A dancer stretching at a barre or a pianist practicing scales and arpeggios are examples of how certain kinds of artists “tune-up” and center themselves. The same is true for visual artists – there are “exercises” that help us to remain loose both physically and mentally. Field sketching is one of these. The act of quickly recording subjects in situ, without the benefit of special materials and equipment not only helps to maintain good hand/eye coordination but also connects us with the tradition of visually recording data at their sources. Ultimately, these sketches represent a combination of many vital skills for scientific artists including accurate observation, attention to composition, and quick rendering.

Participants in this workshop will revisit the conditions and processes associated with field sketching, and learn how to combine graphite and pastel dust to quickly achieve fresh line drawings tinted with pastels. Though most of the instruction will take place in a (virtual) classroom setting, participants will also be given an opportunity to engage in a short field trip of their own design.

Graphite pencils -- one each: 6H or 7H, HB, 2B
Erasers -- one each: kneaded and vinyl (which could be a Mono Zero Elastomer eraser) 
Drawing surface -- 2 to 3 sheets of vellum Bristol board, but any white paper with a slight tooth will suffice (small sketchbook size, no larger than 9" x 12") 
Pastels (NOT oil pastels!) -- one small box (12 or more sticks) 
X-Acto knife or paring knife 
Small brushes (2 or 3) -- #3 round, #2 flat, #4 round 
Q-tip or equivalent 
Tracing paper -- 1 sheet (8.5" x 11" or 9" x12") 
Dust mask if inhaling pastel dust is a concern 
Optional: a folding seat for outdoor use, insect repellant, sunscreen, water bottle (with water), carrier bag for supplies, workable fixative (1 can), camera

Scott Rawlins is a scientific illustrator, naturalist, and museum educator who has taught scientific illustration at Arcadia University since 1994. He holds degrees from Earlham College (biology), the George Washington University (museum education), and the University of Michigan (medical & biological illustration). Scott has traveled to five continents collecting specimens to draw and study. He has served on the board of the American Society of Botanical Artists, the Philadelphia Society of Botanical Illustrators, and the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators. Scott’s illustrations have appeared in numerous books, such as Your Inner Fish and Shackelford’s Surgery of the Alimentary Tract. Journals that have published his illustrations include Acta Zoologica, Records of the Australian Museum, Harvard’s Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Geobios, and Zootaxa.

Dry Media for Field Sketching