My Current Urban Sketching Kit
My daily kit as of March 2021. These are the sketching tools that I carry with me (practically) everywhere whether I am urban sketching at home or traveling the world.
Note: My kit changes constantly, but generally it’s a variation of the items shown in this photo. From time to time I try to minimise my kit (see here) but it normally grows back to something similar to the photo above.
Full Listing
- For the full listing of all the tools in this urban sketching kit please refer to this article.
- A post-lockdown version of this kit in July 2020.
Watercolour Paints
- A mix of Daniel Smith, Winsor and Newton and Schmincke watercolours in a metal tin. More details here.
- All the colours in my palette – refer to this series of articles.
My two favourite Fountain Pens
- Lamy Joy pen (white) with a gold nib (once was EF but now more like a M in thickness) filled with De Atramentis Document Ink black. Please note the Joy is a calligraphy pen and comes with a stub nib. I replaced that with a normal nib for drawing.
- Green Sailor fountain pen with 55 degree fude nib filled with De Atramentis Document Ink Black and/or Urban Grey
- More about permanent inks for Fountain Pens here.
- In depth series of articles about Fountain Pens
Brushes
- The brush I use 99% of the time is Rosemary & Co Series 772 1/2 ” sable blend dagger. It has a sharpened end so that it fits into a toothbrush container. More about why I like this brush here.
- I also have a Pentel Aquash Waterbrush in large. I don’t like the results from a waterbrush (washes are flat with little granulation) so I rarely paint with it. The main use is as a clean water supply for pre-wetting skies
- Refer to the Brushes Section for more details.
Other
- When I’m out urban sketching I attach my sketchbook, palette and water container to a support board – more details here.
