Old and new media, tools of the sketcher trade

Here's a look at my sketching tools these days.



Watercolor kit
Sakura Koi Watercolor Field Box Set - 24 Color Set

Waterbrushes
Pentel waterbrush

Fountain pens
Lamy Safari with Noodlers Black ink
Sailor Calligraphy fountain pen 40-degree nib
Sailor Calligraphy fountain pen 55-degree nib

Pens and pencils
Micron pens
Prismacolor pencils

Sketchbooks
Moleskine pocket sketchbook
Canson Mixed Media 9x12 spiral bound sketchbook
CoMo spiral bound sketchbook
Bee Paper spiral bound sketchbook
Reporter's notebook

For extra fun
iPhone
Panthervision power cap for night sketching!

Are you all packed for the Symposium? Feel free to share a photo of your sketching tools here if you haven't already.

Looking forward to meeting all the participants in less than a week, as well as sharing the Portland experience with everyone else through this blog.

Safe travels everyone!

Symposium Participant: Shiho Nakaza

Hello! My name is Shiho Nakaza and I am a Los Angeles correspondent for Urban Sketchers. I was born in Okinawa, Japan, and have emigrated to United States with my family as a child, and have lived in Los Angeles since. In that time, I've studied illustration in college and fell into the field of graphic design field after graduation. I have been working as a print production artist/graphic designer for majority of my career while I continue to draw on the side, and I take workshops on drawing and painting whenever I can. Urban Sketchers has encouraged me to sketch every day, even for a few minutes during my lunch hour or after work, and I find happiness in making lines on paper to describe the world I see.


My sketching gear was cobbled together from tips I learned from workshops and other sketchers over the years. Here is my current setup - I keep it very lightweight and minimal so I can carry it around to the office or on my errands - I want to be ready to sketch whenever I have few moments.

My everyday tools that I carry around daily:

• Uniball Signo pen in sepia - 0.5mm regular or 0.38mm superfine
  0.5mm bleeds when painted, and 0.38mm has waterproof ink. I like the brown color because it looks softer than black.
  
  


• Sketchbook - about 6 x 8 inches (15 cm x 20 cm)
  I like smaller sketchbooks that are easy to toss in my bag and are discreet enough to use everywhere. I love Holbein sketchbooks but my favorite ones with thicker paper are discontinued, so I also use sketchbooks by Canson, Daler-Rowney and Strathmore.
  
  + a painting kit for times when I know I'll have a few hours to work on drawings (pictured with water for drinking):
  
  
  
• Watercolor kit - I use Winsor & Newton Cotman kit I got when I was in college and have popped the pans out and filled the empty slots with watercolors from tubes (various brands: Winsor & Newton, Holbein, Jack Richeson). Colors are cool + warm tones of primaries (reds: alizarin crimson + cadmium red, blues: ultramarine blue + phthalo blue, yellows: jaune brilliant + cadmium yellow light) + greens: (turquoise green + cerulean + viridian + permanent green) + brown ochre.


• Rag to sop up water/paint - a small giveaway towel cut up in half to fit the mesh pouch. Sometimes I use paper towel/napkin instead (Viva brand of paper towel works well).
  


• Pentel Koi waterbrush - very handy when doing quick painting on location. I now paint with this exclusively when I'm out and about.
  


• Small Post-It notepad - for using as a ruler when painting: paste it down on the paper and do a wash over it for a straight edge, lift when paint is dry - though these days I paint free-form and haven't used it in a long time.


• Small watercolor sheets - for when I have time to sit at a table to make a "nice" painting (hopefully during this Symposium!) I happened to have Fabriano Medioevalis 208S on hand. I love Arches cold-press sheets, so I save small leftover pieces of Arches that I cut out from sheets I use for larger paintings.


• Mesh pouch - to carry all the gear. I then toss them all in my purse.
  

+ optional gear for longer sketching outings (shown in photo here):

• Binder that can hold sketchbook as well as rest of my gear - this binder is originally made to hold a schedule book/calendar. It comes in handy for toting everything around in a backpack that is bigger than an everyday purse I normally carry.


