Sketching Mylor Harbour: 20 Minutes Before the Tide Turned

Mylor is one of those places where you feel slightly guilty for not painting it better. The boats are too pretty, the light is too good, and before you know it you have spent 40 minutes on something you promised yourself would be a quick sketch.

I arrived on the bike just after 9am — the light was still low and the rigging on the nearest boat was casting long shadows across the deck. I had my A5 Stillman & Birn sketchbook, a Lamy Safari with Diamine ink, and a small travel watercolour kit (12 half-pans, the Hahnemühle block for when I want something more finished).

The sketch took 22 minutes. I know because I set a timer — a discipline I picked up from urban sketching. Constraints improve sketches. A time limit stops you overworking it.

The ride back was mostly downhill. A good morning.