Keeping Nature Journals Drawing Ideas and Promts to Get You Started

Keeping Nature Journals Drawing Ideas and Promts to Get You Started

Ever considered Keeping  Nature Journals before? Today’s post is filled with Drawing Ideas and Prompts for your next outdoor adventure! We’re sharing ways you can document and reflect on the world around you.

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Be it nature journaling in your backyard or on a cross-country adventure, keeping a log of things you experience, and observe along the way is a tangible and memorable way to get to know your surroundings. Keeping a Nature Journal is also a great way to disconnect from technology and reconnect with the (real) world around you.

Nature journaling brings up memories of school days, old encyclopedia   illustrations and documenting observations in a composition notebook. Whatever your approach to nature journaling is, do not get overwhelmed by the idea of having to fill an entire sketchbook with ‘nature’. Just take it page by page and see how you are organically inspired. No pressure to create any certain thing, just a fun time connecting with nature and your journal!

Below are some ideas to get your nature journaling started. But don’t stop with these prompts. Let this post serve as a springboard to your new hobby!

Observation Drawing // Nature Study

The most common form of keeping a nature journal would be simply observing and recording. A nature study much like what you did in science class as a kid. Sit, look, study and record what you see. Above are two butterfly wings I found and glued into my sketchbook. Using watercolors, I created the other two wings by observing the two I had.

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This could be drawing insects, flowers, feathers, landscapes, rocks etc. anything that you are looking at and observing in real life.

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Create A Pattern with Nature Keeping-Nature-Journals

Using a leaf, flower, stick, etc. trace the object over and over to create a repeat pattern. You can add color and designs to your pattern to bring it to life.

Also, there are endless amounts of patterns that can be found in nature. You can observe a pattern in nature and recreate it in your sketchbook, creating a continuous pattern that fills the page.

Make a Stamp with Something Found in Nature

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Again, using a leaf, flower, stick, etc. and an inkpad, stamp your object to create a work of art. You can stamp a repeat pattern, or you can stamp some and then draw into your stamps to create art!

I suggest practicing with stamping different things first to see how it works and what you like best. (Warning, your hands will get messy!)

Create a Nature Rubbing with Texture Found in Nature

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Nature rubbings are fun and easy to create. It is a creative way to document nature and your surroundings. All you need is paper, pencil (could also use a crayon) and something with a raised texture. Think, leafs, rocks, the pavement, or if you are on a hike, you could create a rubbing of the trail numbers/markings along the way.

To create a rubbing, place the object with the raised texture behind your paper. Turn your pencil on its side, using your index finger to apply pressure at the tip of your pencil and rub back and forth over your object. Use your other hand to secure your paper and object in place.

Create a Bird’s Eye View of Where You AreKeeping-Nature-Journals

Change your perspective and create a drawing in a unique way by pretending you’re a bird flying over where you are. What would it look like? Now draw it.

If you’re really up for the challenge, flip the perspective and draw the bug’s eye view!

Need a sketchbook to start Keeping Nature Jourals? We got you covered, check out some of our best sellers below!

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