Tra Que Herb Village
Posted: April 28, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Hoi An, travel sketching, urban sketch, Vietnam, watercolour sketch 7 CommentsOne of the things I loved best about the food in Hoi An was that with almost any dish that you ordered, there was an accompanying plate of fresh herbs that you could add to soups and noodles or roll into Bánh xèo. The herbs often included basil, mint and coriander, but on the plate there were also greens that I had never seen and that made every dish so tasty.
One of our first bus outings was to Tra Que Herb Village. I was really looking forward to learning more about (and drawing!) the mysterious and delicious herbs. From our shaded spot we looked out into the gardens to draw the fields, the farmers and the surrounding houses. I hope I conveyed the steamy heat that we felt as we drew.
I asked for and was really hoping that someone would give us a tour of the garden or pick a selection of herbs that we could draw for our sketchbook pages, but that didn’t work out as expected. Later in the week I filled the space on that spread with a sketch (using Inktense pencils) of a utility pole that echoed the poles in the field. It’s not the herbs I was hoping for but those poles and wires are so much fun to draw!
The electrical wires look like they are wilting from the heat! I’m curious about how you use the inktense pencils. I haven’t used them on an existing sketch yet.
HI Maureen,
I love those Inktense pencils. I layer them and wet them after. I love how all the colours combine. I will have to do a little demo of them sometime!
Shari
Beautiful Shari!! Was wondering if you offer a course in using inktense pencils? Thanks, Ann
HI Ann, I don’t have anything yet but I am thinking I should do something soon.
Sounds like a great idea!! Thanks
It is nice to see the village from a distance with the farmland being part of the sketch. I love all the utility poles and wires. They add so much to the life of the sketch. What a great opportunity to enjoy a new location.
It sure was Joan!