Loose Figure Sketching in Watercolor (Even If You’re Not Confident)

Today’s sketchbook practice is inspired by a vacation memory from Bandelier National Monument. In this video, I loosely sketch and paint a photo of my daughters walking through the cliffs and ruins using watercolor and ink in my sketchbook. The goal wasn’t perfection or realism. It was simply to capture a moment, experiment with loose figure sketching, and practice translating a memory into expressive marks and color. If you’ve ever felt intimidated by sketching people, landscapes, or travel memories, I hope this encourages you to just open your sketchbook and try anyway. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN • How to loosely sketch figures from a reference photo • Easy ways to simplify proportions and anatomy • Using watercolor and ink together in a sketchbook • Mark-making techniques for cliffs, rocks, and foliage • How to approach sketchbook pages without pressure • Ways to capture memories instead of chasing perfection KEY TAKEAWAYS • Sketchbooks are for experimenting, not perfection • Loose marks often create more life and movement • You don’t need perfect anatomy to tell a story • Watercolor and ink work beautifully together for travel sketches • Simplifying shapes helps prevent overworking a page • Personal memories can make excellent sketchbook subjects QUESTION FOR YOU Do you prefer sketching on location, or working from vacation photos later at home? FINAL THOUGHT One of my favorite things about sketchbook practice is that it gives me permission to try things I’m not fully comfortable with yet. That’s where growth happens. Not every page needs to be a masterpiece—sometimes it just needs to capture a feeling or a memory. CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro: sketching a vacation memory 00:32 Starting the figure sketch with ink 01:18 Planning proportions and placement 02:07 Sketching the first figure 07:19 Sketching the second figure 14:30 Adding the path and cliffs 15:27 Sketching the Bandelier ruins 18:14 Beginning the watercolor washes 19:50 Painting shadows and texture into the path 20:59 Painting the cliffs and rock textures 25:00 Mixing earthy desert greens 28:44 Painting clothing and patterns 32:36 Painting sunglasses and skin tones 35:05 Adding shoes and finishing details 39:20 Adding ink texture to the ruins 42:10 Final thoughts on sketchbook practice Store: https://shop.craftywithashy.com/ Instagram: /paintingwithashy Here is a list of the supplies I use and recommend (affiliate links): Paper Budget Friendly: Baohong Academy Watercolor Block - https://amzn.to/3yXEJ4B Splurge: Aches Watercolor Cold Pressed Block- https://amzn.to/3qjySSp Sketchbooks Tumuarta - https://amzn.to/4cS8kw2 Baohong academy - https://amzn.to/4eQkCI1 Brushes Dugato round brushes - https://amzn.to/300okLm Dugato squirrel hair - https://amzn.to/4t5uph4 Paint Budget Friendly: Winsor & Newton Cotman set - https://amzn.to/3pvqZoK Splurge: Daniel Smith (Split Primary Set) - https://amzn.to/3R7msdG Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolors - https://amzn.to/3ITHbL0