Creating on location: what is in my sketching toolkit

As a sketcher, I love capturing the energy and beauty of places in the city or where I travel right on location. Over time, I've put together a sketching toolkit that helps me create wherever I go. The main thing when you sketch on location is to make your toolkit light, practical, and comfortable to sketch anywhere with any kind of setting, from standing in front of a building to sitting on a rock on a windy day.

Here’s a look at the materials I carry with me to meetups with my urban sketcher friends or when I travel. Please note that I am not affiliated with any of these brands; this is my opinion based on testing materials over the last few years.

One of the main elements of my toolkit is my support board. I customized a clipboard with some magnets to hold my palette, and a water cup, and some pencil holders for my brushes. See the setting in the photo below.

Sketching a lavender field in Spain

Here are my other materials that are currently in my toolkit:

Sketchbook - I paint mainly with watercolors, so I need good paper that holds enough water. I have tried a few brands, and so far my favorite sketchbook is the Hahnemühle watercolor 100% cotton (250 gsm).

Art Toolkit watercolor palette - This travel palette is amazing. It is light, and you can customize the number of pans and their sizes. I filled them with my own colors, mainly from Daniel Smith, but I also have some watercolors from Winsor & Newton, White Nights, and Schmincke.

Brushes - I use the Escoda Versatil travel brushes and have three sizes: 10, 4, and 2. They are locally made in Barcelona, and their quality is very good. I also have a Pentel water brush that I use when I have less time or when the water may spill, like with the turbulence of a plane or on the road.

Collapsible Water Cup - I have a cup that collapses for easy storage and is sturdy when in use. I put it on my clipboard using a magnet. What I like about this one from Hahnemühle is that it has a lid to close it until I find a place to dispose of the water.

Water spray - To wet my paper and activate the watercolors.

Permanent ink fineliner - I have the Sakura micronpens in two sizes (03, 001).

Towel paper - Or the Scott blue towels that I can reuse for a while.

White Posca pen or gel pen - For some highlights and details.

Clips

Mechanical pencil

Eraser

Masking fluid - I tried some pens, but they dry quickly or require extra pen tips. I am now trying the Schmincke masking fluid, which is only 19 ml and it is working pretty well.

Watersoluble graphite - I use the one that comes in a tin from Art Graf and the General’s Sketch and Wash pencil - For monochrome sketches or value studies; these two are perfect.

Portable lights - For sketching at night or in dark spaces like some museum galleries I use book reading lights that I can attach to my board.

Stool - I got a camping chair that is not very high, but it is better than sitting on the floor in the city, it is very light and fits well in my backpack.

These are the main things that are currently in my backpack when I travel, but these change as I like experimenting with mixed media, adding to my watercolor details and texture using colored pencils, crayons, gouache, and markers.

If you're just starting or looking to improve your own kit, I hope you find this list helpful. Happy sketching!

Sketching in the Pyrenees, Spain