Sketchbook

I'm fascinated by artist sketchbooks. It's like peering behind the curtain and glimpsing the creative process. Some of the art books that have inspired me the most have been reproduction sketchbooks.

My own sketchbook is never too far out of reach. It's an important part of my process for making pictures. Time spent drawing, even if only for a minute or two, is time spent observing, contemplating and experiencing a landscape. The sketch is my immediate response to a place and a moment in time.

My sketching kit has been refined over time. I've tried many different sketchbooks of varying sizes and types of paper. However, for the last few years I have settled on using a small (A6) hardback watercolour sketchbook that opens flat to provide a blank panorama. The paper is heavy enough to take a few watercolour washes but smooth enough for pencil drawing. As well as pencils I carry a small box watercolour half pans, two brushes (one flat, one round), a white wax crayon to resist colour washes and keep the white highlights, and a couple of clips to keep pages from flapping around in the wind.