I’ve been busy with stuff other than sketching this week. Exciting things like planning for my trip overseas, to welcome my first grandchild. I would like to do some sketching along the way, to fill in the transit hours – 19 hours flying time plus 2 hours at Doha airport. I don’t want to be lumbered down with taking stuff I may not use I decided to make myself a new kit, with just the bare essentials.
I wanted my kit to be compact, minimal and light, something I could slip in my handbag and use to sketch on the plane and hopefully a few sketches in the area. I don’t expect to have much free time for sketching while I’m there but I want to have stuff on hand if the opportunity arises.
Yesterday I spent time designing and sewing a kit to hold my pencils, pens, palette, waterbrush, journal with room for a couple of extra items in the top flap. This is made from an imitation leather, to fit a 21 x 14 cm Stillman and Birn Alpha journal. I tossed around taking my lighter hand stitched 21 x 21 cm journal but decided the S&B has so many more pages I can scribble away to my heart’s content without worrying about running out of space. It will also fit the square one if I decided to take that instead as I do prefer the larger format. I painted the sketch below in the S & B journal, trialling the kit using the same tools.
My watercolour pencils have been modified – cut in half and glued together so that I can have 12 colours in 6 slots.
Much as I like my existing travel palette with 21 colours I decided I could make do with just 3 – Yellow Light, Permanent Rose and Pthalo Blue. I decided to add a few others for convenience and I couldn’t do without Ultramarine Blue. I made an insert I made to fit in a tiny credit card holder, with a thin piece of sheet plastic or Perspex and fashioned the wells with hot glue. I can slip it in and out if I want to change the colours in the palette. I know you can buy these online but postage to Australia is a killer. Hey, it’s not fancy but it cheap, and it works π
I squeezed the colours from tubes. Some colours (winsor and Newton) I added a tiny drop of honey with a toothpick, then stirred thoroughly. This settles the paint into the well. The honey stops the colour from drying too hard and makes them much easier to rewet. Other colours MGraham already have honey added.
Using a small clip the palette can be attached to the book leaving hands making it much easier to sketch/paint in restricted places.
The only other painting I was able to do this week was a pleinair sketch, well sort of. It was such a cold and blustery day for our group Meetup that we sat inside a local cafe and sketched the outside view.
Your kit looks brilliant – compact and well thought out. I have travel kit envy! (Love the sketches too!) π
Travel kit envy ππ now you can make one too,
You’re right – I’ve had the fabric with such a thing in mind (although not so beautifully designed) for about a year, but haven’t got round to it yet (still using ziploc bags!). Maybe it’s time… π π
Maybe you need to go on a trip too. Ziplock bags wouldn’t work for me on a plane. I need to be organised π
Ah, the perfect excuse for an adventure – thank you! π
I love the hot glue idea, so neat!
Hi Doug. Easy to do one for yourself π
This is something I love doing. Being a sewer, I am always up for new ideas. I never saw a credit card holder like that but have made a small palette with an Altoid box. But that is larger. Let us know how you like using your kit. Have a great trip. Looking forward to the sketches/paintings you do. Including those of your grandchild.
I have an Altoid one too but this one is much slimmer. I’ll let you know how it goes.
What is the measurement of the entire kit? I assume it folds . Such things are exciting for me to make. BTW, can you say where you are going? Possibly the USA? Your sketches are great. Still trying to find a group here-even one person.
Overall measurement is 10 X 13″. Folded 10 X 7.
I’m off to France π
Thanks. I envy you your trip.
You look like you are ready to travel. Enjoy your trip! I always love seeing your sketches, thank you for sharing!
Thanks so much Cathe.
That travel kit is sooooo cool!! Love it! πVery cleverly composed. And your sketches are brilliant as ever!!
Thanks Charlie. Custom designed for an exacting client π How on earth do you have time to look and comment on others?
Hehe… I feel like I’m always running behind lately, but I’m still trying see everyone’s work and comment when I can! ππ
What an impressive kit! I like the way it all fits together. Might have to consider making something like this myself…though I’d rather be painting! I’ve enjoyed poking around your blog tonight. Thanks for sharing so much great artwork and creativity!
Thank you Jean. I’m glad you found something of interest π I love your work, beautiful pages and lettering π
Thank you for sharing – wonderful sketches and you are definitely an inspiration for aspiring artists like myself.
Thatβs great to hear. Thanks Joe.