Travel sketchbooks are specific to a particular journey or experience. They can be used to represent a range of observations about a place or culture. Architects who keep travel sketchbooks may use them to refer back to specific architectural ideas encountered on their travels and reconsider them with their own design projects in mind. Such ideas may include a particular use of materials, a specific type of structure or a particular experience of light affecting a room or a space.
Travel sketches tend to be both observational (describing what is seen) and analytical (analysing through diagram and ideas and concepts of design).
Developing personal preferences, approaches and styles is an important aspect of sketching. These can be established through experimentation with drawing styles, techniques, materials or media. If you see a drawing that you like, find out what materials were used to construct it and then adopt, adapt and experiment to develop your own individual approach.
Mixing media from a range of different sources can be another way to find out what works for you. Different areas of art and design, from illustration and animation to graphic design and fine art, use different representation techniques that can be adapted for architectural drawing and presentation.