September 9th, 2026

A Picnic in the Park with Yellow Art Toolkits

Art Toolkit Co-Founders Darin and Maria visit Chetzemoka Park on a late summer afternoon to sit, snack, and sketch vibrant fruits and vegetables.

By Maria Coryell-Martin

A sunlit outdoor scene featuring an open sketchbook with colorful watercolor drawings of fruits and vegetables. Nearby, a palette holds various paints and two water brushes rest on a yellow fabric surface, along with additional drawings of peppers and a lemon.

On a beautiful afternoon in August, we headed to Chetzemoka Park in Port Townsend, where we found a lovely tree to set up our picnic blanket in dappled shade for a little snack and sketch.

A gazebo surrounded by green foliage, with a view of water in the background under a clear blue sky.

A woman in a light blue dress sits on a picnic blanket, engaging with a man sitting nearby. They are surrounded by greenery, and art supplies are scattered around them. Sunlight filters through the leaves above.

Art Toolkit co-Founder Darin and my sweetheart sat down with me to cut up peppers, cucumber, and cheese while I played with some mixed media in two different styles and with two different sets of supplies.

A yellow zippered pouch rests on a blue and white checkered cloth, partially covered by a large tote bag with turquoise straps. A pair of green sunglasses lies nearby and a straw hat is positioned in the background.

A vibrant yellow flower stands out against a blurred green background, with a dark purple flower partially visible to the left.

A vibrant sketchbook displaying colorful illustrations of fruits and vegetables rests on a yellow case. Nearby, art supplies and a wooden cutting board with sliced produce are arranged on a checkered blanket. — A Yellow A5 Art Toolkit, portrait Hahnemühle Watercolor Book, and Explore Palette.

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Explore Palette

Art Toolkit

Explore Palette

A versatile, 12-color palette.

Contour Sketches and Vibrant Pastels

For my first sketch, I used the Sailor Fude de Mannen Fountain Pen to make some contour sketches of the produce in a Sketch & Note sketchbook. Focusing on the big outlines and shapes, the bent nib created varied, organic thick and thin lines.

A person is sitting on a blue and white checkered blanket, drawing in a sketchbook with a yellow marker. Nearby are various colorful peppers, a cucumber, and a set of colored pencils. The setting appears to be outdoors, suggesting a picnic or art session. — Maria adds yellow pastel to her ink outlines.

A person's hands are sketching colorful vegetables in a notebook, while a red tin of colored pencils and fresh vegetables are visible on a checkered blue and white tablecloth. — A layer of white pastel brings a bold opacity to the sketches.

A vibrant setup featuring a box of Caran d'Ache colored pencils, open to reveal a range of colors. Nearby, a sketchbook with illustrations of bell peppers is placed on a checkered cloth, along with fresh yellow peppers and a wooden cutting board. Sunlight casts a warm glow over the scene. — Caran D’Ache Neocolor II Aquarelle Pastels can be used without water.

A sketchbook displaying colorful drawings of various peppers and a lemon, resting on a blue and white checkered picnic blanket. — A final, double-page spread of vibrant produce.

Next, I added playful and bold color with Caran D’Ache Neocolor II Aquarelle Pastels. They can be used to build up lovely layers of color into a waxy, smooth finish, which captured for me the vibrancy of these fruits and vegetables.

Fast/Slow Sketches with Watercolor and Ink

For my next sketch, I chose a landscape A5 Hahnemühle Watercolor Book, an Explore Palette, an Aquash Water Brush, and a 3.0mm Parallel Pen. I chose a sketching style I learned from artist Danny Gregory: Fast/Slow.

A yellow sketchbook lies open on a blue and white checkered blanket, featuring colorful watercolor paint swatches of vegetables. Nearby, slices of cucumber and lemon are scattered, and a hand reaches for the food. — A page of loose watercolor sketches laid down in about one minute.

A person's hands holding a pen, sketching colorful illustrations of fruits in a sketchbook. The page features a lime, banana, and bell pepper, with a checkered tablecloth underneath. — Once paint is dry, the varied line of a pen slowly defines details in ink.

In just a few seconds per object, I painted a quick (fast!) watercolor gesture. Once dry, I took time (slow!) with my Parallel Pen to add more definition and detail. I love the contrast of the bold lines on top of the loose paint and how lively the result is!

Maria’s Sketchbook Pages and Supplies

A colorful illustration of various vegetables, including a sliced lemon, a red bell pepper, yellow bell peppers, orange chili peppers, and a green cucumber, arranged artistically on a white background. — Contour sketches using pastels by Maria.

A colorful watercolor illustration featuring various fresh vegetables and fruits, including a red pepper, lemon, cucumber slices, round yellow vegetables, and red chili peppers, alongside a kitchen knife. — Fast/Slow watercolor and ink sketches by Maria.

Yellow Pocket Art Toolkit

Yellow A5 Art Toolkit

It was such a treat to spend time picnicking and playing with color. We hope you feel inspired to go to your local farmers’ market or grocery store to find the most colorful produce, and take yourself to a park to sketch it!

A couple walks hand in hand through a lush garden, surrounded by greenery and colorful flowers, under a wooden archway.

Thank you for joining us at the park to explore Yellow Art Toolkits! Here’s a little behind-the-scenes photo of our post-picnic snacking, for your enjoyment.

Two people enjoying snacks under a tree on a sunny day. One person wears a wide-brimmed straw hat and sunglasses, biting into a red apple. The other holds a yellow pouch while tasting a slice of orange, also wearing a hat. Bright, relaxed atmosphere in a park setting. — Co-founders Maria Coryell-Martin and Darin Reid (bell peppers), and Marketing Manager Nakaia Macomber-Millman (lemon).

Learn about our newest Art Toolkit colorway on the Art Toolkit Blog, or browse our full selection of vibrant Art Toolkits here. As always, please tag us in anything you share with the handle @ArtToolkit; we’d love to see what you create.

Contour Sketches and Vibrant Pastels

Fast/Slow Sketches with Watercolor and Ink

Maria’s Sketchbook Pages and Supplies

Yellow Pocket Art Toolkit

Yellow A5 Art Toolkit

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