I’m a highly practical packer and everything and anything got tossed out from my original packing list if it didn’t meet my high end requirements of being absolutely necessary, ultra-light weight and preferably taking up a small amount of volume. My large size, heavy aquarelle paper moleskine sketchbook was perhaps the only exception I made to my strict packing regime.
I don’t keep a travel journal, but I blog every now and then and additionally I make an occasional sketch. I see it as a visual way of recording snippets of my trip. Looking at a drawing instantly brings me back to the place and time I drew it. Other than that, I think it’s a good practice. At home I paint and I often spend many hours on one single painting, working from a combination of pictures and imagination. Quick sketching is something I don’t really do that often though. I would like to train myself more in this area, which was another reason for me to bring a sketchbook.
I don’t sketch every day, but most often I will make some time every couple of days to make a sketch. I make my sketches on bumpy buses, under the roof of a restaurant listening to the ticking rain when there is nothing else to do, killing time when my minivan gets a flat tire or simply when I feel inspired.
Here is a peek into my travel sketches. Today I only will show the ones I made during the first three weeks of my trip, mostly in Cambodia.
Drawing Ta Prohm (Tomb Raider Temple) at Siem Reap.
Doodling late at night while sipping a mojito at Lotus Bar in Battambang, killing time before catching a sleeper bus.
Using the pattern of the street tiles in Kampot as inspiration for a more abstract drawing.
Flat tire on the road from Kratie to Don Det.
Oh and in other news, I’m in China! I arrived in Beijing Sunday night very late. Last night I took a sleeper train to Xian, where I am now. More about my China adventures later!
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5 Comments
Carly
April 24, 2015 at 11:13
Marielle, these are so good! I’ve always wanted to be able to just sketch a couple lines and paint on top of them and then they miraculously become a beautiful representation of the things I’m seeing. It looks like you had so much fun and I hope you keep enjoying the sights and such in China!
magicaldaydream
April 24, 2015 at 15:47
Yes it was amazing! And I already made my first sketch in China as well, actually first two (Great wall and forbidden city). If you want that then you should also pick up the habit of sketching! I don’t always like what I create but I think the process is very good and teaches me a lot.
thedailymiacis
April 24, 2015 at 11:20
Love your sketches! And my gosh, how I would love to be at the “Tomb Raider Temple”. It’s a dream to be there :)
magicaldaydream
April 24, 2015 at 15:48
I loved that temple! It was one of my favourites at Siem Reap. I’ve never gotten around to seeing the movie though, so I need to do that when I go back home and point at the screen and be able to say ‘I was there!’ :)
hena tayeb
April 25, 2015 at 14:50
wow those are all so inspiring.. especially love your doodle.