Welcome to the Shoreline…
This set of sketchbook prompts was inspired by quiet mornings beachcombing along the East Honolulu coast—gathering textures, stories, and tiny treasures from the wrack line to the water’s edge.
Each prompt invites you to slow down and explore the natural rhythms of the tide through mark-making, layering, and organic abstraction.
Whether you’re working with #tracibautistaCOLOR handcrafted artisanal mixed media or your own paints or simply following your curiosity, let this be a space to collect, interpret, and play.
Use these prompts to guide your shoreline-inspired explorations in sketchbook pages, mixed media layers, or motif studies.
If you’d like to read the full blog post for a behind-the-scenes peek into the process of developing this collection visit here.
Your sketchbook becomes the shoreline. Your brush becomes the tide.
🪸 Inspired by coral, pods, and driftwood clusters
Prompt: Create an abstract map of shoreline treasures. Use ink or pencil to loosely trace found forms—branching coral, broken pods, tangled driftwood—and arrange them like constellations. Add layers with white gesso or chalk to soften and fade areas, like half-buried fragments.
🌊 Inspired by etched shoreline tide lines
Prompt: Use linear marks (string dipped in ink, brush drag, palette knife) to mimic the organic “pull” of the tide. Stretch marks across the page. Add watercolor washes in neutrals, dusk violet, or indigo for shadow and flow.
