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A series of line and wash exercises made while working as a youth climbing coach this summer

Months ago, I signed up to compete in two local art competitions that require painting on-location, somewhere outdoors. I’m an amateur artist with zero formal training other than my one semester of Art back in seventh grade and hours of YouTube tutorials. Of course I’m scared. But I signed up because it seems like a fun way to challenge myself, improve my skills, and make new friends too. My goal isn’t to win. I just want to actually turn in finished artwork and see it up on display. If it sells, cool. If not, that’s cool too. I still have plenty of wall space here at home.

Anyway, I told myself I’d prepare as much as I could leading up to the arts festival to ease my anxiety and gave myself some challenges and tasks. This blog post is about a project I completed as part of my preparation for the art competitions. This is a compilation of urban sketches completed while working as a youth coach at a summer climbing camp I’m calling:

Exercises in Line & Wash: Urban Sketch Practice at the Climbing Gym

I really want to emphasize that these sketches were practice, hence calling these “exercises.” I’m not planning on making any prints, but if there’s any interest, I’d rather recreate some of these sketches with higher quality materials. If you want a higher resolution version, text me (if we actually know each other in real life), send me a DM on Instagram, or reach me via my about page.

Below is a PDF with a clean, simple version of the collection of sketches.

But below that, you’ll find each slide, plus more information about the project, as well as some commentary. Hopefully the Table of Contents makes this post feel less overwhelming.

Alright, here ya go:

Table of Contents

1. Exercises in Line & Wash
   1. Objective
   2. Goals
   3. Results
   4. Art Supplies
2. Sketches + Artist Commentary 
   1. #1 Youth Area
   2. #2 Water Bottle on the Mezz
   3. #3 Climbing Shoes
   4. #4 Birthday Room
   5. #5 Mezz Chair and Table
   6. #6 Birthday Room Table
   7. #7 Mezz Couch and Table
   8. #8 Mezz Couches
   9. #9 Quiet Time
   10. #10 Stuffy in Birthday Room (Unfinished)
   11. #11 Party Room Monster
   12. #12 Mezz Lighting
   13. #13 Climbing Walls from Mezz
   14. #14 Yoga Room
   15. #15 Setting Day
   16. #16 View from the Mezz
   17. #17 Springdale Party Room
   18. #18 Green Chair on the Mezz
   19. #19 My View Upon Arrival
   20. #20 Courtyard in the Morning
   21. #21 These Damn Chairs
   22. #22 The Famous Fanny
   23. #23 Westgate Front
3. Lessons Learned Along the Way

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Exercises in Line & Wash

Urban Sketch Practice at the Climbing Gym
Summer Camp | June to August 2025
Artist: Cristy Salinas

Objective

Practice on-location sketching and painting skills to prepare for upcoming arts competitions

Goals

1. Create weekly line and wash sketches on location (I chose ABP Summer Camp during craft time.)
2. Choose subjects to target specific skills (shading, depth, perspective, light, texture, etc.)
3. Finish every sketch to challenge perfectionism and build tolerance to work through creative mistakes

Results

Out of 25 total sketches:

• 23 finished ink and watercolor paintings over 10 weeks (and proudest of the 18 I included in the featured photo above)
• 18 (in the featured photo) are the ones I like best
• 15 started on location 
• 14 were completed at ABP (13 Westgate, 1 Springdale)
• 8 started at home
• 7 were made entirely at home
• 5 started in pencil first
• 1 abandoned due to scale issues, but I finished it on my second attempt
• 1 rejected — first I made didn’t count because the source image was from Google Search

Art Supplies

Here is a list of pens and watercolor paint* I experimented with throughout the summer. 

1. Derwent Inktense Line and Wash Paint Half-Pan Set (12 colors)
2. Winsor Newton Cotman Watercolour (20 colors)
3. Master’s Touch Watercolor Pencils (24 colors)
4. Grumbacher Watercolor Paper Pad, 8″ x 8″
5. Phinus Watercolor Paper, 5” x 7”
6. Sakura Pigma Micron Fineliner Pens – Black
7. Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Fineliner Pens – Black
8. Kingart Inkline Fineliner Pens – Black
9. Sakura Gelly Roll Gel Pens – White

Or, you can check out this art supplies list.