• Camping chair - so I can sit and paint on location comfortably.

+ depending on the weather:

• sunglasses + sunscreen (mandatory year-round in Los Angeles), hat, jacket, fingerless gloves (it came in handy when I sketched in Alaska!) - I would eventually like to figure out a nighttime flashlight setup like some of the fellow Urban Sketchers. I usually never sketch in the rain...I'll look to Portland folks for suggestions!
  

This will be my first time in Portland, so I am very excited to be able to visit the city and meet and learn from fellow artists. I also love to try new food and cycling leisurely to discover new places, so I'm looking forward to checking out the food carts and possibly renting a bike to explore the city (unless it's raining...)! See you all soon!

Symposium participant: Laura Frankstone

A breathless hello in the middle of an eventful summer! I'm an Urban Sketchers correspondent from North Carolina. I'm so thrilled to be heading northwest in a few days to meet those of you I haven't met (which is everyone, actually, but Veronica and Donna) and to draw together and to be inspired and stimulated and refreshed. There are so many of you whom I feel I know already and whom I admire so much from seeing your work on Urban Sketchers, your own blogs, and elsewhere. I really can't wait for all of us to be in the same place at the same time!

A little background about me: I've always had one foot in the visual arts in my working life, whether it be helping organize and mount exhibits statewide from a state art collection, acting as curator for a university antiques and portrait collection, writing art criticism for a local newspaper, running my own small interior design business, or as an adjunct staff member of an event design company. A few years ago, I turned to pursuing my art career full time.

My sketching habits and sketching gear are as varied as my career. I'm always on the lookout for the new best way to make the lines, colors and shapes I want to make, It's a never-ending, exhilarating/frustrating process---one I'm sure most of you are familiar with!

My latest gear is pictured here. I'm messing about with Kuretake water brush pens I fill with various acrylic inks to see what can happen with them. I alternately use Cretacolor oil pencils---they make nicely sensuous lines without a lot of smudging. The Schmincke travel paintbox you see here is the result of my trying to travel light(er.) I like sketchbooks that are not spiral-bound, since I always want the option to draw across a double-page spread. I'm especially fond of Maruman accordion sketchbooks, which I bought several of a couple of years ago---but, of course, I just learned they are now impossible to get. If anyone knows of a source for these, please do tell!
Here's a sketch made with ink-filled waterbrush pens and watercolor washes: And here is one made with Cretacolor oil pencils and watercolor washes:

More of my work can be seen on my blog Laurelines.
See you all very soon!

Symposium participant: Orling "Arty" Domínguez.

Hello everyone! My name is Orling “Arty” Dominguez. I’m from Dominican Republic, currently living in the capital city of Santo Domingo. I work as a freelance graphic designer and as a high school art teacher in an international school.

A few months ago I decided to post an event on Facebook inviting people in Dominican Republic to get together and spend a day sketching outdoors. By the time I was trying to find people like me in DR, people who just love to draw no matter their backgrounds and/or level of proficiency, so I began searching in the internet to see if there was already a group formed to sign up. I didn’t find any so I went ahead and send out the Facebook invitation. In that same search I came across the website of Sketchcrawl and Urban Sketchers. Oh boy! what a fantastic source of inspiration that was for me, so many amazing drawings.  To make a long story short, the group is formed (DIBUJANDO RD), I had hosted 2 drawing marathons already and there is a 3^rd one scheduled for September 12^th. People are beginning to get the idea, so I hope the group will grow through time.

I had made plans to spend some time at NY this summer when I read about the symposium and I didn’t think it twice to sign up. I said to myself: I’m going to be in the USA anyways, why not just make a quick stop in Portland? (that was me thinking that if I was already in the USA a national flight from NY to Portland was going to be cheaper than an international one from Dominican Republic. I was soooo wrong, it had to be that artistic side of me that knows nothing about numbers, miles and fuels). So I am leaving this coming Sunday to spend a week at New York then head to Portland and eventually to Montreal. I’m really looking forward to sketch in those 3 spots.

