Tuesday, September 4

Location Journal Kit



I was recently asked what I take with me on location when I sketch so I thought I'd dedicate this entry to the kit I have been using with my Summer 2007 Journal.


My fountain pen is from the Lamy Safari range with an extra fine (EF) nib and a Z24 converter which allows me to fill it with Noodler's Ink, I'm using 'Lexington Gray' at the moment.

I have 2 water brushes in my handbag tin that are filled with diluted inks, one has 'black ink' and one has 'nut brown', both are W&N. These two inks accompanied by the Lamy Safari are the perfect handbag kit, allowing me to add quick values to a mostly monochrome sketch and I keep them in a slim line tin which fits easily in any of my handbags.

My third water brush is filled with plain water for use with my watercolours.

My watercolour kit is a Cotman case that was filled with Cotman half pans which I have removed and replaced with small squirts of W&N Artists tube watercolours. Some of my latest additions to this palette are 'Smalt' and 'Terre Verte' both of which I love and Cerulean blue, which I have never owned until now....amazing huh? Some of the 'hubs' have more than one hue in them. e.g. I have 'Smalt' and 'Indanthrene Blue' sharing a well. This allows me more colours, this small box currently holds approx. 20 hues. The reason for this is that I am using my journal as a way of finding my palette, already some hues need topping up and those that do not require topping up will be fazed out...the theory being that if I haven't used them...I don't need them!

Lastly, an HB pencil and a sheet of 'Bounty' kitchen towel are tossed in for the ride, I love 'Bounty', it is extremely thirsty and does not fall apart when wet which means I only need take one sheet along with me.

All of this then fits into a small pencil case/cosmetic bag.

Towards the end of the Summer Journal I found myself taking just the plain water brush, watercolours and my Lamy fountain pen; a tiny kit that works perfectly well on location.

The sketchbook I used for my summer holiday journal was a 6x9 inch Venezia, a beautiful book with an attractive cover, filled with 48 sheets of 200gsm smooth Fabriano Accademia paper.

16 comments:

Jenny said...

Thanks for showing us your journal kit. It's always fun to see what others are using. Congrats on determining a minimal, convenient selection. Your talent, though, it what makes your journal paintings so wonderful.

Linda said...

I love seeing what other people carry around with them and really use! This looks very practical and convenient, and you certainly get great results. Thanks for sharing!

Joan said...

Looks like you've got a compact arrangement here. You're down to the bare basics, yet you have everything you need. I have a W&N field kit, but I need to change some of the colors to make it more practical for what I need. Thanks for showing your materials.

Felicity Grace said...

Ooh, I love photos like this! I have the same pen (same colour!) and same water brushes - why is that exiting, I don't know! I would never have thought to put diluted colour into the water brushes, what a brilliant idea. And Bounty, thanks for the tip - must be some truth to those ads after all! ;)

Felicity Grace said...

Of course, that should be exciting not exiting! BTW, thanks for your comments. I agree that we are all here to share and non-communication really drives me mad too!

Robyn Sinclair said...

I love this post, Anita - really enjoyed seeing your kit. You are much more disciplined than I, carting as I did far too much on my trip and then having to stagger around with it all on my back. Great idea for working out your palette too.

TJ said...

Thanks, Anita, for showing your kit. Very informative and I appreciate the time you took.

Anita Davies said...

Bless you Jenny...Thankyou!

Anita Davies said...

Thankyou Linda. Now if I could just decide on a journal...I like so many for so many different reasons.

Anita Davies said...

Thankyou Joan...You're welcome!

Anita Davies said...

LOL, it is exciting Felicity.
I have just acquired another Lamy in yellow which holds my red/black ink so, if we are to be pen twins, you need to make an order. LOL!
Bounty does exactly what it says on the advert, it is fantastic stuff!

Anita Davies said...

I totally agree Felicity, it's simple ignorance in most cases.

Anita Davies said...

LOL...I've been there too Robyn. I don't have a problem with too many materials really...Just an utter infactuation with sketchbooks...Which should I take? What if I decide I want to do a watercolour, a coloured pencil, a charcoal sketch?
Decisions are not a good point for me, I'm a nightmare given a menu I want a little piece of everything on it!

Anita Davies said...

Thankyou Tj...You are most welcome!

Serena Lewis said...

I found this post to be very helpful, Anita....thank you ~ :)

Anita Davies said...

So pleased you found it helpful Serena.