Hedgren Clapham Mk 2: Is it still my favourite sketching bag?

November 16, 2016 | 18 Comments


My beloved red Hedgren bag fell apart during my big Europe trip – in fact I had to do some emergency hand sewing during the instructors briefing meeting at the Urban Sketchers Symposium!

So the first thing I did when my life settled down, was to see if I could track another one down.


Here is a photo of my old red bag: Hedgren Clapham M. It is a lightweight cross body shoulder bag that is large enough to include an A4 sketchbook! But the most important feature is the two front pockets. One pocket for my pens which I carry in a Mead 5 star pen holder (it’s a bit tight but does fit in). The other pocket for my paint tin, brush and water containers.

Well, Hedgren is no longer making the red version (only black) so I looked on e-bay to see what I could find. All the red ones were very expensive (shipping mainly) but I did find a blue version that was more reasonable. Imagine my shock when it arrived and realised that there is only one front pocket! While I prefer two pockets, the one pocket is larger and a bit more spacious. So ultimately I don’t think it will matter that much.


I did this sketch on the train this morning, it was a bit bumpy and I was doing a few texture tests, so it’s a loose interpretation – but what’s new. hey? At the end of the sketch, I realised that my Ultramarine Blue watercolour pencil (Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer) was a perfect colour match.


So, do you have a favourite sketching bag – or are you still looking?

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