Sketchbooks © Jamey Douglas
Drawing and art is a brilliant way to connect to the wild world around us. It offers a unique perspective on our own relationship with nature and an expression of what we see in front of us.
It can also help us understand more about nature and learn new things about even the most common of species. Through drawing, I have learnt to appreciate the everyday encounters with wildlife, and not just the rare and exotic.
You don't need to be a trained artist to get started! Here are my six top tips for starting your own nature journal. Nature diaries and journaling capture special moments in time and our encounters with wildlife. Why not give it a try?
Starling © Jamey Douglas
You don’t need special training or expensive equipment to get started. Whenever I am out and about drawing wildlife, I keep a few essentials to hand that you might want to considering bringing along too:
Fine liner pen
Pencils -it might be nice to have a variety of lead grades
Rubber and sharpener
Sketchbook – any size you like, but smaller sketchbooks can be easier to carry around.
Remember that nature is everywhere, so you may want to take a small sketchbook with you whenever you venture outside, so you can capture the unexpected quickly!
The best place to start is to decide what and how you want to record. Your diary will be unique to you, reflecting your personal style and interests, so take the opportunity to draw what you are passionate about!
You can try:
Sketches of wetland birds © Jamey Douglas
Whatever and wherever you decide to draw, observation and drawing from life is a key part of the nature journaling process. This helps us to understand shape, form, light and movement.
Take some time to study your chosen subject and notice how the environment affects it. If it’s an animal, consider its movement and behaviour. Fast-moving subjects such as birds may mean some of your sketches are left unfinished, but that’s ok! Overtime, your sketches will become easier as you build up your drawing muscle memory.
When you start to sketch, look closely at the small details and find patterns.
You also don’t have to draw everything – you could always focus on one part of an animal or plant, such as a head, a wing, or a leaf.
Your aim is to look back on these sketches and be transported back to that moment in time. This is your chance to capture what is happening in front of you on paper.
You may want to start drawing with just pencils or pens, but why not experiment with paint, colour pencil or pastels?
Capturing the colours of nature is one of the joys of field sketching. The closer you look, the more colours you will see.
Every material you use will create a different mark or texture, so don’t be afraid to try new things. For example, I love the depth that graphite pencils provide – it’s a great way for me to create shadow on my drawings.
Fine line sketches © Jamey Douglas
Alongside your drawing, you may wish to keep notes to help future reflections. As well as the date and time, you could also record weather conditions, location and observations of animal behaviour.
These will provide context that will transport you back to that moment.
You might prefer to write short notes; long, detailed descriptions; or include a more diary-like account with records of feelings and emotions.
A brand-new sketchbook can feel daunting, and you might feel pressured to create something pretty on the first page. But use this as an opportunity to learn and be curious.
With each drawing, you will create your own library of sketches to look back on. You may like some more than others, but that’s ok! Drawing should be fun and relaxing, so don’t worry about making mistakes. A key tip with nature journaling is little and often – this process is your chance to slow down, learn and look carefully at the wild world around us.
Heron © Jamey Douglas
Sketches of lapwings flying © Jamey Douglas
