Welcome Back
In today’s post I’ll be showing you round my sketching kit.
Contents
I should add that I have modified the contents of the original items that come with the W&N Travel Bag. I will be reviewing the original and its contents in a later post.
- Single sheets of watercolour paper
- Winsor & Newton Field Box, so far this contains the Cotman (student range of paints)
- Handmade sketchbook containing; cartridge paper and also watercolour paper
- Winsor and Newton Travel Bag. I have modified it from its original contents 😉
- Edding 1800 Profi Pen; Sepia; 0.1,0.3, 0.5, 0.7
- Midas Touch; Flat 50687275. Folding brush with flat end for large washes
- Folding water pot (came with the travel kit)
- Set of three Pentel Water Brushes; Fine, Medium and Large.
- Tin containing my putty eraser
- Staedtler Mars 780 Lead holder
- Rexel Cumberland; Derwent Graphic
- Faber Castell; Eco Pigment; Black; 0.1.0.3, 0.5, 0.7
- Colour mixing chart. I made using colours from paint box to make mixing on location much quicker
- Kitchen roll
- Scale Finder
- Perspective Finder
- Picture Finder
Reasons for my choice of content
The biggest advantage of putting together a travel kit, even if you don’t intend to travel with it, is that it makes it so much quicker and easier to locate your favorite and essential items, when you want to sketch.
What to Include?
This will depend on your style of art. My preference is for pencil and ink sketching, perhaps a little pen & wash if time allows. In the past I’ve always carried FAR too much kit and this is now the most essential items and things I actually use.
Something to draw with:
- The pens I have are in black and sepia to give me options depending on the atmosphere of the sketch I’m creating.
- Pencils; I moved over to the Staedtler Mars 780 lead holder a few years ago and for most of my sketching it is a firm favorite. You can buy leads in a variety of tones and the big advantage is that the end of the holder contains a sharpener, again saving you carrying another piece of kit.
- Brushes: I just discovered Water brushes which I ADORE and have stopped me carrying loads of traditional brushes with me. I need a flat one, Zig do one so it’s on my wish list!!
- Eraser: I use a putty eraser as it leaves no residue and you can form it into really sharp points if you want to erase in a small area of your work. I keep mine in a plastic bag, in a little tin. This keeps it fresh between trips and stops it drying out.
Something to draw/paint onto
- Paper/card; I have a handmade sketch book which I could just drop in my pocket in there. I added water-colour paper and some cartridge paper so I have options. I put larger water-colour paper, should I settle somewhere for a longer session. I love the spiral bound sketchbook by Winsor & Newton as it means I don’t have the ‘other’ page of a bound book getting in the way. I can just fold the other cover, back on itself. It also gives a firm surface to work on, so I don’t need to carry a board.
Something to paint with
- Paint; I adore the Winsor and Newton Field box as it has everything I need in a really compact form.
At a pinch..if pushed.. I could get away with a pencil, a 0.1 pen (either colour) Field box, sketch book and the three water-brushes. They are all in this core kit, so if I want the option of sketching on a day trip, I can just pick those out and drop them in my pocket/or bag.
Summing up
It’s amazing how motivating it is putting together your favorite items like this. Since I put this kit together I’ve regularly got it out to sketch, not out and about, but indoors and in the garden too. Now when I’m feeling arty, I just grab this and it has all I need, together in one place.
How about making your own travelling art kit? Why loose precious sketching time rummaging round the house for your sketching pens or brushes. Gather your favorite items together in a small box, you notice I say small box! If you’re going to leave the house with it, it doesn’t want to be the size of a car!!! Remember you’ll be carrying it to your chosen painting spot! I’ll post a tutorial soon for how to put your own kit together.
So what are your essential, can’t leave home without them, art items?
Would love to see your art kits. 🙂 I’m sooo nosy 🙂
Best wishes and thanks for reading, see you soon
Billie 🙂
I LOVE this idea. The W&N travel bag is ideal to use as a base for all the pens, paints, etc. I must find something similar and make my own travel kit. Thanks for sharing Billie :o)
Hi Gillian
The W&N bag comes with a really great selection of useful items. I like the way things have their own space, stops them rattling around and getting wrecked. Just treated myself to travelling sable brushes from Jackson’s Art Supplies. OMG they are lush!
Best wishes
Billie 🙂
[…] Here’s my earlier post which details the items I’ve put into my kit […]
[…] My Sketching kit My sketching kit, pt 1 […]
g’day,
is there a link to items 15, 16,17 and their construction {ie the perspective, scale and picture finders.
Regards
Rob
Hi Rob
They are all available from the SAA here is a link to the finders page, there is quite a selection to choose from; http://www.saa.co.uk/artmaterials/finders-colour-wheels-1923.html
[…] Billie’s Craft Room Drawing Kit […]
Thanks for the mention, only just catching up on posts.
best wishes
[…] Here’s my earlier post which details the items I’ve put into my kit […]