Top Tips for Seasonal Autumn Sketching
Autumn has arrived, bringing its crisp air, golden hues, and a world of creative inspiration. It’s the perfect time to pull out your sketchbook, wrap up in a cosy jumper, and take advantage of the stunning changes in nature. Whether you're a seasoned artist, a student, or just starting out on your sketching journey, autumn offers so many wonderful opportunities to get creative. With Artgecko Sketchbooks, you’ve got a reliable, versatile companion to capture every stroke.
Grab your favourite pencils, pastels, or charcoal, and let’s dive into why autumn is the perfect season to get sketching, with a few tips and ideas to get you started.
Why Autumn is the Best Time to Sketch
Autumn is the season of contrasts. You’ve got soft, golden sunlight streaming through branches while vibrant red and orange leaves flutter to the ground. The textures are rich, the colours dramatic, and everything is begging to be sketched. The great thing about Classy Gecko Sketchbooks, particularly the A3 sized sketchbook, is that they give you plenty of room to play around with these details - whether you’re into drawing landscapes, still life, or something more abstract. Their 150gsm cartridge paper is great for a wide variety of media types.
Autumn also has this wonderful ability to inspire new techniques. The swirling wind, the way the light changes so quickly—it's a great time to experiment with different mediums. Artgecko’s good quality paper can handle it all, from quick pencil sketches to rich, smudgy charcoal.
Tips for Choosing the Right Artgecko Sketchbook
Choosing a sketchbook can sometimes feel like a big decision, but Artgecko Sketchbooks make it simple. Whether you’re drawing indoors by the fire or venturing out into the brisk autumn air, you want a pad that can keep up with your creative flow. Artgecko’s A3 Splashy Watercolour sketchbooks offer just the right balance of quality and durability, making them perfect for all kinds of autumnal adventures. The paper inside these sketchbooks is 300gsm and holds a wide variety of wet media types.
Durable and Ready for Anything
Let’s face it: autumn sketching often means heading outdoors, and that can mean a bit of wear and tear. Luckily, Artgecko's sketchbooks are known for their sturdy bound design. So whether you’re capturing the view from a windy hillside or doodling in the park, your work stays safe and sound. The A5 Casebound Classy Gecko is a prime example of this as the casebound quality allows for durability yet the A5 size is perfect for sketching on the go!
Versatile for Different Mediums
Autumn’s varied scenes mean you’ll probably want to switch up your mediums—from quick pencil sketches of falling leaves to more detailed ink drawings or soft pastels for a cosy still life. All Artgecko Sketchbooks contain acid-free paper that handles a whole range of mediums without any annoying bleed-through, so you can really push your creativity without limitations.
Autumn Sketching Ideas
Need a bit of inspiration to kick off your autumn sketchbook? Here are a few ideas to get you going.
- Nature Studies
Autumn offers an endless variety of natural textures to explore. Take a walk, grab a couple of fallen leaves, conkers, or acorns, and start sketching their details. You can experiment with close-up sketches, layering colours to recreate the rich tones, or drawing the rough texture of bark. If you’re using an A6 Classy sketchbook, you’ll have an ideal size for smaller detailed sketches that doesn’t take up too much space in your bag!
- Autumn Landscapes
The changing colours of trees, long shadows, and misty mornings are perfect for dramatic landscape sketches. Try sketching at different times of day to see how the light changes, or head to your favourite park and capture the scene as the leaves fall. The generous A3 size of Artgecko Sketchbooks is perfect for these larger scenes, allowing you to play with perspective and depth. Why not push your works further with an A3 Shady Gecko? These books have the scale for landscapes but the paper inside pushes your skills and allows you to capture the tones and colour of Autumn! Shady Geckos come in a variety of paper shades including black, grey and tan!
- Cosy Indoor Still Life
When the weather turns chilly, bring autumn indoors by setting up a cosy still life. Think pumpkins, candles, warm blankets, and a mug of tea. This is a great chance to practice working with light and shadow, and Artgecko’s smooth 250gsm paper handles layers of colour beautifully – especially paint markers and Posca Pens. You can find this paper in the Freestyle Gecko and the PRO Marker Sketch Pad.
Why Artgecko Sketchbooks Are a Staple for Artists
If you’re serious about sketching (or even if you’re just having fun with it), Artgecko Sketchbooks are a fantastic choice. Here’s why they’re so loved by artists:
Good Value for Quality
It’s not always easy to find a sketchbook that’s both good quality and affordable. But Artgecko offers just that—good value without compromising on the sturdiness or texture of the paper. The acid-free feature is an added bonus, as your work won’t yellow over time.
Perfect for Any Medium
Whether you’re sketching with pencil, charcoal, or experimenting with ink or pastels, Artgecko Sketchbooks have so many sketchbooks available meaning that you are always going to find a sketchbook that’s versatile enough to handle whatever you throw at them. Their good quality paper is thick enough to support various mediums, and you’ll love how smoothly the pencil glides across the page.
Autumn Art Tips: Getting the Most Out of Your Sketchbook
- Experiment with colour: Autumn is the perfect time to get bold with your colour palette. Try layering different shades of reds, oranges, and yellows. For colour and tone focused work, we recommend the Shady Gecko range! The paper works well with coloured pencils and pastels, so you can really capture the season’s warmth.
- Mix up your techniques: Don’t just stick to one style - try blending charcoal for a moody landscape or use cross-hatching with a fine ink pen for extra texture.
- Sketch outdoors, but be prepared: While autumn can be lovely, it’s also unpredictable. Keep your A6 or A5 Classy Gecko sketchbook in a bag that’s easy to carry with a few waterproof essentials, and be ready to sketch wherever inspiration strikes.
Your Perfect Autumn Companion
Autumn offers endless creative opportunities, from sketching fallen leaves in the park to capturing warm and cosy indoor scenes. And with Artgecko Sketchbooks, you’ve got the perfect companion for all your autumn art adventures. Their good quality A3 sketchbooks provide the ideal canvas for capturing the season’s beauty, offering enough space for detail and durability for outdoor sketching.
So why not head outside, gather a few autumn treasures, and start sketching? Whether you’re working on landscapes, still life, or simply enjoying the meditative process of putting pencil to paper, autumn is the season to get inspired.
Happy sketching! 🍁