Other supplies I carry with me:

• Clear zipper pencil/makeup pouch to carry everything in
• Water brush pens
• Draft tape
• Pocket ruler
• 2B pencils
• Pencil sharpener
• Eraser (vinyl/plastic/drafting)
• Wash cloth for paint cleanup
• Occasionally finer watercolor brushes for details

Sketches + Artist Commentary 

I approached this project as a series of exercises because the practice was more about quantity and variety. The whole point was to not be a perfectionist about it.

Here’s more information about each painting.

#1 Youth Area

June 18, 2025
8” x 8”
Ink, ink wash, watercolor pencil

This first one was mostly done pretty quickly while another coach led a game. One of the kids asked me if I was drawing them, and I proudly said no, that I was editing everyone out of the painting. Later after the kids left for the day, I took a pic to finish sketching and filling in the climbing holds at home. 

I started mixing colors for each climbing hold and quickly realized that was going to take forever, so I switched to watercolor pencils. I’m not a fan of the look. But overall, I’m pretty pleased with how this turned out considering the chaos around me.

#2 Water Bottle on the Mezz

June 19, 2025
8” x 8”
Ink, ink wash, watercolor pencil

I was feeling restless and chose to sketch what was directly in front of me at the time.

Yes, that’s a Michael Scott quote — sorry, I meant Prison Mike.

I recently learned that my younger coworkers haven’t watched “The Office” so I guess it’s officially an old person reference. Sigh.

#3 Climbing Shoes

June 19, 2025
8” x 8”
Ink, ink wash

OK, so this one was completed at home so technically shouldn’t be included in the series. However, these are my personal climbing shoes, which I always bring with me to work. And I’m the boss of this blog and make up my own rules. 

We have a “launch station” by our door that leads to our garage, which is where I put everything I need to bring with me when leaving my house. It’s a shelf with several hooks to accommodate my object impermanence. Anyway, I was in the mood to sketch at home, and I think I was walking back into the house after walking my dog and just thought they looked cool hanging there. I used my white gel pens for the lines on the shoes and chalk bag.

They’re La Sportiva Solutions Comp climbing shoes for anyone curious. I like ‘em, but I also have long, narrow feet and toe pain from growing up in a culture with a lot of formal occasions that required uncomfortable heels from toddlerhood. So I’m very picky about shoes now. The rubber around the toes might be too much for other people with normal feet.

#4 Birthday Room

June 26, 2025
8” x 8”
Ink, ink wash, watercolor pencil

I’ve spent a lot of time in this room… The scale is off, and I missed a bunch of holds, but I still like the way it turned out.

#5 Mezz Chair and Table

June 26, 2025
8” x 8”
Ink, ink wash
Exercise: texture, shadows

Ah, one of the more popular chairs on the mezzanine, at least among the kids. There were certainly arguments over who could sit here. I chose this because the weaving texture caught my eye and I wanted to try to replicate it, plus practice shadows.

#6 Birthday Room Table

July 1, 2025
8” x 8”
Ink, ink wash
Exercise: perspective, glazing, shadows

It was the shadows that first caught my attention. This one was done really quickly while the pre-k/kindergarten campers made beaded necklaces. I was interrupted a bajillion times and had to sit awkwardly on one of the green stools I later painted three times.

I’m not the biggest fan of this one, but several people told me they really like it.

#7 Mezz Couch and Table

July 7, 2025
8” x 8”
Ink, ink wash
Exercise: light, shadows, depth

One angle of a popular seating area where the older campers hang out and play board games. I was interested in the lamp lighting since it was multi-directional and provided a variety of shadows.

#8 Mezz Couches

July 9, 2025
8” x 8”
Ink, ink wash
Exercise: light, shadows

A different angle of the same couch area. 

#9 Quiet Time

July 16, 2025
8” x 8”
Ink, ink wash, watercolor pencil
Exercise: shading, texture, depth

I actually impressed myself with this one. It was the first time I felt like I’d leveled up some. I can’t remember whether I started this one on location, or if I used the source photo the whole time. I do know I finished it at home.

This is the only illustration that features a person, very loosely drawn. But that’s Andrew on the left of the parachute, my co-coach for that week. I did tell the kids that they were all in my painting too, just inside the tent.

This particular week was wild, fun but also overstimulating. We’d been unsuccessful in getting the pre-k-/kinder group to actually be quiet during our afternoon Quiet Time. Hence, the fort idea. To build our fort/tent, we tied knots on each end of the rope and hung them up on climbing holds, then draped the parachute over the climbing walls and rope. The kids decided to divide it so boys had one entrance and the girls had the other. They made Andrew move to the boys’ side. Rules are rules after all. 

