This afternoon I was going through my sketching kits and decided to document what I’m currently carrying around.
So here are the colour charts for my walking kit – pencils and markers inside my Greenwood Journal (that I carry inside a Walkit sketching bag) and my main sketching kit that I carry in my usual handbag and use with watercolour inside my Alpha 8×10 sketchbook. See more about my two kits here.
I’ve done the colour charts in a way that it’s easy to see which colours I have in both kits (or an alternative). You will notice that I have a combination of watercolour pencils (WCPs) and coloured pencils (CPs). I like using CPs under watercolour and could easily add a few more to my main kit.
Oh! it’s hard to limit the number of pencils in my kit! Do you find this is the case too?
I like using a few different brands – and still using a lot of Caran d’Ache Museum pencils. This is mainly because they work the best on the paper inside the Greenwood.
Legend:
- CdAM – Caran d’Ache Museum (WCP)
- DA – Derwent Artists (CP)
- DInk – Derwent Inktense (WCP)
- DCS – Derwent Coloursoft (CP)
- FCPC – Faber Castell Polychromos (CP)
- FCAD – Faber Castell Albrecht Durer (WCP)
- PrismaC – Prismacolor (CP)
And while I’m sharing colour charts… This is the latest selection of markers that I’m using in my Greenwood.
Here are my current watercolour palette colours. Note: I’m using a Folio palette by ArtToolkit these days but the colours are still the same as described in this article.
It’s been so fun to use a variety of pencils (and markers) and different colour combinations over the last few months. I’m still using these predominantly for bush scenes and the occasional building sketch. So I’m interested to see how these selections will change over time. I’d also like to use more coloured pencils… Ah! I’m always wanting to try something new! 🙂
Let me know in the comment section below if you have any questions.
7 Comments
Liz, your watercolor pallet does not have an actual Sepia listed. What do you use instead for mixing where Sepia is traditionally used?
Hi Terry, I don’t like the black component of Sepia paint so I use Van Dyck Brown (Daniel Smith version has no black) and add a little Indanthrone Blue to make Sepia- to Black.
More info in the Colours in My Palette series here:
https://www.lizsteel.com/tag/colours-in-my-palette/
Thanks for your view on the use of Sepia (I share the perspective that black is deadening in a painting) and it’s very kind of you to take the time to answer.
Greatly appreciate your willingness to share your knowledge and your dedication to continuous learning.
I remain an avid follower for several years now.
Thanks again for sharing, Liz!
I note (for you as for me by the way) that green pencils are more numerous than blue pencils, while it is the opposite for watercolors. Surely due to the fact that you draw nature right now, and this one has so many shades of green.
However, I wondered if I did not have too many blue watercolors in my palette (6 counting turquoise) at the expense of green watercolors (2). I use 22 colors currently.
So of course, I make greens with the blues and yellows. But I am more satisfied I think with the green brought directly by the pencil.
I think I’ll have to revisit my watercolor palette 🙂
Hi Liz
Where do you buy the cdam pencils? Can they be purchased individually?
Thanks for sharing. Helen
Hi Helen, I got some from Newtown Art and also The Art Shop. If you google a specific colour pencil you should be able to find an online supplier 🙂
Hi Laurence! Great point… I much prefer to mix greens when I’m painting, so my palette has lots of blues and only one green (for convenience and quick sketching). When I’m using pencils I’m more interested in creating texture and so I have more green pencils for the various hues that I find in the bush.
NEWSLETTER
Subscribe for first notification of workshop + online classes and more.