Drawing supplies

When it comes to drawing supplies for me, variety is the spice of life. I like to bring an assortment of supplies because I want to be able to respond graphically wherever I am. Above is a typical scene at my studio when I'm getting ready for a drawing trip. Pictured: my old Japanese box with assorted pens, a small pencil case with colored pencils, watercolor pans, pastels, grease crayons, a few fountain pens, brush pens and some graphite pencils. Regarding sketchbooks I am very fickle and will use one type for a long time until suddenly it doesn't feel right to me. Often I will clip lots of different kinds of paper to a board and this way I can switch it up on location.


I love to work with pen and ink, above are pictured several pens and my glass jar for ink. I like the glass jar as it's sturdier than the containers that most inks come in plus I enjoy hearing the pen tinkling against the glass! A variety of pen types is good - bamboo in different widths, brush pens and also pen holders with different kinds of nibs. At the far right is a little water pen I found, it's perfect for places where a jar of water might be too unwieldy.

Of course plastic bags to hold it all come in handy and I wonder how Monet got along without Ziploc! Good luck packing your supplies everyone and I look forward to meeting you in Portland. - Veronica Lawlor