I found some short naptime stories on Spotify and played them on my portable JBL, and we all listened while wrapped in yoga blankets. And it was a success! The kids LOVED the experience. See photographic evidence as proof.

#10 Stuffy in Birthday Room (Unfinished)

July 16, 2025 
8” x 8”
Ink, ink wash
Exercise: color mixing, shadows

Our camp director kicked me out of the room before I was done because I had already clocked out for the day. I really dislike this one, but I think I would’ve abandoned it anyway because I could not mix the correct green colors to differentiate between the stuffy and chairs. Oh well. The green stuffy was a gator.

This was also my first attempt sketching these green stools. They taunted me for weeks after. 

#11 Party Room Monster

July 17, 2025
8” x 8”
Ink, ink wash, watercolor pencil
Exercise: shading, depth

This is definitely one of my favorites, even with all of the mistakes. This was part of youth set in the birthday party room, where the pre-k/kindergarten kiddos spend most of their day. It’s just fun to look at. 

I’m pretty sure I’m going to recreate it on larger paper. In pencil first, so I don’t have to worry about putting lines in the wrong places like I did in this one. I had drawn the wall lines before the circle, and then I made the circle too big. And I definitely missed some holds, but the wall has since been reset anyway, so no one would ever know without the source photo.

#12 Mezz Lighting

July 21, 2025
8” x 8”
Ink, ink wash, watercolor pencil
Exercise: light, depth, shadows

The lighting caught my eye first but I also liked the view across the gym too. It feels a little incomplete because I edited out the 10+ tween campers sitting on green metal chairs at the bar working on their crafts. 

#13 Climbing Walls from Mezz

July 21, 2025
8” x 8”
Ink, ink wash, watercolor pencil
Exercise: texture, depth 

I played with recreating white chalk prints against the blue climbing wall texture, holds, and volumes. I had to make sure I left a lot of white space which I’m not very good at. This one didn’t turn out quite like I wanted it to. I still think it looks like the blue is on top of the white.

Fun fact: I sent this black boulder route! It’s incomplete here and I never took a photo, but the route lives on in my heart. It was the first since my cholecystectomy back in October 2023. 

I’ve been slowly returning to my pre-surgery fitness, but summer camp is what finally got me back into climbing shape. All it took was 10 weeks of 10,000+ steps, 20+ flights of stairs, and hours of climbing instruction multiple days a week. 

#14 Yoga Room

July 22, 2025
8” x 8”
Ink, ink wash
Exercise: depth, color, texture

We spent a lot of time playing games in this room. Normally the door is closed when not in use, but it was open on this day, and I wanted to recreate the blue glow inside the room. I used a little too much water and the paper started disintegrating a bit so I stopped there. I still really like how it turned out. 

The kids called this sketching style “chicken scratch.”

#15 Setting Day

July 23, 2025
8” x 8”
Pencil, ink, ink wash, watercolor, watercolor pencil
Exercise: lines, shading, perspective, depth

This was the first one I actually put some thought into before committing to the sketch, and I’m glad I did because this was difficult to do. 

I think it was the bold orange of the ladder that caught my eye first, then the chalk prints on the mat and the walls. Then I saw an opportunity to practice depth with color and the amount of details I included in the sketch. 

I took the picture on Tuesday and decided to sketch it at home so it would be ready to paint on Wednesday, watercolor day. I quickly became overwhelmed and started to regret my choice. I started with pencil and my little ruler first and got confused several times. There was a lot of erasing and redoing of lines. I had to do a base color in some areas so I could tell what I was looking at. 

It took me a few hours over three days to finish it, mostly because I didn’t have time to do it all in one sitting. I painted some of it on Wednesday with the older kids but did the rest at home. I needed to concentrate. Overall I’m very proud of how well it turned out because I had so much doubt the entire time. I just kept hearing Bob Ross’s encouraging voice tell me not to worry about the “happy accidents,” and now they’re barely visible.

This is also around the time when I finally decided to put together this metal paint palette and filled 20 empty half pans with the 20 Winsor Newton Cotman watercolors my sister gifted me last Christmas. The watercolor pencils were meh 👎🏼 and I got tired of mixing colors for individual holds. 

