April Sketching Kit

I love that I can do quick sketches on location and develop them later without trying to copy the energy into another work. This of course means I need to take a kit with me when I head out …

In my sketching kit this week ...

• 1 Jackson Art square watercolour sketchbook.

• 1 Seawhite spiral bound drawing sketchbook.

• 1 large waterbrush and a small screw-top water jar.

• 1 small palette that I use as a tray on my lap.

• A handful of pencils: 3B and 6B graphite, a blue watercolour pencil and a bark brown Derwent Inktense pencil.

The pencils make beautiful, rich marks on a wet surface, the colour richer with the water, yet can be a way to start a session dry and blend in but not disappear when water and watercolours are added later.

An item that’s relatively new to me is the white palette with upright edges. I use it as a tray on my lap so it’s easy to keep my kit together when I move about.

When I was sketching on a sandy beach back in January, everything remained relatively sand-free.

Travel palette

I’m also using the travel palette from art-toolkit.com I treated myself to back in 2016 on a trip to Canada.

The kit included a waterbrush, a set of mini Daniel Smith watercolour tubes, a sketchbook and a pen - all tidily slotted in a zipped pouch made of tough fabric that can handle years of rucksack and traveling.

For Christmas I treated myself to a few W&N Watercolour Promarkers. I was a bit snobbish about them at first to be honest, but a cold and wet December session of painting from the car and accidentally tipping the water container on my lap was good motivation to open my mind to new ways.

You can sketch “dry” and add water later, so that you can travel or walk your dog and sketch, keeping minimal stuff in your pocket, and add to it later.

I love that I can do quick sketches and develop them shortly later without trying to copy the energy into another work when I want to add colour.