Travel Journaling in Ink and Watercolor

I like to travel journal after I get home from a trip using my photos and odds and ends that I bring back. This is from a trip to Porto, Portugal. The seagulls are happy to dive bomb unsuspecting diners to snatch treats away. Do watch out!

I use ink and watercolor in Stillman & Birn Zeta Sketchbooks. I choose pictures from a day that have the most meaning and significance to me and then edit and put them into an arrangement that seems pleasing. I make a rough sketch of the elements on scratch paper. Once I like how it looks, then I start drawing in my sketchbook. I use pencil first, then ink - often with a fountain pen but sometimes with a fine liner but always with permanent waterproof ink, and then I watercolor. I try to leave white space for a title and notes.

If you are interested in learning more of this process to create your own ink and watercolor travel journal from your own photos, check out my workshops to see when the next one will be offered. At the time of this post, my next Travel Journal 6-week workshop will be on Wednesday evenings, 6:15 - 8:45 pm, at Cloud 9 Art School in Bothell, WA.

Drawing and Painting a Chocolate Wrapper

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Here are the two steps when I do a drawing. First I draw in ink and then I paint. I rarely do it the other way round, paint first then ink. With a wrapper I will also use pencil before hand to get the placement of the lettering and larger elements. In this particular case you can see the chocolate wrapper I’m drawing from.

Everyday items in Cuba

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I like to do travel journaling in my sketchbooks. This is a page from one of my Cuba sketchbooks that I completed recently with some of the bits and pieces brought home from my trips. I have fun with trying to make the items are realistic as I can within the ink and watercolor format. The coins, bills and card in this sketchbook spread (11"x8.5"/28cm x 21.6cm) are real size. I like to record the memorabilia of receipts, tickets, pamphlets, maps and odds and ends in my sketchbooks. I will usually mix them in with sketches related to the event. What do you like to record?

Lilly the Aussie

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I like to draw and paint animals. I have three cats and a dog of my own. The trouble is they move around too much, so I rely on photos. However, my Australian Shepherd is somewhat camera shy and it's hard to get her to look at me when I'm taking the picture. I follow various Instagram accounts with dogs as the primary characters. I saw this of Lilly the Aussie (lillytheaussie) and asked her person for permission to draw a picture and she said yes. Here's the result. Such a happy looking dog. Contact me if you'd like an ink and watercolor drawing of your animal friend. 

Sketching with the Seattle Urban Sketchers

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I met up with the Seattle Urban Sketchers last weekend at the Seattle Center Armory and got some sketching, people watching and meeting new people in. There were about 15-20 people who ended up there. It was fascinating, as always, to see how different all the sketchbooks were at the throw down at the end of the gathering. 

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Fancy carved wooden door in Habana Vieja, Cuba

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This was an amazingly detailed and carved wooden door that I came across on the main shopping street, Calle Obispo, in Habana Vieja, Cuba. Part of the attraction aside from the ornateness, was how tall and incredibly narrow it was. No grand pianos or sofas are going through that!