Sketching from Life: Essential Tips for Artists

Today, I want to share with you some valuable tips for sketching from life.

Sketching outdoors is a great experience that allows you to immerse yourself in the beauty of nature. It's a chance to be fully present, because drawing focuses your attention entirely on the surroundings and the present moment, so it can be a great exercise in mindfulness.

When I sketch, I let go of the pressure to create a flawless masterpiece. Instead, it becomes a meditative process, where I take my time to study every element of the scene before me.

A watercolor painting of a purple flower from a branch with green leaves, with paint splatters around, on white paper held with a rose gold clip, placed over purple flowers and green foliage. A color palette with three shades of green and handwritten notes is at the top right corner.

Here are my top three tips for your outdoor sketching sessions:

  1. Get to know your subject first

Before you start drawing you should take a moment and have a good look at the scene. Pay attention to the shapes, colors, values, and textures. Allow yourself to become familiar with every aspect of what you're about to sketch.

2. Pick your focus early

As you start sketching, decide on the focal point of your composition. Identifying this point of interest early on will guide your approach and ensure a harmonious sketch.

3. Simplify and suggest

Instead of drawing all the 2 million leaves on an average oak tree, find a way to suggest a lush foliage without spelling it out, so to speak. Nature is abundant with intricate details, but you don't have to capture them all. In fact, often it makes a sketch a lot more interesting if you're a bit selective and leave some things to the imagination.

To illustrate these tips, here are some pictures of a hibiscus flower that I painted a couple of days ago in a serene cemetery setting. (I must admit, I still feel a bit shy when people watch me paint, so a cemetery was a perfect location ;))

So here’s my bonus tip: Find a quiet and secluded spot where you can sketch without being disturbed.

A watercolor painting of a purple flower with some sketchy line art of the plant's stem and leaves underneath.
Watercolor painting of two purple flowers with partially sketched leaves and a color palette of three shades of green and blue on the top right corner.
Watercolor painting of purple and blue flowers with green leaves, accompanied by a color palette in the upper right corner showing dark green, lime green, and teal.

I hope you find these tips useful and that they’ll inspire you to try sketching from life. Whether you're in a lush park, your cozy garden, or even inside your home :) Just look around you and grab your sketchbook!

Happy sketching!

If you're interested in learning watercolor more seriously, I regularly offer private in-person watercolor workshops in my home studio in Adliswil or group watercolor workshops in Zürich. Subscribe to my newsletter and Instagram to get the announcements!