This spring/summer, the main thing I wanted to adjust in my art practice was sketching more.
I’ve been joining different Patreons, and working at the studio a lot, but the one thing that was missing was drawing on location or from moments in my own life. I had started some kind of visual journal last year, but I was struggling to fill the pages, often forgetting, or feeling a bit stuck.

I wasn’t sure why.
Or how to fix it.

So I started experimenting.

Different sizes of sketchbooks, all kinds of materials, and new approaches.

I noticed a few things:
– The less stuff I had with me, the more I drew.
– The smaller the sketchbook, the easier I scribbled away.
– I prefer dry materials so I don’t have to wait for paint to dry while I keep an eye on my dogs.

I created a few kits and tried them. Some worked great, others didn’t.

Making my supplies as portable as possible was important. Here I used the Artgraf putty to fill watercolour pans and a makeup pot. It only needs a waterbrush and a tissue paper and I’m ready to go.

There are so many locations I’d like to visit, but sometimes it’s easier to squeeze a bit of drawing in here and there, like on my daily walk with the dogs, instead of big trips.

In my quest for a lighter daily carry, I also made a new minimalistic wallet from leather:

There is the tail of summer left before autumn arrives. My approach might change with the season, or I might adjust some bits. But I will definitely continue to draw as much as possible! 🙂