On Saturday I did two simple sketches that are a good representative of my approach to everyday sketching.

I was at a church luncheon and talk and although I didn’t feel like sketching during the event, I still wanted a record in my sketchbook. So I did this quick sketch of the back of the church and added colour back home. While I always prefer to do both the drawing and the colour on location at the time it’s not always possible. I don’t beat myself up about it but always try to add colour quickly and simply in a way that is similar to the way I paint on location.

This leads to another thought…  I always prefer watercolour when it’s applied in only one or two passes. The simpler the better! To do this my washes have to be the right consistency and I have to apply the paint confidently and leave it alone.

And just for the record this sketch also includes a little watercolour pencil for texture (the brickwork). If I wanted to create this texture in watercolour I would have had to let my first wash dry. On this occasion, I didn’t want any waiting time!

You might also notice that I sketched over the gutter of my sketchbook – this allows for a more interesting layout of the page. So even though it’s a quick and simple sketch I’m always thinking about sketchbook design!

I went out for coffee and a supermarket visit earlier in the day. The weather has turned wintery here in Sydney and I didn’t want to spend much time in the cold wind. So I did a very quick pencil sketch where I was exploring different marks and how the various elements of my scene related to each other.

My main thought at the time was how satisfying this sketch was. I feel that these days there is ongoing pressure to be constantly producing finished artwork. But in everyday life when I have chores to do and events to attend a quick sketch like this is enough to record a moment. And ultimately capturing moments of my everyday life is the reason I sketch and keep a sketchbook.

So there you have it – two simple sketches that will prompt memories in years to come.

I hope these thoughts encourage you to just go for it and sketch in the in-between moments of life.