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SKETCHBOOK JOURNAL SUPPLY LIST
 
SKETCHBOOK-
I have a new favorite sketchbook!
Stillman & Birn  Epsilon series 5.5”x 8.5 landscape (that's wide not tall) squares are fun too!
Softcover ,but sturdy enough to be a stable surface and can take a lot of abuse. Lightweight!
It's white (better for color) and smooth (nice for drawing) and holds up with  light washes in watercolor and ink. They have lots of sizes ,different papers and weights) Jerry’s Artorama is having a sale now. Dick Blick carries them or please go to your local art supply store if you can.
hand book is a great brand made just for travelers with even a envelope in the back for keepsake. It’s beautifully made ( landscape format lies perfectly flat so you can draw across the whole two pages) it's hardbound with an elastic to keep it closed.
There are a lot out there. Go to your store and feel the paper and how they feel in your hands.
 
PENCILS- HB, 2B and  6B drawings pencils at the very least. The higher number the B the softer and darker it lead.
Some people like mechanical pencils which are great-just make sure it’s a drawing lead (2B)
Graphite pencils are available that are water soluble, you can use these for blending in with your watercolors or creating a graphite wash for shading. These are a lot of fun. I’ve tried Derwent brand which is good. There are probably more brands out there that work as well..
 
INK-I love Pigma fine points- Micron 02 is one of my favorite sizes-it's thin and controllable. They are good to draw with and write with. You want to be sure you get something with permanent ink because it might get wet and run (unless you like that)
I also have a Sharpe point when I want to be bold and fast. Brush pens are fun to try too.
 
KNEEDED ERASER and a WHITE Eraser.
I also carry a Pentel ROCK and WRITE  that is shaped like a pen and has a replaceable eraser
 that works like a mechanical pencil. It’s good for small size erasures.
 
GLUE STICK-a must to attach fun items like ticket stubs, programs, etc.
 
COLORS- watercolor pencils, plain color pencils, a small watercolor kit with travel brushes etc.
It can be pan watercolors. There are so many cute travel watercolor kits out there with replaceable pans (Windsor &Newton have wonderful ones  but you don’t have to go that expensive at all)
I carry about 3 sizes of brushes-fine point to medium point with a small angle flat (wash) .
I use a reusable watercolor palette that closes and I fill it with tube colors that dry that become pan.
I have used the same palette for years and years-just adding more color when I need it.
I also carry Viva paper towels cut up in small squares to mop up my paintings and clean my palette. I seem to use more with these watercolor sketches than I do for an entire oil,
Inks in sepia , sienna etc. Anything small and fun!
 
PENCIL SHARPENER  two holes for two different sizes are good. Art pencils tend to be thicker than an ordinary pencil
 
 
I love my travel journals. They are filled with so many memories I am sure I would have forgotten completely. It is nice to write something everyday, at least where you went and what you saw. These are the first things that I can’t seem to remember , especially how it is spelled. I like to try to sketch something that day that represents the area, whether it is a building, a doorway or that delicious glass of wine. These sketches don’t have to be perfect or finished. You will look back on them and remember exactly where you were, what the sun felt like and all the smells and sounds…Teresa Vito