Art on the Go: Scribble Sketches Capture Your Trip

Art on the Go: Create Scribble Sketches to Capture Your Trip
Art on the Go: Create Scribble Sketches to Capture Your Trip

You’ve always loved the idea of sketching sites while on your trip, but you’re not an artist. You’re drawings will just look like scribbles. Perfect, I say. No more “I can’t draw” excuses– here’s the perfect Art on the Go assignment for your next trip, Scribble Sketches. One of the best parts of this assignment is not only the wonderful sketches you get to take home, but most of these take well under 5 minutes. Definitely an on-the-go art assignment!

Everyone knows how to scribble, right? It’s one of the first things we get to do in preschool… and, frankly, it’s easy! Well, this assignment is just that – very loose scribbling of scenes on your trip. All you need is a sketchbook (or paper) and a pencil, and you are set. No need for an eraser– remember, this is a scribble sketch. Here’s how to capture some great monuments, street scenes and more by scribble sketching.

How to Scribble Sketch Scenes on Your Trip

First off, let’s remember what a scribble looks like… It’s not a straight line, it’s not a perfect circle, it’s a scribble!

Examples of Scribbling
Examples of Scribbling

Great! Now that we’ve reminded ourselves that scribbling is not perfect drawing– time to get sketching.

How To Create a Scribble Sketch of your Travels
How To Create a Scribble Sketch of your Travels

1. Pick a location that is something that will remind you of your trip. Here’s a picture of the drive to the wonderful Mas (farm house) we stayed in for a week in St. Remy de Provence. These London Plane trees lining the road are so typical of South of France, I had to capture them.

2. Do 20 seconds or less of scribbling, just to get the basic elements.

3. For another minute to minute and a half, continue to define and scribble more.

4. Fill in more details with different types of scribbling… for instance smaller circular scribbling for the leaves, and more straight lined scribbling for the tree trunks, grass, etc. Darken up some prominent lines to give dimension. This part of the drawing is about 2-3 minutes.

Still not convinced this isn’t just scribbling? Here’s a close up of the final sketch…. just like preschool, huh?!

Detail of a Scribble Sketch
Detail of a Scribble Sketch

Now your done! You can take this sketch back to the hotel and continue to refine– and/or possibly add color with a colored pencil or a watercolor wash or two– or just leave as is, and enjoy the memory. It’s amazing what a simple 5 minute (or less) scribble sketch will do to bring back wonderful memories.

Below are some more scribble sketches from various trips of mine. The first is of the clock at Grand Central Station in New York City, one of my favorite spaces in the world!

5 Minute Scribble Sketch: Clock at Grand Central Station, New York City
Clock at Grand Central Station, New York City Scribble Sketch by Wanderlust Designer – 5 min.

Here’s a scribble sketch of Seattle’s Space Needle, sketched from a park in the north end of the city.

5 Minute Scribble Sketch - Seattle Space Needle by Wanderlust Designer
Seattle Space Needle Scribble Sketch by Wanderlust Designer – 5 min.

Lastly, here’s a scribble sketch of a close up of a hibiscus from a vacation in Hawaii.

Hawaiian Hibiscus Scribble Sketch by Wanderlust Designer
Hawaiian Hibiscus Scribble Sketch by Wanderlust Designer – 5 min.

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