Often, we may find ourselves in an environment very different from the one we’re used to. Do a little pretrip research on what challenges you may face, physically, and what materials will work best.
Will it be scorching hot, making your paint dry almost before touching the paper? Will it rain all the time? Will your fingers freeze along with your paint water? Will there be places to sit, or a good source of water? Find out.
Take a folding stool if you might need one. Warren Ludwig’s, shown here, is quite simple. You may want one with a pocket on the arm, or beneath the seat, to hold some of your gear. Some even have a strap so you can carry them over your shoulder.
Vicky Williamson’s chair also has handy storage underneath to carry her tools.
Being more comfortable allowed Warren to complete this beautiful, complex Rialto Beach sketch.
Of course, many artists opt to work without seating of any sort. It’s not a necessity, and you can almost always find somewhere to settle down—under a tree, in a café, on a stone wall or boulder. Plus, if you’re on the ground, all your materials are handy without having to bend over!
Laura Murphy Frankstone travels in a wide variety of environments, from sunny Italy to the frozen tundra. She researches ahead of time, not only for what media may work best under specific conditions, but even which colors may be most needed in her palette. Cool blues and grays (plus brilliant color for some of the volcanoes she’s visited) work in colder climates, while rich greens are needed for the Pacific Northwest. She might even switch to toned paper if it captures the overall mood, as in the sketch on the right.
Laura Murphy Frankstone used pencils and colored pencils on gray paper for this sketch.
Ask for a window seat. You can get some terrific sketches while you wait to be cleared for takeoff, as Nina Johansson did here.
It’s fun to sketch your conveyance, as well! Since you don’t have a TARDIS, why not sketch your car, bus, train, airplane or ferry? Or the airport itself?
Journal keeper Gay Kraeger often works in her car—from the passenger’s seat, of course!
A relaxed Alissa Duke sketched her own knees and sketchbook as she took the ferry to Manly, in Australia.