Category Archives: Tips for the Travel Sketcher

Three reasons to dig out your viewfinder.

Posted on August 21, 2019 by

Someone may have given you one as a gift or you picked one up out of curiosity – a viewfinder. Or you were shown the neat trick of using your hands as a viewfinder, reminiscent of movie directors in comedies … Continue reading →

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What is your sketching style?

Posted on July 30, 2019 by

If you follow sketching posts on the web you find that travel and urban sketchers are all over the place as far as technique, style, and content. Most artist in any medium will develop a style that is distinctly theirs … Continue reading →

Posted in ink, Tips for the Travel Sketcher

What I learned about sketching from birds

Posted on April 2, 2019 by

Most of us have something that intimidates us when we think of doing a sketch. Some fear buildings because of perspective issues, others its people and faces, for me it is (was) birds. Past attempts were usually disappointing. Thanks to … Continue reading →

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Yes! You can travelsketch. April 13, Mukilteo, Wa

Posted on March 5, 2019 by

If you have ever wished that you could capture travel moments with pen and paint, BUT think you “can’t draw,” then this is for you. All levels are welcome and will pick up tips and tricks, but special attention will … Continue reading →

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Graphite and pencils revisited

Posted on February 20, 2019 by

Ink, specifically a fountain pen, is my go-to sketching implement. My first sketches were with Rapidograph and Micron pens, no watercolor and rarely any pencil. Over the years the Rapidograph was retired as being too difficult to keep clean and … Continue reading →

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Perspective challenge in Florence, Italy

Posted on January 24, 2019 by

Many of the grand buildings that inspire a travel sketch quite often are intimidating in the perspective challenges they present. Perspective seems daunting, I get that. Yet a few tips make it work. Trust the process – horizon line and … Continue reading →

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Where do I start?

Posted on January 20, 2019 by

One of the challenges when travel sketching is where to start. Admittedly every artist has their own valid approach. Yet we often get hung up in the details, trying to create a sketch that looks like a photo, this can … Continue reading →

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My new pochade box finally came!

Posted on November 1, 2018 by

My last blog described my transition to theTravelsketcher. Today my gift to myself finally came – Amazon left the unit number off the address, resulting in an extra day of unwelcome delayed gratification. My SOHO Urban Artist Pochade Box arrived … Continue reading →

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How I became theTravelsketcher

Posted on November 1, 2018 by

Twenty-five years ago, this coming January, I boarded a plane at SEATAC airport headed to Racine Wisconsin. Prior to that I had been to Mexico twice, and flights for business in the Western States – a business traveler yet not … Continue reading →

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Testing a new tripod

Posted on September 26, 2018 by

Most of the time my lap has supported my sketchpad and paints. I like to travel light so that works well. Yet after seeing so many urban and travel sketchers use a tripod for sketching I had to give it … Continue reading →

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