Following our Rider’s Lens feature on his work last year, UK-based artist Karl Millett was inspired to assemble a packable sketching kit to make more artwork on the move. Find a look at his current tools for drawing on the bike and a smattering of watercolor works from recent bikepacking trips here…

Words and photos by Karl Millett

Hey! I’m Karl, a London-based illustrator, and over the past year, I’ve been forming a habit of drawing on the go. While writing my Rider’s Lens in 2025, I was super inspired by the travel sketchbooks of other featured artists. I’d done plenty of bike-themed drawings, but never actually drawn whilst on a trip itself. So, I set that as a goal, my partner gifted me a travel watercolour set, and I dusted off an old Moleskine I’d never quite managed to fill!

  • Karl Millett
  • Karl Millett
  • Karl Millett
  • Karl Millett
  • Karl Millett
  • Karl Millett

It started with a few holidays to Norfolk and Annecy, where I took the time to sit down and draw what was in front of me, capturing a moment in time. Having worked mainly digitally, I liked the immediacy of sketching, as it forced me to loosen up and not be too precious. I began sharing my work online and found the awesome community on the urban sketchers subreddit.

  • Karl Millett
  • Karl Millett
  • Karl Millett
  • Karl Millett
  • Karl Millett

My first bikepacking trip with the sketchbook was a short weekender along the Cantii Way in Kent. That was when it really started to click. Instead of drawing individual scenes, I began documenting the whole trip, combining landscapes with notes, food stops, rough maps, and funny moments from the day. This gave a natural visual narrative to the pages, and captured the journey better than a camera roll full of photos ever could.

Karl Millett

I was really satisfied with the results from the Cantii Way, but I wanted to try something more ambitious—the Petit Tour de Manche, touring the Normandy coast into Brittany, then hopping on the ferry over to Jersey. There was a lot more to capture, which did become a tad overwhelming at times!

However, a few days in, I found my rhythm; doodling when the stops allowed, taking photos to return to later, and adding bits in the tent at night with a head torch. I made a habit of waking early, and getting the bike faff done before everyone else, so I had some time to watercolour in the morning light.

  • Karl Millett
  • Karl Millett
  • Karl Millett
  • Karl Millett
  • Karl Millett

Camping in France has always occupied a special place in my heart. They do it well over there and it’ll always be reminiscent of childhood holidays. Throughout these pages, I tried to capture that nostalgia as well as the adventure of being on a bike tour. I hope you enjoy them and maybe it’ll inspire you to pick up your sketchbook too!

Further Reading

Make sure to dig into these related articles for more info...

FILED IN (CATEGORIES & TAGS)

Dispatch

Please keep the conversation civil, constructive, and inclusive, or your comment will be removed.