> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://rachelleggett.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # I just finished my first sketchbook: My favorite sketches - URL: https://rachelleggett.com/i-just-finished-my-first-sketchbook-my-favorite-sketches/ - Published: 2026-07-25T18:08:39.000Z - Updated: 2026-07-25T18:39:14.000Z - Author: Rachel Leggett For the first time since [picking up drawing in earnest in late 2025](https://rachelleggett.com/drawing-really-is-a-skill-you-can-learn/), I have filled a sketchbook! I brought it along on many adventures and used it from January through July. Here are my favorite pieces from the book. ## Spring cub at Brooks Falls I sketched this while standing on the Riffles viewing platform at Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park. A little cub had climbed a dead tree to stay safe while its mother fished. It was my second time attempting to paint the falls. The first attempt looked more like a bunch of eels sliding down a ledge. There was no WiFi or cell service in Katmai so I couldn't just google "how to paint a waterfall in watercolor." I made a guess to focus on negative space for this attempt and I'm proud of how it turned out! ![an ink and watercolor sketch in a loose style of a spring cub up a tree looking toward the viewer while bears fish the falls in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/4a/54/4a545658-3738-47fb-96c2-521d6d5be7ab/content/images/2026/07/PXL_20260725_152916101-2.jpg) ## Violet-green swallow Definitely my most detailed sketch in this book and the one I'm proudest of as a *painting*. I will probably scan this one and hang a print on my wall. Based on a photo by [Patrick Barron](https://bluebarronphoto.com/?ref=rachelleggett.com). ![A detailed ink and watercolor painting of a violet-green swallow skimming the water](https://storage.ghost.io/c/4a/54/4a545658-3738-47fb-96c2-521d6d5be7ab/content/images/2026/07/PXL_20260725_152726470.jpg) ## Rocky Mountain wildflowers I did this on a weekend backpacking trip in the mountains in late June. I wasn't expecting the flowers to be blooming as much as they were, but it must have been close to peak bloom. I assembled this composition from a few different locations. I'm proud of myself for creating a composition instead of painting exactly the scene in front of me. ![a watercolor sketch of seven different wildflower species, not labeled](https://storage.ghost.io/c/4a/54/4a545658-3738-47fb-96c2-521d6d5be7ab/content/images/2026/07/PXL_20260725_152813234.jpg) ## Grizzly 1199 I did this one on a plane from one of my photos of 1199 (aka Solo (aka Miracle)), a young grizzly in Grand Teton National Park. It's so much fun to sketch on a plane! ![an ink, water color, and colored pencil sketch of a small grizzly with yellow wildflowers in its mouth](https://storage.ghost.io/c/4a/54/4a545658-3738-47fb-96c2-521d6d5be7ab/content/images/2026/07/PXL_20260725_152739086.jpg) ## Sea lion I just think it's cute. Done from a reference photo I took from the ferry to Santa Cruz Island. ![a sketch in black ink of a sea lion resting on a metal apparatus floating in the water](https://storage.ghost.io/c/4a/54/4a545658-3738-47fb-96c2-521d6d5be7ab/content/images/2026/07/PXL_20260725_152802091.jpg) ## A view from Santa Cruz Island I like this one for the memories it holds. I sketched this on [my birthday trip to Santa Cruz Island](https://rachelleggett.com/sketchbook-tour-santa-cruz-island/). I kept seeing this other, smaller island and thought its shape was intriguing. I paused during a long hike to sketch it when I needed a break. ![an ink and watercolor sketch of islands and a boat. it's very rough](https://storage.ghost.io/c/4a/54/4a545658-3738-47fb-96c2-521d6d5be7ab/content/images/2026/07/PXL_20260725_152641282.jpg) ## Island fox This collection of small sketches was the first time I tried drawing a moving subject from life. It's not easy! ![several ink and watercolor sketches of an island fox foraging in grass](https://storage.ghost.io/c/4a/54/4a545658-3738-47fb-96c2-521d6d5be7ab/content/images/2026/07/PXL_20260725_152647841.jpg) ## Allen's Hummingbird and Island Scrub-jay I just like how these birds turned out. 😊 They are based on reference photos I took. ![ink and watercolor sketches of a female allen's hummingbird and an island scrub-jay](https://storage.ghost.io/c/4a/54/4a545658-3738-47fb-96c2-521d6d5be7ab/content/images/2026/07/PXL_20260725_152655241.jpg) ## What's next? I purchased a new travel sketchbook and I can't wait to add the first strokes to it. I also updated my travel watercolor palette to remove some colors I rarely used and replace some with others I like more. I purchased new water brushes from Pentel that I think will solve some of the frustrations I have with the Winsor & Newton water brush that came with my palette. I can't wait to draw on more adventures!