Suggested Supply List
Back Pack I have a Rick Steve’s ”day bag” style backpack. It is light weight and not huge but I
can fit my Watercolor Journal, my art supplies bag, a folding camp stool, a rain jacket and a
bottle of water. My camp stool is tiny, not all folding chairs will fit in a back pack, you may have
to carry it. I prefer a back pack to a shoulder bag because I want both hands free to catch
myself if I stumble on those cute but pesky cobble stones.
Watercolor Journal There are journals and then there are watercolor journals. The difference
is that regular journals are made for sketching with dry medium, not watercolor, and they do not
work well with watercolor. Make sure you choose a journal with watercolor paper. Many sizes,
shapes and number of pages are available in all art supply catalogs and University Art Center in
Sacramento. I like the Arches journal with 140lb paper., the hard bound one with the spiral
binding. It is the black one, not the cheaper one with the light weight binding (it bends). It is
tough paper, and the 7" x 10" size journal is not too big to carry.
Palette with Paint Purchase one of the tiny travel palettes pre-filled with half-pan paints. I
love the Winsor & Newton "Artists' Watercolor Compact Set". I don't like the Cotman set, the
paint has too much filler. Other good brands are Sennilia and Holbien. Half pan paints are solid
pigment and last forever, TSA security folks allow them as carry-on and they won't get sticky
and messy like tube paints on a sunny day.
Water Container: Tri Brush Washer Item # H1024T Cheap Joes
Brushes The travel pallete set mentioned above comes with a small round brush. To that I add
a larger round travel brush and a flat brush, a ¾” or 1”. I also bring a stiff brush, the da Vinci Top
Acryl #2 or size 8 item # 7185K, which I use for lifting. Available at Madison Art Supply.com.
permanent ink pens in black or sepia, The brands I like are Staedler and Micron, both come in
many tip sizes. The Staedler pens do not dry up as quickly as the Micron pens. Micron pens
are in all art stores, Staedtler Permanent ink pens come in a set of 4 sizes available at Staples
in their school supply department.
HB or 2B pencil for drawing on watercolor paper
kneaded eraser
pencil sharpener
Kleenex Tissue
Magic Eraser Original (Mr. Clean product in blue box found in the cleaners isle at any grocery
store). Cut into small 1" pieces, cut those in two diagonally and put in a small zip lock bag. Wet
a piece in clean water, squeeze out and use it to lift off watercolor paint or permanent ink if you
goof.
value chart also called a gray scale available in all art catalogs and University Art
small spray bottle I like the little Holbien bottles because they don't leak!
Herma Vario glue strip dispenser for creating collage pages from museum brochures, tickets
etc. Available from Amazon or craft or scrapbooking stores.
Nail scissors with rounded tips to use for creating collages. (rounded tip prevents them from
poking holes in something in your suitcase, and Airport Security types don't mind scissors if they
are small nail type)
small terrycloth towel so when your lap becomes your "table" you cover it with the towel and
that prevents you dropping brushes on the ground and gives you a place to wipe excess water
off your brush.
Bag to keep your stuff in: It could be a zip lock bag, net bag or sturdy plastic box. The idea is
to keep everything together so you don’t drop a brush or leave a pen somewhere. I use a little
travel bag by Eagle Creek that I found at Travel Outfitters in Sacramento. I took all of my stuff
with me and tried out the bags until I found the best fit. Everything listed here fits in my bag
except the Watercolor Journal, towel and my folding stool. It measures 10” x 4 1/2” x 2”.
Folding chair or camp stool that you have butt tested for comfort! It needs to fold up for
easy carrying, fit your bottom and be the right hight for your legs. There are some very clever
ones that fold up into their own bags for carrying. Check camping stores like REI or search for
“folding chair”, “beach chair”, or “camp stool” on line.
When you have all your gear together, pack it into your backpack, grab
your folding chair or stool and go out somewhere and practice sketching a
lovely scene. Take a friend, pack a picnic, and have fun pretending you are
in beautiful Italy!
