23 Comments
User's avatar
karla kay hull's avatar

It's wonderful Lucia that you are having fun sharing and learning more about urban sketching. Although I don't travel a lot (limited by age & body), I use 'Art Toolkit' products when drawing at coffee shops, around town, parks, etc. Since 2008, I followed Marc Taro Holmes of Urban Sketching - called 'Citizen Sketcher' and taken his classes at Craftsy.com. In my opinion, he's one of the best urban sketchers in the world. Thanks for the info. I've already signed up for the class at Domestika.

Expand full comment
Terri's avatar

Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou I found this such an easy read and refreshing article to read & all those lovely visuals were just yummy ! Have you seen the Art Toolkit palettes - specifically for travel sketching . I’ve got myself the medium sized one & pans to suit the size of watercolour I want to use for my bigger brush. I will be filling it up myself from tubes. Rosemary & Co are the company in UK that have just started stocking them , hope I hit the name right - apparently they do brushes too . Try some you tube videos to see how ppl use the palettes- I put in a bigger mixing pan too ! Good luck & thankyou for all the great links .

Expand full comment
Sue Kelso Ryan's avatar

Your sketches are already so accomplished, it’s great to hear that you’re still learning too. I’d love to sketch with Santi - especially in Barcelona. Have you sketched with Urban Sketchers Gloucestershire? We are often in your neck of the woods. I look forward to hearing about the materials you choose in future. It’s so easy to be seduced by ads for the latest travel brushes and kit etc. Especially with Jackson’s just down the road… 🤭🥰

Expand full comment
Paula Peeters's avatar

Hey Lucia, thanks so much for sharing your adventures, so many great ideas and inspiration here! I do a lot of drawing outside: a little urban sketching, and a lot of nature journaling. Kit is always changing, but needs to be light, simple and portable. At the moment it’s a pencilcase containing a few TSWBI eco-pens with black ink, orange ink and green ink (de atramentis ink); Derwent Inktense paint pans #1 and #2 (I find this pigment much easier to use than watercolour as it becomes permanent when dry), few water brushes of different brush sizes (filled with water); and a few waterbrushes filled with different colours of Ecoline inks (pastel yellow, pastel green, pastel blue). That’s it. But I have lots of pencils, so thanks for your inspiration, I’ll have a play with them again soon. A pencil roll is really handy to keep pencils in order, but I haven’t found a pencil roll with loops big enough for ink pens, waterbrushes, etc.

Thanks again for helping lots of people with your teaching. And don’t forget you seem to have leapt over one of the main big hurdles already - and that is to draw with a lovely loose, expressive line. Many people really struggle with that 😊

Expand full comment
Life in the Slow Lane's avatar

Thank you for this newsy summary, Lucia. I did have to laugh when you listed your trials, especially the concertina falling into the puddle. I just usually carry a sketchbook, a fountain pen, a fineliner, a water brush, and a box of Neocolor 2s. I used to carry a pencil case of watercolor/inktense pencils instead of the Neocolors. Either works. When I get home, I add colored pencil or lettering, or whatever I feel like. I took Inma's classes in Sketchbook Skool and Domestika; she's a great teacher. As you are!

Expand full comment
Yvonne Gorman's avatar

I can’t tell you how much you inspire me! Thank you form the bottom of my heart 💓

Expand full comment
Lucinda's avatar

Thank you Lucia, I find your sketching style so, so inspiring. I love all the people with their different facial expressions and your comments about them or what they say. I always want to zoom in and look at all the detail and read EVERYTHING! Thanks a million!

Expand full comment
Jules Woolford's avatar

Wonderful that you did this workshop Lucia! As well as my nature journaling I am an Urban Sketcher too, do check out Gloucestershire USk and the wonderful Bristol USk too, as they are not too far from you, and Bristol have lots of impromptu sessions as well as regular meet ups.

Urban Sketching taught me to travel very lightly, My top tip for a mini kit is just a pencil. pen and water brush and a 'premade' at home palette, using watercolour pencils on a strip of watercolour or Khadi paper (and a lot of welly). Just clip the paper to your sketchbook, and you have a super light and portable kit, but can still use watercolour to your sketches and choose your colour palette!

Expand full comment
CatherineBsketches's avatar

I’ve followed you for a while and done several of your fabulous workshops. Great to see you on Substack!

Expand full comment
Fiona's avatar

I love hearing about your trials and tribulations on your sketching break!

I did a two day course on the lizard, and was quite (overly) fascinated by other people bags and sketch kit!

What I have found works really well for me is a waxed cotton pencil roll holder with a zip pocket for my waterbrush pen, eareser pencil sharper etc and a tin of neocolour 2 crayons…. I don’t bother with watercolour anymore after the infamous incident with the dog and sand on the beach- my watercolour set still hasn’t recovered!!

I have a really nice selection of watercolour pencils and the waterbrush pen and 4x soft watercolour felt tips that work as a colour wash! All housed in the pencil roll.

Along with my sketch book, water bottle, treats for dog and a roll up mat to sit on it all gets chucked in a small cross body bag and that is it- if I take any more paraphernalia I get stalled by to much choice, and if I take a bigger bag or rucksack I fill it up- and then I find every excuse not to actually sketch!!

Expand full comment
Sophie Furze's avatar

Thanks so much - great to get your recommendations.

Expand full comment
Deborah Vass's avatar

Such great drawings and useful information. I too put everything in separate clear pencil cases, on the basis that is seems organized, but I inevitably end up carrying too much and have to go through each one to find what I'm looking for!

Expand full comment
Jenny's avatar

Lucia, I loved reading this! Thank you so much for your generous honesty. I loved your drawings/ sketches/documentary words. Please show an example of course mate's better backpack. It would help as I'm more floundering than achieving atm! I did a sketch class outside for 2hrs where materials were supplied - in a zip lock thick plastic bag about A4 size. Some watercolour pencils as well as paint set, plus fineliners,drawing pencil and the expected. Great to see inside easily. Thank you again for enjoyable reading .

Expand full comment
Jo Griggs's avatar

Such an interesting post. I love your pages and the stories behind them. Having someone encouraging/bossing you helps you take risks. (That’s why your wonky line drawing club sessions were so liberating.) I use a small Schmincke palette when I travel. I’ve removed the metal clips and stuck in a mixture my own full and half pans with double sided tape. It has three mixing wells and another flat mixing area and is really robust. I use a water brush to keep things simple but still like using the palette when I’m home and have a pot of water and a normal paintbrush.

Expand full comment
Jane Williamson's avatar

So interesting, thoughtful and challenging. Thank you

Expand full comment
Terri's avatar

Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou 🙌 I found this a refreshing , easy read & totally inspiring article . Just what I needed today 😊

Expand full comment