#16 View from the Mezz

July 26, 2025
8” x 8”
Ink, ink wash, watercolor

UGH. This was not even half-assed, maybe quarter-assed? This is one of three in this series I’d like to throw away forever. But it is an urban sketch, so I’m keeping it in. I actually completed it in-person with a horde of children watching me.

It was during this sketch session that my third and fourth grade campers got inspired by my work, and they sketched the same scene and other climbing walls on construction paper with crayons. They were so proud to show me.

🥹 NO, I’M NOT CRYING. YOU ARE.

Side note: I would be super impressed if any of my coworkers know where this gif is from.

#17 Springdale Party Room

July 30, 2025
8” x 8”
Ink, ink wash, watercolor

I picked up a Wednesday shift at our other location to help out with the pre-k/kinder group on watercolor day.

I wish I could trash this urban sketch, but it’s a good reminder of how hard it is to sketch in person. I was also with a rambunctious group of 4 to 6 year-olds and had to remain hypervigilant. Seriously, this age group is unpredictable and will do things I would never think of, like launching themselves off of the boulder one-handedly monkey style, or licking up spilled juice on a picnic table like a dog. Luckily, the worst thing that happened on this particular day was ant bites during lunch. 

They were a lively but sweet group. A few of the girls asked me to add some of my tape to their watercolor paper to get a nice clean white edge — just like mine. 😭💓

#18 Green Chair on the Mezz

July 30, 2025
8” x 8”
Ink, ink wash, watercolor

Second attempt trying to draw the green metal chairs… So wrong. I hate these chairs now. 

#19 My View Upon Arrival

August 2, 2025
8” x 8”
Pencil, ink, ink wash, watercolor
Exercise: shading, depth, lines, texture, self-compassion

I needed some redemption after feeling disappointed with the previous three sketches, so I chose something harder to paint over a weekend. This was a weekend project because I knew it’d require some concentration. 

I’d been eyeing this wall all summer because the morning sunlight made this area look a little golden. And I wanted to practice trees and shadows too. 

Well, this one nearly made me cry from frustration… I had to force myself to slow down and make myself take deep breaths when working on the brick wall because it was very time consuming and tested my patience. 

I was “finished” but the wall still didn’t look right. I had put down yellow and orange hues for the base, wet on wet. Then I used various reds and browns to add lines of brick color sporadically, with my little ruler to keep the lines. I took a break from looking at it for a day. Then I realized what was missing: the white grout. So using my little ruler, I drew each horizontal line first. For the vertical lines, I skipped every other row to finally make the brick shapes. And wow, what an improvement! 

I’m still not very happy with the shadows and trees, but I’ve been practicing since and I think I’m getting better.

One kid told me his favorite part was the accessible parking sign which I thought was funny because I did spend some time on it. I appreciated his attention to detail.

#20 Courtyard in the Morning

August 9, 2025 (second attempt)
8” x 8”
Pencil, ink, ink wash, watercolor
Exercise: light, shading, perspective, depth of field

This is another angle of the same area. And another weekend project. Again, I loved the way the morning light had a golden hue. I was already late… but the light was extra golden on this day, so I had to snap a few pics. 

It took me two tries to get this one to look “correct.” The scale and perspective were very, very off in the first one. I tried erasing and fixing it but it was too much work. So I decided to start over, and I’m glad I did. Despite the imperfections, I still like this one a lot. 

#21 These Damn Chairs

August 12, 2025
8” x 8”
Ink, ink wash, watercolor

Back to actual on-location sketching, with frequent interruptions, because… job. 

This was my third — and final — attempt at drawing the chairs. There are some pretty obvious lines in the wrong spots because that’s just how it turned out. But I kind of like it anyway? 

I think it looks kind of trippy. I don’t know why it reminds me of the movie “Labyrinth.” I haven’t seen it in forever, but something about the pink on the right seems familiar. The extended lines I put down by mistake also give me that vibe. Maybe I’m the trippy one. (Literally, yes I am, because I’m very clumsy and do trip a lot. I have amazing reflexes though.)

I won’t be surprised if these chairs start appearing in my nightmares. They’re not comfortable. I hate the sound they make on the concrete floor, and I have to hear that a lot, especially to sweep up all of the popcorn, seaweed, and goldfish left behind after snack time and lunch. From the kids, not me, in case that wasn’t clear.

