I got sidetracked with my urban sketching day out to Vila Real on Sunday, so have a few boatober sketches to share today to get caught up with the backlog of boat sketches.
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 11
Enjoyment Level: *****
I used my favourite combination of turquoise and orange for this rowing boat, although I wish I’d been a bit looser with the waves and left more white areas. I’m happy though that the shape of the water diminishes towards the bottom.
The perspective is off – the front is angled left but the back is angled right. But it still works – I can kid myself that it’s just the rocking of the ocean waves making it look like this!
I did a quick 15 minute sketch over a sky experiment I didn’t like. Really just to use of the watercolour paper. This has an aerial view feel which I like.
Boatober 2025 Day 12
Enjoyment Level: ****
I really loved creating this boat sketch, maybe because it also has a figure in it. It’s quite a simple boat, so those dramatic waves at the bow really help to give it a focal point. I didn’t like the background. I struggled with how to render it, I think it would have looked better as a simple line work sketch.
Boatober 2025 Day 13
Enjoyment Level: ****
Love the primary colour of this sketch, and all the fishing tools of the trade to sketch. Liked the approach of the faded foreground elements, using my new fave combination of cobalt turquoise light and indian red. This rendition worked really well against the bright boat as the focal point. So much going on already I didn’t want to paint water or sky around the boat, so just added a little tickle of water at the stern.
Boatober 2025 Day 14
Enjoyment Level: ***
Blah and muddy! Either the boat needed to be bright and breezy coloured, or the foliage in the background needed to be nice and bright. Although I do like the shades of green and granulation in the foliage, there isn’t enough variation of tone between the foreground, background, and boat. I also should have left more white on the hull of the boat.
My sketching goal is to be a lot looser and freer with my lines, but I’m still doing precise and intentional lines rather than quick and gestural. But maybe by the end of the challenge I’ll be boated-out enough to give those freer lines a try.
