My Summer Travels though Art

Field Sketching Summer 2021

The concept of field sketching has always been a daunting idea to me. The ability of someone to take what they see and reproduce it accurately and swiftly on the page has always seemed like magic! Not only that, what better way to travel and take a piece back with you than through gorgeous artwork?!

So what really is field sketching? And how does it differ from drawing? The two main tenants of field sketching are that is it (1) quickly drawn and (2) anatomically accurate. Field sketching is typically done in the field or pretty soon after the experience has taken place. I will admit, I occasionally cheat a little by taking references photos and finishing the pieces later, but I am still learning and improving my skills which is my ultimate goal. Secondly, field sketching is supposed to anatomically accurate so one can look at your notes later and learn about the specimen and potentially identify it for themselves!

Many people have written MANY ways to field sketch. Some artists like to start with an outline and some like to start with the most focal point of the animal or plant (usually the eye and face in animals). Some use pencil, some use watercolor, and others use entirely pen!

Personally, I have decided that I will use no graphite in my pieces whatsoever. Field sketching is an exercise of trust in yourself. When you take a pen you are in full knowledge that you cannot erase and that whatever you place on the paper stays there forever. It is a powerful feeling to know that your strokes are not guidelines, but constants. I typically start with the curve of the face or neck (or closest equivalence) of the creature I am sketching. I use a felt tipped pen with just enough bite to mark the paper and not enough to indent it. After completing the pen outline, I usually go back and add color using both Prismacolor and Faber Castell colored pencils.

The two pieces above are examples of fish sketches! The outlines were done in the field and then colored later. The upper plant on the right is a Yellow Flags Iris, an invasive species to Central Ohio.

Swamp Darner

Various Shearwater species

Crabs and more!

Painting the Allegheny Front