The Early Tradition of Sketching with Watercolour

Before watercolour was widely admired as a finished, gallery-ready medium, it was valued for something much simpler: its usefulness. For many painters in Britain during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, watercolour was the quickest, lightest, and most flexible way to sketch what they saw around them. It slipped easily into a travel kit, worked well outdoors, and allowed artists to capture light, weather, and atmosphere on the spot.

Unlike oil paint—which required preparation, drying time, and indoor space—watercolour encouraged speed and experimentation. A few brushes, a small box of pigments, and a sketchbook were enough to record landscapes, buildings, and fleeting effects of cloud or shadow. Over time, this practical role shaped how artists observed the world and how landscape painting itself developed.

Early on, watercolour was closely tied to topographical drawing. Artists were often commissioned to produce accurate views of towns, estates, ruins, and notable buildings. These drawings were less about drama and more about clarity and detail—visual documents as much as artworks.

Attributed to John Burrows, Overseer of Works on the Rideau Canal from 1827 to 1848, this watercolour is one of many sketches created during the canal’s construction. Before photography, such images were essential for documenting large engineering projects. Beyond their artistic value, these watercolours preserve specific moments in time and remind us how central the medium was to recording history. (source: Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1979-12-12)

Before photography, watercolour was the main medium for visually recording new lands, peoples, and natural phenomena. Artists often accompanied explorers, military officers, or scientists on expeditions, producing remarkable sketches that are now prized both for their artistry and historical value.

In 2012, the Canadian Museum of History added a rare watercolour to its collection: a striking depiction of HMS Terror by Admiral Sir George Back. The museum acquired it for $60,000. Just a few years after this painting was created, HMS Terror set out on the ill-fated Franklin Expedition, ultimately becoming one of the ships lost while searching for the Northwest Passage. This watercolour offers a fascinating glimpse of a vessel that would later become part of one of Arctic exploration’s most famous—and tragic—stories. (source: Canadian Museum of History)

Watercolour sketches often acted as a bridge between direct observation and finished paintings. John Constable used watercolour studies to analyze skies, weather patterns, and rural scenery. These sketches helped him understand how nature actually behaved, rather than how it was traditionally painted.

What mattered most was simply looking closely. Working outdoors forced artists to make quick choices and trust their instincts. Watercolour suited this perfectly—its immediacy meant it couldn’t be endlessly reworked, which encouraged both clarity and confidence. For this reason, watercolour has perhaps the strongest historical connection to plein air painting, capturing the world directly from observation for hundreds of years.