17. A limited palette packed in a hurry

And a weekend in one of the most beautiful parts of Germany

Easter weekend was a magical time! I escaped to the Bavarian mountains in the Berchtesgaden region of Germany. I took two of my sisters to a spa break, to celebrate the 50th Birthday of one, and a belated 50th of the other. I no longer live in the same country as my sisters, so it was extra special to have this time away from our respective responsibilities, and to have focussed time together.

I did not expect to be able to take much time to sit and draw - to be honest I just wanted to focus on the time doing stuff together, so I did not bother with going through a big process of trying to figure out which materials to pack. I knew I wanted to take my sketchbook and some minimal materials. My husband bought me a new ultra slim tweed pencil case from his recent trip to Scotland. This fits perfectly in my handbag, so my goal was to fill this and take nothing more. That meant NO wet materials, just a selection of pencils and pens.

What I probably should have done was consider the colours of the region, and pack accordingly. The Alps are full of incredible shades of blues and greens and earthy tones. As soon as I thought about the colour palette I got overwhelmed. So I went for completely counter intuitive choices. It was almost as though my brain was saying ‘forget the real colours, its just gonna freak you out that you can’t capture it all correctly’.

So here is what my selection looks like on paper:

UniBall eye:
This pens goes with me everywhere. Its my go-to writing pen for note taking, journalling and scribbling. I also quite like drawing with it, and as a waterproof option, its handy in case I ever want to throw any watercolour on top. (I rarely do, but good to know I can!)

Sailor Fude Pen:
Mentioned in previous posts, this is a perfect default option for when I don’t want to make any decisions about colour but I do want to play with line quality. I didnt end up using it on this trip in the end, but it takes so little space, and does not require any sharpening like pencils do, so I felt it had a worthy place in my stash.

Cretacolour Ultramarine
I am really enjoying drawing in blue as an alternative to darker tones. The texture of the pencil is creamy and the actual pencil is chunky to hold, and I really like that feeling. I knew that if I wanted to make a quick drawing, this would be a good one for a single colour quick sketch.

Cretacolour Light Grey
It seemed like a good idea to include a light tone for blocking in any large areas, or for suggesting ‘distance’ in a sketch. Its quite a warm toned grey, and paired nicely with the Ultramarine.

Derwent Lightfast Mars Black
I’m just obsessed with this brown/black pencil. Seemed like a winner for any trees / plants. It serves as a very warm dark option.

Luminance Dark Indigo / Luminance Paynes Grey
Arguably, you don’t need to pack both of these if you are working to a limited palette. But at this point I was literally just grabbing the pencils I liked, and was not really thinking about it. I am glad I grabbed both.

Holbein Smoke Blue
A lovely cool sky tone. Felt ‘mountain-y’.

Holbein Luminous Red
Not a colour naturally found in the Alps, but I felt the need for an accent and this colour is just so joyful, I couldn’t resist.

Sketchbook:
Royal Talens Art Creation - my ‘Germany’ sketchbook.

ALL the sketchbooks on the go!

So quite an odd, slightly confused set of colours! Here’s what I produced:

Very fast, loose sketch using the cool tones in the distance and the warmer tones in the middle distance. The Ultramarine for the foreground.

Spring has sprung! An attempt as some blossom, courtesy of the Holbein Luminous Red

Light tones for the distance, and combining the cool and warm dark pencils to create tonal distinction in the trees.

Classic Paynes Grey Luminance

View from the indoor pool out to the mountains

Despite none of the colours being ‘right’ or even seasonally appropriate, the limited choice of materials helped to make the sketching process feel very relaxed. After all, I was there to spend time with my loved ones, sketching was only ever going to be for those quiet moments in between the time together. I must admit that I really enjoy the combination of the cool Paynes Grey next to the warm Mars Black, and the way the Dark Indigo cut through for the deepest marks next to both of them. The Ultramarine and Luminous Red create a surprising contrast next to all the neutrals, and I enjoy that ‘pop’.

All the above drawings were made directly from observation, which was a real treat and not something I do often! So all in all I am really pleased with the little moments these pages have captured from the weekend.

Memories and moments to treasure.

x

I’d love to know how you pack limited supplies for a trip. Let me know in the comments! If you only had to pack 6-10 items to fit into a pencil case, what would you take?