A Fun and Easy Sketchbook Project

'The Tree on Peanut Road'         5x7      plein air  pastel       ©Karen Margulis
available $95

I have been wanting to do this for a long time. I have started to keep a sketchbook! I have started before and never get too far along before the latest sketchbook ended up on the shelf...unfinished.

I hope this time will be different. I know it has been a lot more fun. I think it is because I made it easy this time. That and I had plenty of free time to really dive into the sketchbook.

So how did I make it easy? I simplified my supplies. It seems to be the good answer to everything. When I simplify I am more productive. I chose a small pouch that will hold all of my supplies but still fit easily into my daily purse. There was no excuse not to take it with me. And I took it everywhere while on my vacation. OK I didn't take it on my horseback ride. but it came everywhere else.

sketching the skiers as they came down from their run

My pouch of sketching supplies

I brought the following supplies which gave me the ability to do a variety of sketching from pencil to charcoal to watercolor....even some collaging!

• A set of 12 Derwent Inktense pencils (turns into ink when wet)
• A Caran d'Ache water brush
• A couple of water soluble graphite pencils (cool for washes)
• A couple of thin black pens...Pitt, Le Pen and a Sanford Vision pen
• A small Daler-Rownet watercolor set (I used the brush that came inside the set)
• Pencil sharpener
• Glue stick

Once I did a few pages I was hooked. I saw subjects for sketching everywhere! I can see why the whole Urban Sketching and travel journaling and sketching is so popular. It was such and easy and relaxing way to be creative. And I KNOW that the time I spent observing and sketching will only enhance the paintings I will now do from this trip. 

I look forward to continuing my sketchbook and learning more about this great new (to me) adventure!

Here are just a few of the pages I did in Crested Butte Colorado.