> ## 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. # Sketchbook tour: Santa Cruz Island - URL: https://rachelleggett.com/sketchbook-tour-santa-cruz-island/ - Published: 2026-03-01T04:43:31.000Z - Updated: 2026-06-18T18:32:10.000Z - Author: Rachel Leggett I went on a trip to Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands National Park in late January and experimented for the first time with bringing along a watercolor sketchbook to do a mix of nature journaling and general outdoor sketching. It was really fun! I sketched with a pen so I wouldn't obsess over perfection and added color with a travel watercolor set and water brush that I got for my birthday. Here is a quick tour of what I sketched on that trip. ![a loose ink and watercolor sketch of a ferry docked in a marina](https://storage.ghost.io/c/4a/54/4a545658-3738-47fb-96c2-521d6d5be7ab/content/images/2026/03/PXL_20260202_002213411.jpg) I tried a loose sketching style inspired by [Toby "SketchLoose"](https://www.sketchloose.co.uk/?ref=rachelleggett.com) while standing in line waiting to board the ferry to the island. ![back, top, and side views of a mystery flower and a view of a curled leaf](https://storage.ghost.io/c/4a/54/4a545658-3738-47fb-96c2-521d6d5be7ab/content/images/2026/03/PXL_20260202_002220769.jpg) This page was my first try at nature journaling! I was first captivated by a spider holding a fly it had caught on the back of this flower, then decided to sketch it from a few angles. I learned that I notice a lot more about flowers when I sketch them than when I take a photo of them. With a photo, I shoot and move on. With a sketch, I look a lot more closely at all the details. ![a small island in the Channel Islands, shaped like a pyramid](https://storage.ghost.io/c/4a/54/4a545658-3738-47fb-96c2-521d6d5be7ab/content/images/2026/03/PXL_20260202_002224946-1.jpg) On a long hike, I saw this island from different angles throughout the day. My eyes were continuously drawn to it. When we took a break, I decided to sketch it. ![various sketches of a fox foraging and two foxes facing me](https://storage.ghost.io/c/4a/54/4a545658-3738-47fb-96c2-521d6d5be7ab/content/images/2026/03/PXL_20260202_002230311.jpg) We saw several [Santa Cruz island foxes](https://rachelleggett.com/photographing-island-foxes-in-channel-islands-national-park/) on that long hike. I sketched one foraging, then two later that we ran into on the trail. I was pretty proud of the way I approached my foraging fox sketches. I kept waiting for the fox to pause and look up so I could try to draw its face, but it kept its head low because it was digging most of the time. Finally, I asked myself, "what is it doing? What behavior are you actually observing?" and drew that behavior. ![an ink and watercolor sketch of a pot on a camp stove, two bowls, and a thermal scope on a picnic table](https://storage.ghost.io/c/4a/54/4a545658-3738-47fb-96c2-521d6d5be7ab/content/images/2026/03/PXL_20260202_002234572.jpg) Our hike ended up several miles longer than expected because we missed a turn. While my boyfriend cooked us dinner after such an exhausting day, I felt compelled to sketch the scene. I wanted to remember that dinner after the day we had! ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/4a/54/4a545658-3738-47fb-96c2-521d6d5be7ab/content/images/2026/03/PXL_20260202_002107734.jpg) ink and watercolor sketches of an Allen's Hummingbird (female) and Island Scrub-Jay, medium detail This one was a sketch I did once we returned home. I listed the birds we saw during breakfast that morning and then left a space to draw an Allen's Hummingbird and [Island Scrub-Jay](https://rachelleggett.com/finding-island-scrub-jays-in-channel-islands-national-park/) because they were the most common birds we saw around our campsite each day. I based these sketches off of photos I took during the trip. ![ink and watercolor sketch of channel islands but it's dark](https://storage.ghost.io/c/4a/54/4a545658-3738-47fb-96c2-521d6d5be7ab/content/images/2026/03/PXL_20260202_002241829.jpg) On the final morning of the trip, we hiked up to a high viewpoint for sunrise. When we arrived, it was still the blue hour and I felt inspired to sketch the dark shapes we could see below. As it got lighter, I had to push myself not to add more and more detail. I wanted to represent the scene as I saw it in the pre-dawn light before we arrived. ![a line goes back and forth a few times at the bottom of the page, then arcs high up before shooting back down](https://storage.ghost.io/c/4a/54/4a545658-3738-47fb-96c2-521d6d5be7ab/content/images/2026/03/PXL_20260301_042954890--1-.jpg) My last sketch of the trip was a bit different! I was lucky enough to see a male Allen's Hummingbird do its courtship display and I attempted to draw and describe the motions it made. I had so much fun and I definitely want to make nature journaling and outdoor sketching part of my regular practice when I am out in nature. ## Receive new posts by email If you want to receive emails about new posts, you can subscribe below. You can opt to receive only knitting patterns, only other posts, or both. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.