My new blog
- where you can find more easily some of my architectural sketches from my big overseas trips and where I plan to share tips and ideas on how to understand architecture through sketching .... it is called
Sketching Architecture

Current Sketching Tools

what I carry with me every day changes from time to time... but this is the current collection.
Current sketching Tools


Because I am left handed - from Right to left
- Watercolor kit. Schminke tin with a combination of winsor and Newton and Daniel Smith Watercolour. I always try to use the mixing areas for the colours as shown in this photo.
- Lamy Joy pen (this is a calligraphy pen - older model - the new model is a fraction heavier) with EF normal nib. I love the balance of the longer tail and it is very stylish as well) NOTE: the JOY is a calligraphy pen so unless you go to a dedicated pen shop where they sell it individually and can swap the nib for you, you will have to buy a separate nib/ or pen. I am indebted to the owner at the Pen Shop in Wintergardens Plaza Sydney for the suggestion to try to joy pen for drawing. I LOVE it.
-Noodlers Bulletproof Black ink
-#6 Raphael sable travel brush
- 0.5mm clutch pencil with red lead (my latest craze and I am loving using this) I nearly always do a very quick pencil outline to get an idea of composition - however when I ink I often ignore it or correct it.
- Pentel pocket brush
- Pitt Colour pen Colour 188 Superfine
- White Gel pen
- Permanent 0.3mm felt pen (incase I run out of ink or to get other people to write in my sketchbook. Note. they sometimes ruin the nib!)
- 3H pencil - for ruling lines for my text... yes I don't naturally write that straight. I also have some guidelines which I can see through the pages.
- Retractable eraser. I rarely use this on location but occasionally I feel like starting again.
- Pentel waterbrush... try not to use this!
- Brand? #12 sable travel brush
- Art Basics #2 sable travel brush

ANd almost forgot
Small water container that I picked up in a hotel somewhere
And my black wristband for wiping/cleaning my brush


As for my sketchbooks....
My sketchbook

A lot of people in Portland were interested in my sketchbooks - Daler Rowney Ebony books with 150gsm cartridge paper which is lovely to draw on and takes watercolour well enough for my purposes.
I am not sure that they are available in the States but this is what I use and here is the link in the UK
www.daler-rowney.com/content/hardback-books
Update: June 2011. Daler Rowney changed the paper in their Ebony books but I found a very similar sketchbook which is readily available in Australia- Jsart Sketch & Write Premium Sketchbook. Exactly the same as the DR book but nicer whiter paper. These are what I used for my big trip 2010. Here is the label... (once again not sure if these can be found in the states)
Trip Prep 2010_11 Sketchbook Saga
Blog Widget by LinkWithin