Major thunderstorms here on day 29 of boatober. I fully intended to sketch the boat, because it was a stunning looking. But instead, we spent at least 5 hours draining out the water from our ground floor. It was back-breaking work. So all I wanted to do was have a glass of wine and lay on the couch the rest of the day.
What is Boatober?
Boatober is an annual art challenge hosted by Doug Jackson. He posts a different inspiration photo each day, and artists around the globe, sketch the scene in their own style. This is the first year I’ve participated, and I’m using it as an opportunity to experiment with different ink and watercolour techniques.
Boatober 2025 Day 30
After yesterday’s big effort with the sketch, I wasn’t too enamoured with this sketch. I like the boat, but the reflection was a bit too distracting. I was just glad to get this sketch out of the way.
Boatober 2025 Day 31
Finally. The finish line. I was glad that this final boat also had a burst of wake. Of all the boaty elements for this challenge, it’s the wake that has consistently been the most fun to render.
I wanted to make sure that the fisherman looking over the side of the boat was more visible than in the photo. So I dressed him in bright yellow (Hansa yellow medium and new gamboge), and created a white area, like a halo, around his body, so that he stood out a little bit more.
The sky is a little too dark and distracting, but I think the boat is red and bright enough to hold its ground as the focal point.
Boatober Roundup
I really got into the rhythm of a daily art challenge. It was a great opportunity to get to grips with painting lots of different boats, but it was also valuable practice for painting loose skies and getting more proficient at painting water.
We live in a fishing village, and there are plenty of different fishing boats to sketch. Up until now I’ve focused my urban sketching adventures around buildings and street scenes, but now I’m ready to start capturing the working boats of Cabanas de Tavira.
Watch this space.
