First of three posts on painting your travels.
When you take a photo, are you really looking at your subject? What do you remember? Think about it. How many levels does the Roman Coliseum have? What does the ceiling look like in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul?
Travel watercolor sketches, that you paint, are an excellent way to create long-lasting memories of your travels. Research has shown that travelers who sketch, or even just look, remember more than people who take photos.
Cannot draw? So what? If You Travel, You Can Paint. No excuses. If you think you cannot draw, then please read my next blog post. But first…
Travel watercolor sketches are easy for everyone. I am not talking about painting the Sistine Chapel here (arts equivalent of rocket science). A 3×5 piece of paper with a square building, a tree, some stick figures, and a splash of color makes a wonderful travel memory. Try one, I dare you. Then look at it when you get home. You will be amazed at what you remember; not just the subject of your little sketch, but your feelings, who you were with, the temperature, what you had for lunch, the ceiling, and way more.
In my next post I will talk about philosophical, procedural, and practical issues with travel watercolor painting. If you survive, then in my last post in this series, I will give you my ideas on what supplies you should carry as you travel.