My Top 7 + 1 Sketching Must-Haves for Spring '25

 

Kit Carson Park; watercolor/ink on stone paper

 

Spring is in the air and all I want to do is go outside and paint! But bringing along too many art supplies has always made me feel burdened and unfocused once I get there. 

As much as I love office and art supply stores, I've never been comfortable owning too much of anything: dozens of colored pencils, hundreds of paint tubes and brushes, shelves and shelves of jars, papers, and stuff is, to me, a nightmare. Not only do I lack the room to store those things, I don't have the mental space to hold it either--all those decisions: which pencil, what color . . .  Instead, I prefer to keep my supplies simple: a few brushes, several pencils, a small collection of watercolors, things that fit easily into my tote bag.

At the end of 2024, however, I decided it was time to treat myself to some new sketching supplies, especially as I planned to meet more frequently with Urban Sketchers. And so I bought (and now can't live without):

 1. A Sailor Fude Fountain Pen

For years I'd read various reviews about how super-fun these pens were: perfect for urban sketching and perfect for self-expression. Now that I own one, I know why everyone is so fude-crazy: they are indeed, amazing. 

Fude pens are a type of fountain pen with a bent tip originally designed for calligraphy, allowing for a thick or thin line from the same pen. As a writer I'm naturally a pen person so the fude has been a delight for both writing and drawing. My only very minor complaint is that the pen is substantially longer than most other pens and it doesn't fit in my pencil case. But who needs a pencil case? With this pen all I need is a sketchbook and brush (Sailor brand ink blends beautifully when wet) and I'm ready to go anywhere in town.

2. Acrylic Bottled Ink

 In the same way that I love pens, I love bottled ink. Although I prefer using pre-filled cartridges with my fude pen, I'm a big fan of using twigs, feathers, bamboo pens, and watercolor brushes for general ink drawing. Despite the availability of ink in every color you can think of, black, sepia, Prussian blue, and indigo are the best for me, along with gold and white for highlighting (with a twig, of course). (Note: the best thing about using twigs for sketching is they're free and you can throw them away when you're finished! Minimalism at its best.)

3. Black Stabilo Woody Pencil (Crayon? Or both?)

Is it a pencil, a pen, a crayon, or even a watercolor?? Whatever it is, it's designed for three-year-olds and that suits me fine. Beyond their versatility, what first drew my attention was how similar Woodys are to china markers. I love drawing with china markers but find them impossible to sharpen due to the outdated way they are wrapped in a coil of paper that requires a dexterity I don't have to unwrap. I've ruined so many markers while trying to remove that stupid paper I can't even count how many I've wasted. But now I have Stabilo Woodys with that same creamy, slightly waxy texture I enjoyed so much from the china markers. 

Woodys, again like china markers, aren't limited to black; there are many more colors on the market that I might investigate one day but for now black is it. Bold, expressive, and water soluble--what's not to love?

4. Stone Paper

Ink experiment on stone paper.

Wow, this stuff is weird, and it's really made from stone! I bought a sketchbook of it from the Albuquerque Museum gift store, but because it was wrapped and sealed in a plastic covering I never got a chance to actually see what it was I was buying.

When I removed the plastic cover at home was when I learned the truth: each piece of "paper" (which I later learned from YouTube IS made from crushed stone) was more like a piece of floppy vinyl than paper. The upside is that it's impossible to fold, tear, or destroy, meaning you can work and rework it without fear of it tearing. While this is certainly a plus, the same smooth, indestructible quality means it has absolutely zero control for what I wanted to use it for: watercolor. Which then turned out to be so much fun. "No control" lets the ink and/or pigment do its own thing; a constant surprise that lets me do what I like best: explore. It's also great for taking out of doors because you cannot ruin stone paper no matter how hard you try. It's even washable if you don't like your first attempts or colors.

5. Graphite Watercolors

I found these while watching yet another YouTube video. What intrigued me most was their similarity to one of my longtime favorite supplies: Derwent Graphitint pencils: water soluble graphite pencils with a muted undertone of color. 

Kuretake graphite watercolors have that same moody, semi-gothic, melancholy quality that appeals to me in Graphitints. One aspect I like is the limited palette of colors. All six work well together whether you choose to use two colors or six in the same sketch. As you can see from the photo above, I've already used them a lot!

6. Blackwing Pencils

"Half the pressure, twice the speed." Or at least that's what it says in the ads. 

I'm always on the lookout for a pencil that works alone and I think I've found it with Blackwings. Originally designed for musicians, Blackwing pencils have a long history of literary and artistic use. I particularly like the rectangular, extendable eraser. The three barrel colors I've shown here: black, white, and gray, are not the colors of the lead, but rather signify three different degrees of hard and softness. Currently, I can't decide which one I like the best, but I'll let you know when I do!

7. Escoda Synthetic Watercolor Brushes

I've wanted Escoda brushes ever since the pandemic and my first Domestika class when they were recommended by watercolor artist, Alex Hillkurtz. For a long time I delayed buying them because they were a) expensive, and b) I already had plenty of brushes.

Several weeks ago I caved and bought a set of three. Made in Barcelona, the hype is true: they are worth every penny and I have nothing more to say. The big brush is REALLY big and not exactly portable, but the smaller brush is just right for local travel. My only question: Why did I wait so long??

8. Bonus "Must-Have" Tip of the Day:

Now that my new supplies are in place, I wanted somewhere other than my apartment and neighborhood cafes to sketch, and with that in mind I recently bought memberships to Albuquerque's Natural History Museum, art museum, zoo, aquarium, and botanical gardens. The memberships help the venues and the venues help me. Whether I'm indoors or out, spending time with dinosaurs and sculpture or sharks and tourists--there's always something fresh to draw and paint, no excuses!