Nature Journaling Workshop with Kristin Link

September 24 (4-7 pm) and 25 (9 am – 5 pm) 2021 on Zoom

$50 per person

8/25/2021 Update: We originally planned to hold this workshop in person in Seward, AK. Due to COVID-19, we decided to hold the workshop remotely on zoom instead. We will follow the same schedule and students will be given time to go outside and work on sketches. We hope to have an in-person workshop in the future. Anyone who signed up prior to 8/25 can receive a full refund if they don’t want to join us on zoom.

Join me, artist and science illustrator Kristin Link, for a two-day introduction to nature journaling and field sketching. My nature journal is probably my favorite tool for learning about my surroundings and keeping up my art practice, and I’m excited to share that with you. This workshop is appropriate for all levels of experience. If you are new to nature journaling or sketching, I will begin with the basics, and if you are an experienced artist, I’ll share some of my favorite techniques and approaches I use as a science illustrator. As a group, we will also get to learn from each other and share our work.

I love to keep a nature journal because:

• it helps me slow down and be present in the place where I am.

• it creates a record of observations and questions about the natural world.

• it’s a way to keep a regular drawing practice and develop my visual vocabulary, which I use as a science illustrator and artist.

• it is a wonderful tool for beginning artists to create a practice and develop their own style.

• it combines art, place, and nature!

In this workshop, I’ll share my own nature journaling practice and some of my favorite tools and techniques for creating accurate journal entries from the natural world. As a visual artist, the instruction focus will be on sketching and visual art, though we will also talk about including words and numbers in your journal pages.

Workshop participants will:

• Learn multiple approaches to keeping a nature journal so that you can experiment and decide what works best for you.

• Gain confidence in drawing from observation.

• Learn techniques for working with mixed media, drawing with pen or pencil, and watercolor or colored pencil.

• Learn an approach for capturing a variety of subjects in your journal such as plants, landscapes, animals, bones, and rocks.

• Create multiple journal pages to record our time together.

Schedule:

9/24, 4-7 pm: We will meet Friday evening on zoom to go over journaling supplies, drawing warm-ups, adding color with watercolor or colored pencil, and techniques for drawing sketching objects up close. Feel free to bring a subject to draw (plant, animal skull, your favorite rock, etc.) I will also have subjects to work from.

9/25, 9 am-5 pm, option to stay until 7 pm: We will be together all day Saturday to further dive into our journals. I will go over some tips for landscape sketching and drawing moving subjects. We will meet on zoom again, but plan to spend some time outside. We will have a lunch break for people to go get lunch. I will plan to end instruction around 5 pm, but I’ll be available until 7 pm if people want to keep working or have additional questions.

What to Bring:

I’m a big believer in using what you have and making it work. Bring the sketching supplies you have or like using. There is a list of my favorite supplies below.

Bring your art supplies, snacks, and whatever you need to be comfortable hanging out on zoom. I will also provide breaks for everyone to be able to go outside and sketch.

Supply List:

Again, I am a big believer in using what you have! You don’t need to go out and spent tons of money on art supplies, but I also want to provide a list of my favorite things so you can get some new supplies if you want. Students can bring their own supplies or supplies can be borrowed from the instructor. If you plan to borrow supplies let Kristin know two weeks ahead of time.

Sketchbook/ Journal: I love having a mix of different types of paper to work on in the field. My sketchbook is a mix of drawing paper, sturdy hot pressed (smooth) watercolor paper (at least 140 lb), and toned pastel paper. I can make 8.5 x 5.5” simple folded sketchbooks for students if you let me know ahead of time.

Some sketchbooks I like:

• Komtrak Multi Media Sketchbooks (www.komtrak.com). These are spiral bound and refillable, but you can pick your own paper.

• John Muir Laws made a sketchbook with Heyday Books that have white and toned paper. (https://johnmuirlaws.com/product/the-laws-sketchbook-for-nature-journaling/)

• A mixed media or watercolor paper sketchbook with paper that is heavy enough to take watercolor. There are a number of these available. The downside to these is you only have one type of paper to work with, but I will have a bit of extra paper for students to use. Some sketchbooks I recommend are Stillman and Birn (Alpha and Zeta series because I like smooth paper) and Bee Paper Company Super Deluxe Mixed Media. Canson, Strathmore, and Pentalic all make great sketchbooks too.

Pencils and Pens: Bring at least one mechanical pencil (Bic #2 with 0.5 mm lead is fine) and one pen with permanent ink (Make sure the ink won’t smudge with water, for example, Pigma Micron. These come in different sizes and colors. A variety of sizes can be nice, but bring a 0.5 pt is study but can create a good line). Sharpie fine markers are sturdy and smooth to write with but are not archival.

Erasers: one hard white plastic and one kneaded

COLOR: You can choose if you want to use colored pencils or watercolor (or watercolor pencils?). Bring what you like. I’ll have extra Cotman watercolor sets you can borrow if you want to try them out.

Travel Watercolor Set: Windsor & Newton Cotman or Sakura Koi make good and affordable travel watercolor sets. Make sure to put or purchase watercolors in pans (as opposed to tubes) and have a space to mix colors.  If you have tubes you can buy a folding plastic palette with trays to squirt the paint into. The paint will dry and you can take it anywhere. I love using the Art Toolkit pocket palette which I fill with watercolor tubes (https://arttoolkit.com/products/palettes/).

There are thousands of colors to choose from, at the least get a set or buy paints that include:

• A warm red like Pyrrol Scarlet or Cadmium Red

• A cool red like Alizarin Crimson or Quinacridone Magenta

• A warm yellow like Nickel Azo Yellow or Cadmium Yellow

• A cool yellow like Hansa Yellow Light or Lemon Yellow

• A cool blue like Cobalt, Cerulean, or Manganese

• A warm blue like Ultramarine

Other nice colors that can be nice to have: Sap Green, Yellow Ochre, Burt Sienna, Indanthrone Blue, Cobalt Turquoise, Paynes Grey.

Waterbrush: This is the ideal tool for watercolor sketching in the field. Make sure to look for and get the Pentel Aqua Brush, as other brands don’t hold up as well. This brush comes in three sizes, and I recommend the medium size. You can also bring a travel or regular watercolor brushes and a small container for water

Rag or paper towel: To blot off extra water while painting and clean brushes. An old sock also works!

 Optional Items (You don’t need to go out and get all or any of these, but they can be fun to incorporate. You can pick a few that seem appealing to you. I do recommend getting at least one form of opaque white – either a colored pencil, white pen, or white gouache:

• Small 6” Plastic Ruler

• Pen with water-soluble ink (Pilot Razor Point)

• Ball Point Pen

• Tube of white gouache (opaque watercolor)

• Colored Pencils (my favorite are Faber-Castell Polychromos and Prismacolor Verithin pencils when I want a harder lead).

• Pencil Sharpener

• White colored pencil

• Non-photo blue or very light blue colored pencil

• Opaque White Pen (ie: Sakura Jelly Roll or Uni-ball Signo)

• Grey Tombo brush pens (nice for blocking in values)

• Brush pens

Please bring any other supplies you like to sketch with to share with the rest of the group!