In this guide I’d love to share with you four of my go to autumn sketchbook activities you can delve into this season to help you gather the creative inspiration that autumn offers.
“One of the most wonderful things about the end of summer is that it is followed by autumn.”
My Top Tip for Getting Started
Head out on a Nature Walk
Here are 4 sketchbook activities to help you get started exploring nature this autumn...
Autumn Sketchbook Activity No. 1
Forest Finds
For this activity, head out into nature and see what you can gather - think pine cones, acorns, fallen leaves, branches, berries and bits of bark. I have a shelf in my studio which, each autumn, gets filled with forest finds!
Once collected, place your forest finds out on a table and explore them in your sketchbook. I’ll often work on a mix of simple line drawings and in depth sketches. Working on a more detailed sketch can be a really great way to build a better understanding of a forest find.
Take the example of the oak leaf below in the top right corner of my sketchbook - I worked on a more detailed pencil study and then a more simplified line drawing below which I later added colour to.
Autumn Sketchbook Activity No. 2
Colours of Autumn
Here’s a simple way to create a new colour palette from a nature walk.
- While out walking take photos of the nature around you. Try taking a mix of closeup photos along with some of the wider landscape you are in. Pay attention to any colours which catch your eye.
- When back home, revisit the photos you have taken and choose one that you really connect with and want to explore further.
- Set out your sketchbook, and your chosen medium (I use gouache paint, but use whatever you wish. For example you could try watercolour, coloured pencils, pens or collage)
- Look at your photo and zoom in to pick out colours. Then test out swatches in your sketchbook & create a colour palette using your selected colours!
I also like to name a new colour palette based on my photo, as well as the individual colour swatches. It’s a fun part of colour swatching and also helps you easily link your colours back to what originally inspired them.
Autumn Sketchbook Activity No. 3
Discover Fungi
Head out on a woodland walk with a sketchbook in hand. Pay close attention to the forest floor, old tree stumps, fallen logs and hidden cervices. Make quick line drawings of the fungi that you come across and snap a photo.
If you’re lucky and you’re in the right sort of environment you’ll find your page will soon start to fill with all different types of mushrooms. You could make a note of the name if you know it, and if not, make a note of where it was growing and the other plants and trees around it so you can identify it later. Once back in the studio you could revisit these pages and photos to add colour and more detail.
Just remember that some plants and fungi are toxic, so don’t pick or touch anything unless you have the knowledge to know what is safe.
Autumn Sketchbook Activity No. 4
Leaf Lines
Leaves are falling all over the place in autumn and you really start to notice the variety of shapes, sizes, colours and textures of these woodland finds. They are a simple, easy to come across and a very autumnal find to explore in your sketchbook!
Exploring leaves up close can really reveal some interesting patterns and forms to explore. Use your sketchbook while on a nature walk to create line drawings and studies of the different leaves around you. Or take some time to collect a selection to bring back to the home / studio. You could try creating a two-page spread of different leaf types in your sketchbook focusing on their unique aspects - colour, lines, shape, texture, pattern.
I often create quick line drawings while out on a nature walk and revisit them when back in the studio where I add more detail or play around with colours.
I hope you enjoyed this guide and found some useful nuggets to take into your own creative practice and find inspiration this beautiful autumn!
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