SKETCHING OUTDOORS KIT LIST
This list is intended to help you make informed choices about the material to take with you. Please don’t feel inclined to go out and buy all the materials listed.
Portable chair – these are now light and portable, caried in a bag over your shoulder. You may want to sit in a particular spot where there is no seating.
Bum warmer – if you don’t take a chair, its a comfortable alternative and it keeps your bum warm. these can be bought at camping and walking shops.
A small hard backed sketch book – I would suggest small enough to go in a large jacket pocket . I would make sure that the paper is reasonably smooth and strong. In very low costs pads the paper is sometimes very soft to the touch – feels a bit like toilet paper. I would avoid this type of paper, as it can be unpleasant to draw on and watercolour soaks too quickly into the paper surface. If you are a keen scribbler and think you will produce a lot of drawing then consider bringing 2 sketch books.
Propelling pencil – Faber Castel TK 940 – 4b of 6b – this is a heavy duty pencil that will work well for shading and drawing out images
Propelling pencil – Pentel 0.9 – this is a fine pencil with an eraser at one end. Plus replacement 0.9 leads.
or…
If you do not like propelling pencils then just buy a 2b and 4b, standard graphite pencil, plus a pencil sharpener and eraser.
Plus water soluble graphite pencil –Faber Castel graphite aquarelle 6b or 8b
2 non-permanent fine liners – Edding 150s – This type of pen will be soluble and consequently fun to blend with a brush and water.
A brush pen. Derwent and Pentel make these. This is a nylon brush with a refillable reservoir tube that you fill with water. The brush has a cap to reduce leakage. This type of brush means you do not have to carry a water bottle and water pot.
Portable watercolour pan set. If possible, this should be small enough to hold in your hand or comes with a thumb-ring so that you can balance it or your thumb and forefinger.
A small backpack – large enough to hold the bum warmer plus sketching kit
Please note – if you are attending as a couple, I would have enough kit to work independently. You may not want to draw the same view
Optional additional kit – black Pentel colour brush, This is an ink filled brush pen that some outdoor sketchers love to use.
Sun hat + sun cream
Something warm to wear in case you get cold – this can happen if you sit still for long periods
Don’t forget something to eat and drink !
PAINTING OUTDOORS KIT LIST
This list is intended to help you make informed choices about the materials you take with you. Please don’t feel inclined to go out and buy all the materials listed.
Once you have assembled your outdoor painting kit – Check that you can carry it all. If that is going to be difficult – then re-consider what is essential to take with you, or you will have to make repeat trips back to your car leaving some of your painting kit on location. I have made some notes to the side of the items listed which you might find helpful to cut down the kit.
Watercolour and drawing paper – you need a bag to carry your paper in so that you can be kept dry.
Drawing board – you may find that working on a pad that has paper glued round the edges would enable you to not have to take a drawing board.
Masking tape – not needed if using a pad noted above.
Brushes – you don’t need all your brushes. You will need a wash brush and a few brushes of different sizes and shapes.
Pencil and eraser
Water pots
Palette – you could take a portable pan set , but this might not be how you normally work and could feel alien and restrictive.
Water bottle – not huge because water weighs a great deal. i would say a pop bottle about half-full.
Kitchen roll – don’t need the whole roll, just a few sheets.
Painting easel – if you take a seat, you might prefer to work with a board on your knee it you don’t want to take this.
Portable seat – if you stand up to work on the easel you don’t need to take the seat, but it is nice to sit down.
Portable table – this is very useful if you want to keep your painting kit off the ground and reduce the chances of losing materials, but a table is a luxury you could do without. Note that if you intend to work standing up a table beeds to be high. If you work sitting down the table needs to be low. Camping shops have some very light-weight portable folding tables.
Sun hat – keeps you warm, keeps the sun off.
Sun cream
Something warm to wear in case you get cold – this can happen if you sit still for long periods
Don’t forget something to eat and drink !
