What's more important than taking color notes while sketching in the field?

The 2016 Philadelphia Flower Show had a National Parks theme. (Note the "official" National Parks stamp for the flower show in the left hand corner.) I knew the show was going to be quite spectacular so I threw my sketchbook into my bag. I was determined to do at least one or two sketches while there. At the show, I came across this outstanding chocolate brown and pink plant which had nothing to do with parks but just called out to be drawn. So I sketched it on the spot and made color notes for later reference. A few days later, I plopped the sketchbook down on the breakfast table next to my oatmeal with sliced apples and picked up a few colored pencils and just "had at it" simply enjoying the moment. As I put the last spoonful of oatmeal into my mouth and lay the last colored pencil on the table, I happened to read the note up in the right hand corner. Egads! I colored the plant pink and brown instead of brown and pink. So what's more important than taking color notes while sketching in the field? Reading them BEFORE coloring would be my guess.

Check out John Muir Laws new Nature Journaling book!