No. 47: Recent Drawings From Abroad
A peek at some travel sketchbook pages, and Draw Your World meetups.
Hi everyone! I hope you’re all doing well. I’ve fully recovered from my ten-day trip to Italy and have jumped back into reviewing the design drafts of my upcoming book, Draw Your Adventures. As I look through the spreads, it feels both surreal and fitting, especially since the illustrations I’m sharing in this post were created during my own recent and meaningful travels. Revisiting my trip sketchbook now, and reflecting on how each person in my retreat group worked on their own unique projects, reminds me just how vast and nuanced the process of capturing memories through art can be.
One of my greatest challenges is teaching others how to express themselves and preserve their experiences on paper without step-by-step rules or instruction on how to use one art material. It’s a broad task, but at its core, it’s about staying present and enjoying the act of creation. During these teaching retreats, we play, write, tell stories, and practice—all simple actions but also powerful in that they help us process and embrace our memories in meaningful ways.
A passage from my book sums it up well: “The art we create gives us a better understanding of our thoughts and feelings. Each drawing deepens our appreciation of past moments and helps us achieve more of our artistic goals. Illustrating your adventures allows you to practice your art while creating something you can cherish for years to come.”
In the pages I’m sharing here, I explore the different ways I've expressed myself through art. I hope you find some inspiration in them.
My first few days in Milan were spent in a jet-lag fog as I caught up with my friends who have just recently moved there from Brooklyn. At one point, I found myself sitting at a café for a few hours, checking email and working on the page shown above in my sketchbook. On the flight over from New York, I realized I had forgotten my favorite Derwent Inktense paint pen set, so one of my first tasks upon arrival was to find a replacement. While I did come across Derwent pencils in local art shops, the paints were nowhere to be found. So I treated myself to a handmade watercolor set by A. Gallo, an Italian brand. It was more expensive than I had planned, but a special purchase to make while in Italy.
The pages above and below share more bits and pieces of my days in Milan with friends. A bit of shopping, eating, art-making, and visits to two art museums, Fondazione Prada and Pinoteca Di Brera.
My flight from Milan to Palermo, Sicily, is slightly delayed. In Palermo is where I’m set to meet the driver and three others from our group. The page above captures a hodgepodge of moments from this transitional day, as I move from one part of my trip to the next.
Sitting by the pool on our first day, getting to know the group while sipping our first glasses of Tasca wines. I created this page using various materials, including my new watercolors, some Neocolor pastels, a blue china marker, and ink.
I spend the remainder of the trip focused on teaching, so my own sketchbook takes a backseat and gets finished at random free moments. I paint a few of the pages at the airport when heading home.
If you would like to join me next year at Anna Tasca Lanza, October 6–11, 2025, there are still some rooms available. It is selling quickly!
Last week, I started a thread for our community members to share stories from their recent adventures that they'd like to remember through drawing. The responses have been amazing, and I can visualize each one so clearly! Here are just a few:
From Charlotte:
"Walking with my dog Piper this morning, I heard the squawks of geese flying in formation as they start their migration south of us here in Canada. I looked up to see them soaring overhead and noticed the leaves changing color. My walks always inspire so many images that could fill my sketchbook, though they don’t always make it in."
From Susan:
"On Monday, I met my friend and her instructor at 5 PM for Tai Chi in a small, narrow park on a hill. People were passing by on their way home from work. A little boy threw a ball down the narrow steps."
From Cec:
"Enjoying a few days off on Tenerife Island—starting the morning with a swim in a natural pool before breakfast, and spending the afternoon sunbathing while sketching the view of palm trees, the sea, and Teide Volcano in the background."
I loved reading every one of these stories and hope that, through sharing, we can inspire each other to create more vivid visual memories through our art.
Feel free to share if anything comes to mind!
Note to paid subscribers: Our meetup last week with
was so much fun. The work we created is so beautiful, too. Here are the pieces Helen and I worked on.
If you are a paid subscriber here on my Substack, or are a member of Helen’s Time Foragers Club and would like to see the recording, just let us know and we will send the link.
My next meetup will be on October 8 with
. We will be drawing cats this time. I am really looking forward to it. The invite was sent via the subscriber chat, but if you did not receive it, just send me a message.An October class:
Rocks: A Study in Light, Texture, and Color with Derwent
My next free class with Derwent is on October 18 at 2pm EST. In this one-hour free class we’ll dive into the art of planning, sketching, and painting rocks. Rocks offer rich subject matter, perfect for honing your skills in light and shading, as well as observing planes, patterns, cracks, and highlights.
During this session, we will create two pieces: one featuring a serene zen rock pile and another with loose rocks and stones. We’ll start by working in pencil, moving on to pen to demonstrate how to capture the planes, patterns, and depth through crosshatching. Finally, we’ll bring our pieces to life with color using Derwent Inktense paints, adding a vibrant and dynamic finish to our studies.
Whether you’re looking to improve your technique or simply enjoy a creative hour, this class is designed to enhance your artistic approach to an often overlooked subject.
These classes are limited to those in the US and Canada (unless you have a VPN), so if you are unable to attend the live session, the YouTube link will be available a few days later. I always share the link in my Instagram Stories and on the subscriber chat.
Two Substacks that I have recently been enjoying:
Ambassador and Affiliate Codes
If you’d like to try out Blackwing pencils or just order some new items, please shop using this unique link: blackwing602.com/sdionbaker. When you purchase using my link, there’s no additional cost to you, and I earn a small commission. I appreciate your support!
Most of my Skillshare classes feature my favorite Caran d’Ache art supplies. My relationship with the US distributor, Creative Art Materials, started back when I wrote Draw Your Day in 2018, and they saw how heavily I featured their art tools—many that I have been using since I was in grade school. Click here to find some my favorites on the Orange Art website.
All Canvas lights and accessories are 10% off with my discount code: SDB10.
This trip looks beyond amazing! The colors in your Italian sketches are so bright and lovely with your new watercolors. Your pages are so beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
A beautiful written message and I love every page of drawings that you shared.
Since knowing the pool I loved this drawing the most. Our week at the Tasca Lanza Cooking School has left such deep feelings. I can recommend it to everyone.