Obviously these sketches are not “accurate” in the ordinary sense of the word. Yet, sketches of contemporary scenes need not be perfect either. I draw and sketch what I see, which is related to, but not a replica of what is front of me.

Recreating color while on the go is difficult, particularly in a tour group setting. I use two different methods; watercolor pencils and a small Windsor and Newton watercolor pan set. Since my equipment must be portable everything has to fit in one of the multiple pockets of my travelsmith photojournalist vest. The paper is small and stiff. Useful sizes are 4×6 inch and 7×10 inch sketchbooks and 4×6 up to 9x 12 inch blocks. When using watercolor pencils I apply the color dry and then wet it. A helpful hint for this method is to carry along two or three hotel sized shampoo bottles full of water. Ninety five percent of the time the pen sketch comes first and the colors later. I do have a fairly good digital camera but rarely use it except to capture shadow patterns at a particular time of day when those are important to the image in my head.

I use Faber Castell Pitt pen sets which have three ball points of varying width and a felt tip, black and sepia but I never mix them in one work. I like Kokuyo sketchbooks which have smooth 100 lb acid free paper in the 4×6 and 7×10 inch sizes. They take pen and ink well and stand up to wc pencil and paint if you are not too juicy. The colors can’t be corrected. Arches hot pressed blocks are great and correctable and they get used mostly in the evening when I try to work up sketches into something larger. I use short handled craft synthetic brushes on my trips. Since they are inexpensive, it doesn’t matter if I lose them and they hold enough water for sketchbook work. If you like better quality in a short brush, Cheap Joes travel brushes are very good. I don’t consider myself enough of a colorist to give advice on pigments. Most of my grays and all of my darks are mixed and I don’t use white . I carry along tissues to clean the mixing areas but always save one or more for palette grays.

Practicing quick sketch techniques will show rewards in all of your art works. Take some pens and paper along on your next trip and try a sketch or three for some very special momentos and reminders. Use watercolour postcards to sketch on and send back some truly personal postcards to friends and families. Keep on sketching and you will soon see your artistic vision sharpen and broaden, as well as your memory of the travels you sketch.

I gave up drawing completely and eventually got a Ph.D. in political science and public administration and taught at various universities. My wife Eileen and I were able to travel extensively both before and after retirement, on these trips we took the usual snapshots put them in the usual albums and stowed them away in the usual drawers. But I suddenly realized that I could indulge myself in drawing again without stealing time from my family or profession. In 2000 my wife and I took a cruise from Chile to Rio via Cape Horn. It was on that cruise that I decided to take up drawing again. On that cruise I filled the first of my sketchbooks, I am now working on book 33.

Learn more with: "Painting on Location : Planning Ahead", "Pitfalls & Pleasures of Plein Air Painting", "Have Paints, Will Travel! Plein Air Painting", "Plein air"