In yesterday’s post, (find it here), I shared how this page began with a walk in the woods and a “5-5-5 Sketch Challenge”, where I walked, drew, and painted one image at a time to create a composite sketch. The plein air sketching session gave me a good start on this page, but it needed some additional work to bring it to completion.
In today’s post, I’ll share how I added elements to this two-page spread and completed the painting process back in my studio. It’s so much easier to do all this finishing work at home where I have all my tools and materials at hand and a large table to work at.
The first thing I did was to refine the circle around the violet using a plastic circle template.
Then I grabbed a small T-square to draw nice, straight lines for the text box.
With those refinements completed, the next step was to draw some lettering guidelines in the text box.
I was so excited to use my brand-new Everyday Artist SketchLiner stencil to rule the lines that I forgot to take a picture! Be sure to check out the SketchLiner at CheapJoes.com. It offers a quick and easy way to draw perfectly spaced lines on a sketchbook page. (And I invented it!)
I roughed-in my text paragraph with pencil first to see how the spacing would work out, then inked it with a size S Pitt pen. I was feeling nostalgic that day in the woods, thinking about how excited we were when we first bought the property and how lucky we are to have had this place to enjoy and share.
I decided to label the plants I’d drawn, mostly so I could remember “cut-leaf toothwort”, but also to add a calligraphic touch to the page. I used a dip pen and black ink to hand-letter the plant names.
The next step was to paint a variegated base wash on the beech tree. Then I had to decide what to do about the background. Should I leave it white or go all out and give the sketch more of a sense of place by painting the hillside, distant trees, sky, and grass? You can see what I decided…
It was a bold step, but now the sketch really captures the feeling of walking down the hill into the woods and finding wildflowers along the way. It reminds me, not just of what I saw that day, but of what it felt like to be there. The overcast sky, bare tree branches, daffodils, and that first flush of green in the tree canopy will always remind me of early spring at Summerhill.
Now, for the finishing touches:
I added some detailing and darker values to the violet, inked the circle to tidy it a bit, and toned down the white background with a pale lavender wash.
On the text box, I inked the line with tiny dots for a lighter, less defined look.
The bluets were given a few darker touches and some spattering.
Shading was added to the tree trunk and branches, and I used a small round brush to paint the bark texture and cast shadows. Then I painted the page title with broken lines to suggest the look of hand-carved letters.
Darker accents were added to the cut-leaf toothwort and the ground cover below it.
A few shadows were added to the daffodils, and the date was painted with a small round brush.
A touch of spattering here and there added texture and an air of spontaneity.
And, finally, a few turkey vultures riding the currents…
Here’s the finished sketch – what do you think?
My only regret with this page is that I didn’t think to include Buddy and Buckley until it was too late. They are such a big part of my memories of the day. Hmmm, maybe I should add a silhouette of the two of them waiting for me up the hill among the distant trees? I’ll think about it. (Edit: Check this out!)
Did you enjoy this step-by-step description of the process I used to design and create a composite nature sketch? Let me know in the comments if it was helpful, and I’ll write more posts like this.
Have a beautiful spring!
33 Comments
Loved the step by step guide and the beautiful page you created. Looking at it will bring back all your wonderful moments of walking in the woods.
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it. I’ll be sure to do more step-by-step posts.
You continue to offer beauty and inspiration to the soul!
This time of year just begs us get out and sketch! Breaking down the process like you do is helpful, thank you! I sure miss those in person classes too! Julene
Oh yes!
I came to the watercolor party late! I see finished pages like that and am at a loss as to where to start and “how to think and plan” to create a sketch I’m happy with. You are an inspiration.
Thank you
Just build the page one step at a time. After each addition, stop and think. Think about contrasting sizes, colors, and orientation of the various sketches. And look for ways to connect them, either by overlapping edges or using a color box or watercolor wash. But don’t fuss too much – the most important thing is the experience of being there and really seeing what you’re drawing. Have fun with it!
Yes, love the step-by-step process. You’re right, Buckley and Buddy should have been included, but I didn’t think of it either until you mentioned it. I must remember now to sketch my River when we go for sketch walks up in the woods.
I’ll look forward to seeing River popping up in your nature sketches. 🙂
Yes, it’s a wonderful ‘step by step’, but it’s especially poignant knowing that that is your last Spring there. I didn’t realize you were moving away! (did I miss that somehow?). I think it will be especially wonderful when you look back at that page later and all those memories come flooding back!! (Where are you moving too, btw?). And yes…perhaps a silhouette of your dear pets on the hill would be especially fun….they were such a good part of the story!!
Yes, we’ll be moving this summer. We’re building a new house about an hour away. We’ll be just five minutes away from our four grandchildren. We want to be a part of their everyday lives, rather than just occasional visitors. My next blog post will be about the new house (as soon as I get a break from prepping this place to sell!)