For me sketching/drawing is an act of liberation from the daily routine, the bills, the traffic jam. It’s about commitment and passion as well, ‘cause sometimes “the day job” can distract me away from my sketchbook. Sketching is a way of connecting with what’s going on out there, to realize and comprehend and I have to add that sketching outdoors is a great way of making valuable friends.

I look forward meeting you all in Portland. I will be arriving two days early to walk around and get to know the city, to make some photographs (another passion as well) and try out the Portland coffee. (I am a heavy coffee drinker but I am willing to try some tea as well in honor of the tea lovers of the group :-)

Here are a couple of sketches from the Drawing Marathons in DR and pictures of the participants in the 1st Drawing Marathon. Children are always welcome, their drawings are amazing!

this is an old sketch I had around.

and...

... the sketching gear: fountain pen, dip pen, my moleskine, fabriano paper, 

watercolors, ink, graphite pencils, pen, Sakura brush marker, and some handy ziplocks.

'till Portland! :-)

Orling "Arty" Domínguez

My Flickr site.

Drawing by the Pound! blog.

Symposium Participant - Mike Daikubara

Hello everyone,



I thought I was coming from far (Boston), but I guess that's only in U.S terms - Such an international event!

I first started sketching about 10 years ago to help improve communicating ideas quickly in my Industrial Design day job but recently has turned into a hobby and almost a passion.
The following Issuu book captures my sketching journey:

Sketching gear:
I think as with most sketchers in this group, I've also gone through lots of carrying cases, sketchbooks and drawing utensils. The following set is what I've been carrying around recently (except for PenPen):






2 sketches from yesterday @ Provincetown (Cape Cod, Massachusetts)
Beautiful day - Got a little sunburned!




I'm really excited to visit Portland for the first time and to attend this symposium. I look forward to meeting everyone and hope I can learn the why's and how everyone sketches.

My Website (that I haven't done much with): www.daikubara.com

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

Symposium Participant - Kumi Matsukawa

Hello, my name is Kumi Matsukawa and am a Tokyo correspondent.I'm coming to the Symposium from Japan. Nice to meet you all. I am a freelance illustrator, I mainly draw story boards for TV-CMs, and I have watercolor and pastel classes to teach near my place.
It was fifteen years ago when I visited the USA last time and just coming to Portland itself is such a thrill for me. Moreover I really look forward to meeting all the enthusiastic sketchers who participate as well as those who give lectures there.
It is amazing that after less than one year of joining Urban Sketchers, I 'll have such a opportunity to see so much influential people at a time.
I hope through the 3-day symposium I 'll learn like a sponge!





On top of waterbrushes and a portable watercolor box, I 'll carry a chocolate box full custom-made palette and some brushes.




My flickr site

Symposium Participant: Liz Steel

Hi Everyone,

I just have to do a quick post to say hi and let everyone know that I am coming to the Symposium all the way from Sydney!!! (If you don’t know me, I am the Sydney Correspondent and also known as Borromini Bear on flickr) I am very excited not only to be coming to the States (only been once before 10 years ago) but especially to have the chance to meet so many of my online sketching friends at the one time. Of course Borromini will be with me (hope it is ok for him to sneak into the Symposium!?)


My visit to Portland is in the first fortnight of a huge 11 week sketching marathon around the world - (USA, UK and Italy plus lots of time in the air!)... So I currently have a lot of trip preparation to do and whenever I get a chance I am recording this process in sketches on my blog or flickr. Hopefully in the next two weeks I will get more of a chance to sketch as well as pack....or sketch as I pack. Crazy with sorting accommodation right at the moment!

Ok... Now for my important question for the locals- where is the best tearoom in Portland. I am talking premium grade loose leaf tea, served in china cup and saucers!

Simo Capecchi's sketching gear

Lately I like the Bic Cristal, the old biro we used at school, gray and soft enough to substitute my pencil. With Payne's gray it makes a perfect combination for me (similar bic + one color drawings, here and here).



I do make the effort of using colors sometimes, but you can tell which are my favourite... (this drawing here). I'm scared of brilliant colors and of thick black lines.



