Nature Journaling - Part I

A Nature Journal is simply a nature-themed sketchbook filled with observational sketches of your outdoor environment. 

You can use an ordinary sketchbook for your outdoor sketches, or you can create your own unique, personalized, customized Nature Journal. 

Your journal can include lots of small descriptive sketches or detailed scientific illustrations - or both. You can use dry drawing media only (drawing pencils, charcoal pencils, colored pencils, Sharpies, markers, pastels), or you can also include watercolor pencil, ink, and watercolor sketches.

If you enjoy being outside and you love to draw, nature journaling is for you! Get started by taking a Nature Walkabout. 

You will need:

A drawing board, drawing media, a camp chair, a few sheets of drawing or sketching paper, (or your sketchbook), masking tape, cellphone (camera), sun screen, and a brimmed hat.

If using drawing paper, tape two corners of each sheet to your drawing board to keep it in place. 

Drawing tips: 

Feel free to use more than one art medium for your drawings. Mixed media is great for depicting nature! 

Move in close! Look for details.

Sketch your subject lightly with a drawing pencil first, or skip the pencil and be bold! Start with markers or ultra-fine Sharpies, and dive in to the drawing - trust yourself! 

Observe your subject closely. Rule of thumb is to spend more time examining your subject than looking at your drawing. 

Mistakes can be fixed. If the art medium is un-erasable, no worries! Remember nature is not perfect and you can adjust your drawing to look like the subject without looking exactly like the specimen in front of you. 

For example, a pepper in your garden can take on innumerable shapes and variations in color as it ripens. And every wildflower is slightly different. Use your mistake to your advantage to individualize your subject: change the shape slightly, add deeper shadows, or create more texture. Or turn boo-boos into bees (or hover flies, like these).

If you run out of drawing time (or your subject skitters, hops, or flies away) consider taking a picture of it with your phone before drawing. That way you can finish your drawing in the studio. 

You may be able to ID your subject using an online app or locate your subject in a field guide such as a National Audubon Society Field Guide. 

Another option for future sketches is to collect specimens to draw in the studio. Collect objects that are laying on the ground such as pinecones, bits of bark, broken twigs, acorns, feathers, seedpods, leaves, and rocks. You can also use items like (realistic) artificial  flowers and specimens from your seashell collection. These photos show just a few studio specimens that we collected to observe when the temperatures got too hot for us to work outside. 

Choose a specimen and place it on a sheet of white paper directly in front of you. Study it carefully, then draw it in detail, adding color using your art media of choice. These two scientific illustrations were completed using colored markers and colored pencils:

Polyphemus moth specimen (top) with two artists' illustrations

This moth was found at the end of its life cycle in our walk-about space (my yard). Notice how ragged the wing edges are! We looked it up and found that the the Polyphemus moth lives an average of 6 to 7 days after emerging from its cocoon. It has no mouth or digestive system so it cannot eat: its only function is to reproduce.  We also learned we were very lucky to find it because this moth is normally active only at night, and also that some people believe finding a Polyphemus moth is a sign of good luck!

Next: How to assemble a Nature Journal using your drawings.

Nature Journaling - Part 2

Now that you have a few nature sketches and drawings, it's time to assemble your Nature Journal. 

First, examine your pages of outdoor sketches and choose your favorites to refine and complete for your Journal. 

To assemble your Nature Journal:

1) Try making labeled pages for various categories of subjects or specimens for a more organized format. Write or glue a category heading on each page - and make a title page as well. 

Take a look at our Nature Journal templates to print out or to help you with your own design ideas. (This is a pdf file.)

You can now sketch or draw specimens directly on each page or you can (loosely) cut out your refined outdoor sketches and glue onto your labeled nature journal pages. Or BOTH! 

As you work on your Journal and fill each page with sketches you can add more pages as needed.

2) Decide whether you want to add the names of your specimens. You can identify your insects, birds, wildflowers, etc. or you can choose to simply draw them on the labeled page of your choosing, and then move on!

3) Make a cover using two sheets of cardstock and create your own
unique cover art for your Nature Journal. 

4) Punch three holes along the edge and attach everything together using brads or leather lacing or yarn. Your personalized nature journal will have loose pages that you can reorganize or add additional pages to whenever you choose. Tip: Brads make reorganizing or adding pages super easy.

Here are some Nature Journal page samples:

Have fun making your own Nature Journal!

Nature Journaling - Part 3

Now that you have started your Nature Journal, why not challenge yourself a bit? Challenges can involve creative problem-solving, trying new things, or going the extra mile to complete a goal.

Here are some Nature Journaling Challenge ideas:

Use an art medium that is unfamiliar or that you have not used much in the past. For example, this page was completed entirely with colored markers. Young children are familiar with markers, but older artists often do not use markers for serious drawings. This adult artist's challenge was to combine and layer colors to create blended hues and tones, shades and highlights, and bold textures using only Crayola markers. 

Fill an entire page with your sketches and drawings. Although it may take a while, make it your goal to fill up each category page. Take a walk, use photo resources in books and field guides, and/or find online images of selected specimens. Then, once a page is full, start another one and fill it up too! 

Remember, you can add pages to your Journal (or reorganize it) any time you wish.

Draw unfamiliar items. Don't stray away for objects and specimens that you have never drawn before. No matter what the subject of your drawing, remember that it can be depicted with lines, shapes, colors, and textures. Use your observational skills to interpret the subject in your own way using these basic art elements. These rocks were collected and drawn using markers and colored pencils.

Draw 'hard' subjects. Don't avoid subjects that seem 'too hard' or too complex to draw. Draw them anyway. Tip: 'warm up' with  less complex object studies first. Leaves might be easier to draw than mammals, for example, so draw leaves (on your 'Leaves' page) first. Focus on shapes, details, and accurate colors. This will help you gain the confidence you need to draw more complex subjects. These mammals were sketched in pencil first, then finished in colored pencil.

Can you think of any other drawing challenges? Remember, any goals you set are unique to you, so focus on skills that you personally would like to achieve. Most importantly, have fun making art!