Also, I’ve made it my personal mission to teach kids proper etiquette around the mats and mezz because we share the space with adults. I’ve actually spent time teaching kids to lift, not drag, chairs across the floor, just like we do when striking down a stage between improv scenes. You’re welcome, Austin! Yes, I have sensory issues. Anyway… 

#22 The Famous Fanny

August 23, 2025
5” x 7”
Ink, ink wash

Ah, yes. The coveted fanny pack. Rumor is that these were leftovers from a Christmas gift long ago, and a few of us newbies snatched them before the rest of the coaches were hired for summer camp. 

My pack kind of became a bit with the kids. Not only did I have my usual stuff from my purse (wallet, eye drops, lip balm, meds, etc.), I also started to carry hand sanitizer, bandaids, ice packs, pens, scissors, a tiny notepad, and of course, lots of snacks. It was so heavy by the last weeks of camp. But the kids were entertained by the various things I kept in there, and all of those things were useful and needed, so it was worth the weight. 

I kind of miss wearing it though. Too bad I can’t pull this off in the real world. Everyone already thinks I’m weird.

#23 Westgate Front

August 23, 2025
5” x 7”
Ink, ink wash

I’m pretty sure I’ve been going to this location since the day it opened. But since I parked on the side of the building, I didn’t actually know what the front looked like… 

The first sketch I made this summer was of the front of the building, but it didn’t look great because it was from a photo I found on Google. I took my own pic later and this is how it turned out. I kind of abandoned trying to write out the sign because I didn’t have a pen color that would match. Also the windows are quite the bitch to draw. Part of me wants to make a bigger version of this to finally get the details right, and the other part is screaming, LET IT GO!

Oh, and the last two were on 5”x7” watercolor paper because I’d already used all of my 8”x8” paper. I did some random doodles with the kids during craft time over the summer. I didn’t expect to run out of pages because I didn’t expect to produce this many paintings. So I do not mind at all.

Lessons Learned Along the Way

Let’s start with the positives. Actually, it’s all mostly positive. 

I really enjoyed having a side project all summer. I’m proud of my work. I see the improvement. I’m feeling more confident I can complete the competition paintings and turn in something I’ll be proud of. 

Something that surprised me was everyone’s reaction when I’d bring out my art supplies and start painting. I’ve always thought of sketching as a quiet, introspective activity, which can be true, but not while creating artwork in a public space. It’s actually the complete opposite: I attract so much attention. I really don’t mind the interruptions, but now I take that into account when I’m deciding when and where to paint next. I’m happy to engage with genuinely curious people — especially kids — and show them how easy it is for them to get started too.

Which are my favorites? The sketches in my featured photo are the ones I like best. My top five are #9 Quiet Time, #11 Party Room Monster, #15 Setting Day, #19 My View Upon Arrival, and #20 Courtyard in the Morning — in no particular order. Ranking them all would be too hard.

My original intent was to buy a sketchbook so I could have everything compiled neatly in one place. But I’m glad it worked out this way because it would’ve been way harder to scan everything, and this was already a lot of work. Seriously, it took me way longer to scan everything, create the PDF, and put together this blog post than to actually create all of the artwork. The tedious work was worth it this time. Now I know to scan as I go, rather than wait until I have 20+ paintings to scan.

What would I do differently? I’d probably spend more time choosing higher quality paper and maybe vary the sizes of the paintings. I wasn’t a fan of the Grumbacher pad, but it’s an affordable option that seems to be well-reviewed. I’m still learning how to control how much water to use, so it’s probably a Cristy problem, not a Grumbacher one. I recently purchased my first Arches watercolor block to see if I can even feel the difference, but I haven’t used it yet.

I can’t say I’d do anything else differently though because I don’t really know what products I like yet. I will say I love the way the Derwent Inktense paints dry. They’re actually ink and not watercolor like I thought until like a few days ago. But I love the vibrance of some of the Winsor Newton Cotman watercolors. They’re not professional grade, but I’ve also never tried higher quality paints so I have no idea what to compare them to. I don’t know if I’ll actually purchase professional paints for the contest because it’s all so expensive. I did order some “iridescent medium” to add some sparkle though. 

The arts festival kicks off in five days! I’m as ready as I can be. I’m there primarily to have a good time, and I have no doubt it will be an interesting experience. I’m planning to film a vlog about the arts festival — since I have to provide proof I created my work on location anyway — so hopefully I can turn that around in a relatively short amount of time. I’m trying!

Anyway, thanks for reading! Also why? It doesn’t matter. I appreciate you.

Ooh wait! One last thing! Follow my new Instagram account for my art: @cristysalinas_art