It was so valuable to see your process finished to the end. I really liked the idea of doing quicker sketches in the field and then getting more detailed and complete back inside with all of your supplies handy (no bugs, temperature-controlled, no wind, etc.) Thanks so much for sharing!
This process works well for travel sketches, too. Do as much as you can onsite, then finish up at home. It’s much more practical to do the lettering, borders, and detailing at a table, and you get to enjoy reliving the original experience through your sketches. It works for me!
I loved opening my email and seeing this step by step! It made me feel like I was somehow there, too. ❤️
I’m glad to hear that. When I write long posts like this, I always worry that I’m going on too long, but I think many of my readers want to get inside my head to understand how I think about the sketching process, and how exactly I get from a blank white page to a finished sketch.
I really enjoyed your step-by-step details. Not only your process, but also the story that inspired it. Let us know if you added Buddy and Buckley. 🐾🐾
I loved the step by step, never have been able to understand the ‘plein air to completion’ bit.
I agree with Roxanne, the pets waiting on the hilltop would be good.
Thank you for sharing.
I appreciate your taking the time to comment, Christine. I hope my description was helpful.
I appreciated this step by step very much. Would love to see more.
Will do!
Leslie – love the step by step. It really helps me to see what level of detail you did on-site vs what you do back at home. Would love to see more! Thank you!
Glad you liked it, Debbie. It takes a lot of time to scan each step, edit the photos, and upload them, but I think it’s worth it to give you a real understanding of the process from start to finish.
Leslie, you are such an inspiration!! I am going from Bradenton, Florida to Sapphire, North Carolina on vacation next week and already planned to bring my sketching supplies. Your step-by-step description of your sketch is just what I needed, since I am planning several wildflower hikes but had only a vague idea of how to record what I found on the trails. This is so much nicer than sketching one item to a page… and I love the 5 minute challenge idea. Very do-able. Thank you so much for sharing your talent! I definitely would like to see more of your planning processes.
I’ve even done a variation of the 5-5-5 sketch challenge when I’m on a road trip and I’m not driving. I set a timer to go off every hour on the hour. When it goes off, I snap a picture of something I see from the car as we’re driving along. Then I spend the next hour doing a sketch of the scene, complete with watercolor. It has to be completed before the next ring of the alarm. I usually do a gridded page or one where I combine boxes/shapes with soft-edged vignettes and use my plein air set-up on my lap. It’s amazing how quickly time passes when I’m engrossed in my sketchbook. And these pages from our trips really capture the essence of the landscape we’re passing through and the things that happen during the trip, like eating lunch, pumping gas, etc. Give it a try sometime…but not if you get car sick!
Your sketches are always beautiful. This one is off the charts!! Like others I really appreciate the description and the images of your process and how you described the decisions you made to create this page. I don’t think you can ever go on too long. Thanks for sharing. Look forward to seeing more.
Well, that’s reassuring! I’m glad you like the descriptions of my sketching process.
Wonderful and what a generous heart and soul to share such knowledge and beauty.
Thanks so much for your sweet comment, Donna.
Such a beautiful, bittersweet layout. Thank you for sharing your gorgeous art, and also the feelings while on the walk.
You’re welcome, Laura. Thanks for popping in to read the posts and for taking the time to comment.
I adored this step-by-step and the finished product is splendid. I think it DOES capture the mood you described in your earlier post and those feelings. But oh, you are leaving Summerhill. I must have missed that. You’ve shared so much about this lovely spot, I think we will miss it, too.
I look forward to trying this technique — especially up north, but even on my pond walks at home. What a wonderful exercise in discipline and capturing the essence. Then the finish at home. (Your lettering guide looks great — I need to check that out!)
Yes, it’s definitely a time of mixed emotions: excitement for new beginnings and getting to spend more time with our grandchildren, but sadness about leaving this special place that we’ve shared with so many friends over the years. I’m enjoying each day we have left here and trying to be especially mindful of the daily pleasures Summerhill gives me.
I have enjoyed your blog, and your talent, for a few years now. This is the first time actually putting it in writing to you. Posts like this are an immense help to so many artists, no matter our skill level. It’s always interesting to see the different approaches to these types of sketchbooks. I look forward to all your posts, and hope to one day take an actual “in person” workshop with you!
I hope we’ll have a chance to meet some day, Denise. Those live workshops can’t come soon enough for me. I miss feeling the energy and excitement in the classroom and seeing how happy everyone is with what they’ve created. And the travel! As much as I love where I live, I wouldn’t mind a visit to Tuscany or Provence right about now!
I’m so happy that I found you and this post…..quite by serendipity; looking instead for instructions to sew a valance for my living area. I am an aspiring creative and long to cultivate a process that I can believe in my creativity and just get started….I see your finished work and it seems impossible to achieve. You led us through the process in a beautifully simplistic fashion that is graced by so much beauty. I will use this tutorial as a confidence builder, your work is amazing and words are not enough. Please continue to post. Thank you,