Here is the entire content of my sketching bag, an old military waterproof one that I have been using for years.
Together with Pentel waterbrush and a flat brush, I use a waterproof Uniball Signo 0.38, a sharpener, B6 pencils (mostly for drawing persons) and a pills container for water. Watercolors tablets are Windsor & Newton, AA serie.


I'll leave in 10 days for San Francisco and maybe my grays will be good enough for the city fog. Thanks to all the participants who are sharing their drawings here,
see you all in Portland!

sketching gear

Lapin’s secret material.

In this post, I tell you all the secrets of my favourite material I carry all the time in my pocket. 

First of all, my pencils, brushes and watercolour are all together in a vintage “Texas Instrument” case, and I will not exchange it for any other one. It’s the perfect size, and with a snap hook, I put it on my coat, or at my belt. So I have all my stuff ready to use and easy to access to.
The 2 hair clips (that I stole from Lapinette) are very useful to maintain the notebook open when it’s windy.


The inkpen is my principal tool. I start all the time my sketches with the lines, and the “Uni Pin fine line 0,1mm” fits my taste. It’s waterproof and the black ink is very dark, I love it.
I also carry 2 colours inkpen “Edding 1800 0,1mm” to copy logotypes or typography.


My watercolour box is a very compact one. It’s a special travel box, made by “Daler-Rowney, England” with 18 fine arts quarter pans. I fill the brush space with some additive colours, as some transparent red, a very cool green, and gold watercolour.
If I had to choose 3 colours, my favourite are the yellow ocre, the alizarin crimson and the russian blue. I sketch figures only with those 3.
I've only used a “Pentel” water brush for a short time, but I’m already addicted to it. I always carry 2 of them full of water, to get enough autonomy for the day, and a third one fill of yellow ochre liquid watercolour to have a bright and luminous yellow (most of the watercolour yellow pans are opaque).


Now it’s time to reveal that I also use a few secret weapons, as this 2 multicolour pens. The big one is a child gadget to raise my watercolour sometimes. The second is more “serious”, it comes from “Muji” in Tokyo, and it’s precise enough to sketch directly with it.
And while I can’t sketch with my usual technique (by night, or when the model has too much contrast), I paint with this black brush (also from Muji).
I must confess that I have brought back a full bag of pens and art supplies from Japan, and that my favourite material may change in the next months… I already adopted a family of “lapin’s stamps”!


Related to my sketchbooks, I have all the time in the pocket a small Moleskine (9x14cm, 192 pages) to sketch in the subway, at a terrace, anywhere… and for some more elaborates sketches, I use some old notebooks I find at a flea market. I especially like the lined paper and the amazing quality of it. I start yesterday my sketcbook number 119… my library is full of them ;)

What sketching tools do you carry?

sketching gear

 These are the three sketchbooks I'll be travelling with on my trip to Portland. They're all small. The one on the left which I have covered with some wax print bought in the local market is 12cm X 16cm and its of kraft paper made by Paperchase. The one on the right is cloth bound and I used acrylics to dab it with the predominant colors of Mauritania it is 14cm x 14cm of a creamy white paper is trav.e.logue, hand.book by Global Art Materials. The one on the forefront was a present from a friend its pages are in sooth kraft paper and the cover is of hand made paper its 10cm X 14.5cm  and very special I'll use it very occasionally, twice in 2007 and a couple of times this year on a trip inland. No idea where it comes from.

 

And these are my tools, some have been with me for years, like the red Chinese brush and the metal tips things used for calligraphy. Others like the water-brushes I only discovered last year. My pen (which I always carry extras) is the  pilot G-TEC-C4 with a 0.4 nib or the 0.25 nib, the last one does get stuck very easily with the fine particles of dust that cover my paper here in Mauritania.

 The watercolor box, old as well.  I recharge it on my trips to Europe or get friends to bring the small pans I'm running out off. The tiny brush is a 00 da Vinci made of Kolinsky Marder, that's what I'll use if I'm sketching directly in watercolor specially if its a portrait.

And last my tiny water bottles. A pure Mauritanian product done by the Moorish women using old pill bottles. I only seem to find them inland in remote oasis. Women used them to keep their home made incense.