A Lamp Post, a Doorway, a Bicycle and a Bin - My New Sketchbook Adventure
Jenny’s urban sketch challenge
A New Kind of Creative Challenge
A lamp post, a doorway, a bicycle and a bin – a whole new sketchbook adventure has begun! Armed with a very limited palette and an unusually small art kit (for me!), I've been roaming the streets of Winchester on a creative mission—and the results have surprised me. What started as a simple experiment has unexpectedly opened up a whole new world of sketchbook possibilities.
The Power of a Limited Palette
Working mainly with blue, and a tad of black & white has been surprisingly liberating— removing the distraction of endless colour choices and sharpening my focus on shapes, patterns, textures and tones. Doorways, windows, gates, signs, hedges and architectural details I might once have rushed past are suddenly demanding attention and finding their way into my concertina sketchbook
My Experimental A5 Laboratory Kit
I've also entered what I can only describe as my experimental laboratory phase. Alongside my sketchbook, I'm testing a tiny portable kit: a small piece of sponge, a few mark-making tools, mini collage papers and a carefully selected handful of materials. The challenge is to fit everything into a simple A5 wallet. Now, for someone who usually carries enough art supplies to cope with almost any creative emergency (possibly including the kitchen sink), this feels like a bold shift—and I'm not entirely sure yet if I'll stick to it! What Simplifying Opens Up For now, I'm enjoying the process of simplifying, experimenting and noticing more in the everyday. Do you ever restrict yourself to a limited palette? If so, what does it open up for you? I'll report back on how I get on and I'll share my final art kit findings with you!
Join Me: Sketching Out and About This Summer
Jenny Sketching in Winchester
My Sketching Out and About course starts 8th and 9th July, running as four weeks of threehour sessions on either Wednesdays or Thursdays. If the idea of exploring your surroundings with fresh eyes and a simplified kit appeals to you, I'd love you to join me.
