This is another sketch in my Moleskine book I did in Yosemite National Park. I was sitting at Mirror Lake looking up at a huge panoramic view of Half Dome. When I paint this in my studio, it will be very large and very wide. I used 2 pages in the book, you can see the seam binding in the middle and the elastic that holds the book closed is on the right.This sketch book literally weighs just ounces and I carry 2 brushes, one came with the paint set and it is tiny, one is a round brush that is larger for quick washes, I have a small 7 X 2.5" pan of watercolors that opens up to reveal 12 colors and 3 mixing squares inside the lid. I have a small jar of water that is only 2" tall. I keep it all in a zip lock bag just in case it leaks. On this trip to Mirror Lake, I rode my mountain bike so everything was packed neatly and nicely in my back pack along with snacks and water to drink.
Yosemite is so full of stuff to inspire you that it can be overwhelming. Start small if that happens. Sketch just a rock, or a leaf, or just the ridge line. You don't have to sketch the whole forest in one day. Start with a single tree! You will appreciate all the field work you did when you return to the studio and put all your sketches, notes, and photographs together to form a painting.
