People often ask me how I find the time to have a regular practice of going outdoors and playing in my nature journal. It’s as if I need to justify taking some ‘me time’ in this busy and over-stimulating world.
So, listed below are just a few of the benefits reaped from sketching and journaling in the outdoors.
Nature Sketching’sMany Benefits :
• Benefits our mental health, allowing time for quiet contemplation, meditation, and mindfulness of your surroundings, and improves our ability for sustained concentration.
• Benefits our physical health, giving us a great excuse to spend time exploring the outdoors, whether it’s a stroll in a local city park or a hike on a favorite wilderness trail.
• Provides a much-needed break from our technology-filled, often stressful life.
• Deepens one’s observational skills, balancing out the use of all five senses.
• Provides a valuable record of your experiences in your sketchbook; more personal and cherished than simply a smartphone full of photos.
• Results in pride of accomplishment since one is creating instead of consuming content.
• Strengthens hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills which are especially beneficial for children.
• Uses more parts of the brain, balancing our ‘left’ and ‘right’ sides of the brain regions.
• Can be a pleasurable shared activity, enjoyed by all ages and abilities that serve to strengthen and enrich family and friendship bonds.
• Teaches one about the subject as you observe it, regardless of the results on the paper.
• Provides a great reason to sketch with the children or students in your life, especially those that are studying outdoor subjects like biology, • geology, or meteorology.
Recommended Resources
I highly recommend this excellent article in Scientific American magazine, Rediscovering the forgotten benefits of drawing.
This TEDx presentation by my colleague, Kelly Lambert, reminds us of the benefits of both exercise and active hobbies in reducing stress and depression in our lives. And of course, a regular practice of getting out in nature with your sketchbook does both!
FAQs
Nature Sketching's Many Benefits :
What are the benefits of art in nature? ›
It sparks creativity, provides a sensory experience, connects kids with nature, teaches them about the environment, develops fine motor skills, promotes emotional well-being, offers a fun science or math lesson, and encourages eco-friendly practices.
Why nature drawing is important for students? ›
Children can really connect to nature through hands-on art projects like nature drawing. In fact, studies show that environmental art influences what children think, feel, and do about environmental issues because they remember the images they created themselves for a long time.
What are the uses of nature drawing? ›
It also has applications in other disciplines: it helps us learn about nature (or whatever we're drawing), improves hand-eye coordination, and teaches us to see what's really there instead of what we think we should see. The more you practice close observation, the more you will see!
What are the benefits of outdoor art? ›
Using paint in combination with a variety of different art materials provides children with wonderfully tactile (and often very messy!) experiences. This in turn helps to stimulate brain development. Taking such activities outside opens up possibilities that may not be available inside due to space or the mess factor.
What is the power of sketching? ›
Sketching allows you to take ideas further and further. By staying loose and not committing to any one idea at this stage, you can take your ideas to really different places. Perhaps you're loving one idea, so now you can experiment with different compositions and ways of interpreting that core idea.
What are the mental benefits of sketching? ›
Better Problem Solving Ability. You would be surprised to know that sketching and painting can also enhance your problem-solving ability and critical thinking. The logic is simple - One can realize that there can be more than one solution to any problem.
What is sketching from nature? ›
Nature sketching outdoors will help you develop a new type of approach to your drawing that sharpens your perception skills as well as unique technique. It will be more elemental, and not as prescriptive as simply drawing in a sketchbook at home.
Why do artists draw nature? ›
Artists often find inspiration in the natural world. This means they interact with nature using multiple senses (including sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste) and create works of art that incorporate what they observe. These artworks can be in any medium and can be abstract or realistic.
Why are we drawn to nature? ›
Being in nature makes us feel good; more alive, and connected, It reduces negative stress and gives us more energy. Emotionally we're in awe, and our creativity is inspired. It's also been found that experiencing the beauty of nature increases other positive feelings, leading to us being kinder and more generous!
Works of art can bear witness to the environmental changes that have taken place throughout recorded history. Depictions of animals from regions where those animals no longer exist, for example, can tell us about migrations or extinctions.
Why is it important to know the nature of art? ›
The nature of art is subjective and multifaceted, often encompassing creativity, expression, interpretation, and communication. It can evoke emotions, provoke thoughts, challenge perceptions, and reflect cultural, societal, and personal contexts.
How does art reflect nature? ›
Art can mimic nature, by seeking to visually replicate objects as they actually appear in real life. But abstract paintings can also take their visual cue from actual forms in nature, such as the painting below. This piece arose from the study, observation, and contemplation of natural phenomena and natural forms.
What does art is nature mean? ›
It means that to make art, to be creative is part of nature; to create is to be human. Art is the product of the human intention to make art. But nature is nature, nature does not make art because it has no such intention.
