{"id":5842,"date":"2015-10-14T14:00:33","date_gmt":"2015-10-14T21:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=5842"},"modified":"2018-11-11T21:42:23","modified_gmt":"2018-11-12T05:42:23","slug":"an-artful-medium-illustrating-outdoor-adventures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/an-artful-medium-illustrating-outdoor-adventures","title":{"rendered":"An Artful Medium – Illustrating Outdoor Adventures"},"content":{"rendered":"

Several years of backpacking, rock climbing and camping transpired before I started combining my love of making art with those outdoor pursuits. It all started with a pocket-sized sketchbook and single ink pen on a cross-country ski trip.<\/p>\n

The setup grew when I started embarking on solo trips and consequently had more time to create. This past year my way of seeing these beautiful places has been enhanced as I’m forced to really look at a setting and capture a moment in an illustration. If you want to include art-making in your next adventure, here are a few things to keep in mind.<\/p>\n

Grab the right materials and keep it light.<\/h4>\n

When I’m backpacking or on extended hikes, I take only the bare essentials I need for making pieces I am happy with. This usually includes a small sketchbook that can handle watercolors, a mini watercolor set, two brushes, tiny cup for water, two ink pens and a pencil. Your setup will probably look different depending on what mediums you\u2019re comfortable working with. If I’m car camping or on a short solo hike, I take a whole box of supplies. Some painting masters bring the easel and oil paints\u2014and even the kitchen sink for clean up.<\/p>\n

\"Camp<\/p>\n

Find an interesting scene and start sketching.<\/h4>\n

If you’re not thru-hiking the PCT, you\u2019ll probably find some time to rest on the trail and pull out the pencil and pad. Find what interests you about a spot. Maybe it’s the picturesque mountain in the distance nicely framed by trees, or a gnarled pine cone lying trail side. Whatever it is, try to recreate it. Later on when you look through your sketchbook, you\u2019ll be stoked by all the memories that come back because you really had to focus.<\/p>\n

\"Camp<\/p>\n

Snap pictures for future reference.<\/h4>\n

I almost always take a photo of the scene to refer to later, just in case I don’t have time to finish the sketch or want to make a more professional rendering back in camp or at home. Photos are also handy when you’re engaged in activities like climbing or mountain biking and want to include the human figure in action. This means your climbing friend won\u2019t have to hold a pose on the crux while you get the proportions and shading right!<\/p>\n

\"Camp<\/p>\n

A few extra thoughts:<\/h4>\n

Creating out in the elements might totally change the art-making flow you’re accustomed to. Don’t be discouraged by swarming flies, wind blowing your sketchbook pages back and forth, or the cold crippling your ability to draw straight lines. Those factors are part of the story. Figure out your goal for creating in the outdoors\u2014is it to record the scene in precise detail or is to capture the spirit of a trip? \u00a0Whatever your goal, give yourself some time to enjoy the process. Remember, art materials are cheaper and lighter than a DSLR, and the illustrations might impress your friends more than that tent and mug selfie!<\/p>\n

\"Camp<\/p>\n

Next time you\u2019re packing for a trip, stash a sketchbook and see what you come up with.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Several years of backpacking, rock climbing and camping transpired before I started combining my love of making art with those outdoor pursuits. It all started with a pocket-sized sketchbook and single ink pen on a cross-country ski trip. The setup grew when I started embarking on solo trips and consequently had more time to create. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":5843,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[398],"internal-tag":[1672],"class_list":["post-5842","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camp","tag-matt-mcadow","internal-tag-pre-redirect-camp"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/camp\/an-artful-medium-illustrating-outdoor-adventures","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"An Artful Medium – Illustrating Outdoor Adventures","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/an-artful-medium-illustrating-outdoor-adventures","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/an-artful-medium-illustrating-outdoor-adventures"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/10\/halfdomesunset.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/10\/halfdomesunset.jpg?fit=1500%2C885"},"articleSection":"Camp","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Angela Crampton"}],"creator":["Angela Crampton"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["matt mcadow"],"dateCreated":"2015-10-14T21:00:33Z","datePublished":"2015-10-14T21:00:33Z","dateModified":"2018-11-12T05:42:23Z"},"rendered":"