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  • Travel Memories Sketchbook Page Tutorial

    by

    Lindsey Bugbee

    , , ,

    There’s no better way to relive a happy trip than by making a sketchbook page once you’re home. Today, I’ll share a few simple tips to help you create a page that brings your travel memories to life.

    Lima, Peru, Sketchbook Page

    My family and I just got back from a trip to Lima, Peru, where my husband grew up. This time, we rented an apartment in the Miraflores district for all of us, including my in-laws. (For those familiar with the city, he’s originally from Los Olivos.) It was a lovely trip that included amazing food, quality family time, and excellent weather!

    Clockwise from top left: Remy enjoying ceviche (per his request, we ate it nearly every day); Pia and I taking in the Pacific views; Pia and her grandmother enjoying hot chocolate.

    Coming back home to the daily grind after our trip was definitely an adjustment. That said, making a travel-themed sketchbook page helped me hold onto that relaxed, curious mindset I felt in Lima. If you’ve got a trip on the horizon, I hope this tutorial inspires you to capture it creatively. It’s incredible how a few simple pages can hold so much feeling! Below, you’ll find a guide to help you bring your memories to life.

    1. Prepare Your Sketchbook

    First, grab your sketchbook. Then, use a pencil and a ruler to divide it into five parts. You’ll want a long rectangle in the middle with two squares on the top and the bottom.

    Preparing a travel-themed sketchbook spread
    I use a Shinola sketchbook because I like its size and how well it stands up to watercolor.

    2. Gather Inspiration

    Your souvenirs and photos will vary from trip to trip, so you’ll need to get creative here. Also, think ahead while traveling! Little paper goods like placemats, coasters, business cards, and menus are great freebies to use for decoupage later. On this particular trip, I acquired a pretty magnet, coffee, a placemat, and a lot of photos.

    Lima, Peru, souvenirs for a sketchbook page
    I used mpix.com to make a printed photo album commemorating the trip; it was great for visual inspiration.

    3. Hand-Letter the Place and Date

    Now, think about the feel of the place you visited. Was it rugged and majestic, like Yosemite? You might go for bold, strong lettering. Was it romantic or vintage? Elegant script could be a great fit. If you’re not sure what to use, just choose a style that you like. (Note that we’ll talk about conveying mood via hand-lettering in next month’s Hand Lettering 101 eCourse.) Then, use your chosen lettering style(s) to write your trip’s location and date in the big middle rectangle.

    Lima, Peru hand lettering draft
    In this case, the lettering work was done for me: I used the lettering style on my “LIMA” magnet. The loopy “Peru” comes from the country’s national logo. Flourished sans serif lettering looks nice placed under “Peru” to denote the trip’s date.

    4. Decoupage

    Adding a bit of decoupage can go a long way in capturing the flavor of a place. If you have printed photos or paper souvenirs, cut them out and glue them into your sketchbook. Try to include at least one decoupage element in each of the four squares of your layout. It helps create balance and makes your page feel layered.

    Add decoupage
    I cut up a placemat from Pescados Capitales, a ceviche restaurant, to use for this spread.

    5. Add Lettering

    Now, think about two quotes, words, or cafes/restaurants that helped to define your trip. Use one of those quotes to fill in the remaining area in the lower left square. Then, use the other to fill in the remaining area in the lower right square. Don’t fret if your content spills over into another square! This layout is just a loose guide to help you get started, not a set of rules to follow strictly.

    Adding illustrations to a travel sketchbook page
    I chose to use restaurant logos to fill in my squares.

    6. Add Illustrations

    Now, go through photos of your trip to find elements that can fill in the rest of the page. Those elements can be anything, and they don’t have to make sense to anyone but you. I chose to fill in the rest of my page with palm trees, gnarled trees, and a wooden door.

    Making illustrations in a sketchbook page
    Each illustrated element appears in my photos from the trip. The palm trees are from the Parque Chino, while the gnarled trees are from a restaurant (photo shown above). The geometric wooden door is one we saw in Miraflores.

    7. Trace with Ink

    Now, grab a straight pen, Nikko G nib, and waterproof black ink. Use these tools to trace over your illustrations and some of your lettering. (Note that you might want to trace over certain pieces of lettering with only watercolors. If so, don’t trace over that lettering with ink.)

    Tracing over an illustration with waterproof ink
    It’s a good idea to write with a scrap piece of paper under your hand. Doing this will ensure that you don’t smudge any of the graphite.

    In the photo below, you can see what my sketchbook page looked like when I finished tracing. Notice that the only hand-lettered element I traced over was “LIMA”.

    Inked sketchbook travel page
    Not tracing over everything with black ink will boost the page’s visual interest.

    8. Fill in Your Lettering with Watercolors

    Now, moisten at least two watercolor tones that reflect the feel of the place you visited. If you’re not sure where to start, take a cue from your decoupaged elements. Aim for hues that complement—but stand out from—the colors already on your page. This will ensure that everything feels cohesive but still visually dynamic. Then, you can use a small paintbrush (or the watercolor calligraphy technique) to trace over the lettering.

    Using watercolors to fill in hand lettering
    I used a size 00 paintbrush to trace over the letters on my page with precision.

    Note that my color choices here were pretty easy. Red is the predominant color on Peru’s flag and is often used for the national logo. Then, I took inspiration for the deep turquoise tone from the placemat.

    Sketchbook page with hand lettered elements
    If you don’t have the exact colors you need, remember that you can always mix your own watercolor tones.

    9. Add Watercolor to Your Illustrations

    Now, erase all pencil lines on the page. (If you paint over them with watercolor, they’ll be there forever!) Then, use the tones in your watercolor palette to breathe life into your illustrations.

    Adding watercolor to palm trees

    Take your time with this step — it’s where your page really starts to come to life! Try playing with different watercolor techniques to help your illustrations stand out. For example, I used a mix of wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry methods to bring depth and texture to my elements. (Don’t worry if these technical terms seem intimidating — I promise they’re easier than they sound. To learn how to use them, consider taking The Ultimate Beginner’s Watercolor Online Course.)

    An almost-finished sketchbook page over Lima, Peru
    Take your time to blend and add details as needed. That thoughtfulness will result in a polished, visually compelling sketchbook page.

    10. Fill in the Background with Colored Pencils

    If your watercolor work feels finished, it’s time to move on. Grab a handful of colored pencils and use them to polish off the background. For this page, I used orange, green, yellow, and blue. These are all colors that help give the spread a vibrant, energetic feel that reflects Lima’s personality.

    Travel sketchbook page for Lima Peru
    Switching up mediums helps to give the page some added texture and vibrancy.

    You might also notice that I filled in a couple of the orange placemat illustrations with white ink. It wasn’t a necessary step, but it added a playful little pop of personality. Small details like that can really elevate the final result! As you near the end of your sketchbook page, consider how you can add some tiny thoughtful details. Think: ink spatters, gold foil, watercolor hexagons, etc.

    Things to Consider

    Of course, my travel sketchbook page is going to look a lot different than your travel sketchbook page. The result will depend on where you went, the paper souvenirs you brought home, and your own personal style. What I’m hoping, though, is that you’ll use the layout and suggestions as a blueprint for commemorating your own travels!

    Travel sketchbook page

    So, next time you go on a trip, keep this sketchbook page layout in mind. Try to collect a couple of paper goods, pay attention to logos and/or lettering, and take photos. While you’re on your vacation, try to notice colors, too! All of these aspects will affect the outcome of your page and the experience you have while making it. Happy travels!

    Warmly,