There's too much, I can't choose

Part 2: Composition

Welcome to my sketchbook journey through the fleeting weathers and ephemeral landscapes of Scotland. In this series, I will share the challenges of drawing landscapes on location, unexpected obstacles and quiet triumphs gathered over years of untangling. Whether you're an artist yourself or just curious about the process, I hope my experiences inspire you and offer a few useful insights along the way.

Scotland is the place I call home. Home has always been a strange subject for me, I used to obsess over it, and for most of my life I didn't know where it was. I felt like I was actively looking for it; within myself, without myself. Now that I have it, it feels so obvious that it was Scotland all along. I used to marvel at the craggy lines of Western Scotland on maps, the sea lochs that burrow between peninsulars, the flecks of water that sprawl vast distances, the place-names I definitely mispronounced. I’d stare at the huge swathes of land, devoid of buildings or roads, and exclaim ‘but what is actually there?!’ There are islands I’m yet to explore, strewn across from the mainland like pieces of a jigsaw.

Scotland throughout the seasons

So many elements of the landscape here fill me with such deep veneration and awe. Parts of the landscape make me feel that child-like giddiness. It’s nearly always some wet place; mossy, marshy, some quietly damp place with waterfalls and trickles. Those are my favourite places.

Existing surrounded by such awe is a marvellous feeling. When it comes to drawing, it’s a feeling that can translate into overwhelm or freeze. There are many times I’ve been stood in the most spectacular place, feeling so inspired, yet unable to create a thing. A panoramic view offers so much to see, so much to capture. The problem is narrowing down how to compose it. Which section should I draw? A view of mountain tops can be complication and confusing. Here are some ways I conquer this feeling:

Sketchbook pages

I’ve been drawing Scottish hills for years now and practise helps this process, my sketchbooks are a way for me to figure out what type of lines and shapes I find most interesting. There are distinct shapes and lines in the photos below. I’m often drawn to shapes, whether that be segments of a hill, or a patch of sunlight, I'm noticing this theme pop up routinely in my work.

When composing a drawing I start by simplifying. I have three main ways to approach this.