My urban sketching set up in Tavira
My Urban Sketching Toolkit Set up
After I finalised the colours in my watercolour palette, my next task was to develop an urban sketching toolkit that would work in any situation. So I’ve been test-driving different tools and set ups. Here’s the journey so far.
Urban Sketching Board / Travel Easel for your Sketchbook
I saw a sketching board on Etsy which slots into the top of your sketchbook to serve as a platform for some of your art materials when you’re sketching on location.
I loved the idea of adding it to my urban sketching toolkit, but decided to make my own out of the card from the back of a watercolour pad.
My handmade Urban Sketching Sketchbook Board
Here’s how I made my own travel sketchbook board:
- I cut two pieces out, just slightly bigger than an A5 size sketchbook
- I notched out a bit on one edge (this is the bit that slots into your sketchbook.
- Then I covered the entire thing with clear packing tape to make it waterproof.
It doesn’t look as good, but it works just as well and is plenty sturdy enough. If I was going to make this again, I would have covered it first in pretty paper, and then covered it in tape.
This Sketchbook Board works for Multiple Size Sketchbooks
I’ve used my sketchbook board with my A5 and A6 sketchbooks, and it works for both. But I use it most consistently with my A5 sketchbook, which is why I made it more of less the same size as my A5 sketchbook, so that it’s functional as well as portable.
Today I decided to try the board with my A4 sketchbook, and it worked perfectly. If I was only going to use this larger size A4 sketchbook all the time, I’d probably make a larger board for more space. But I like having a board that works with my smaller sketchbooks as well.
I have a couple of magnetic clips that I use to hold my watercolour palette in place, and have a small round water holder that has a clip holding it onto the board.
On previous sketching outings I’ve used the grey glasses case clipped onto the left-hand side of the board as a place to hold my foundation pen and brushes, so that they’re handy for quick access.
But today I discovered that the tall glass jar (that once had capers in it) that I use to transport my water, fits in this glasses case perfectly. I really liked having two water pots on my sketch board: one for rinsing off my brushes, and one for clean water to activate and pick up my paints. So this enhancement is a keeper.
Now I need to add another case for holding my fountain pen and brushes, onto my board. I have a selection of other pens, pencils, and a water brushes in my pencil case, but I really need a place to hold the essential art tools I want ready-access too, attached to my sketch board.
Just as well I bought a couple of old-style phone Kipling phone cases off Vinted! I originally bought these so that in the event I was walking about sketching with my sketchbook in my hands, I could have one of these phone cases clipped to my belt with a few pen in it. It was a job lot of two cases (one orange and one turquoise). I’m able to clip secure this case in place on my sketch board, using the magnetic clips underneath my watercolour palette.
Job Done! This is how I’m going to use my urban sketching set up next time I go out sketching.
My New Watercolour Travel Brushes
When I’m in my studio I like using both Princeton Aqua Elite and Princeton Neptune brushes. The Aqua Elite are much softer, whereas the Neptune brushes have more spring in them. Both of them come in a travel brush kit, so I tried both versions of these Princeton brushes so that I could determine which travel brush set I wanted to buy. I settled on the Aqua Elite which is a synthetic brush that is indistinguishable from Kolinsky, whereas the Neptune brushes are synthetic squirrel.
There’s enough room in my new phone case holder to add these brushes either inside the case, or on the outside using the brush case flap to hold it in place. I’ll have to experiment to see which works best.
Other versions of a Sketchbook Board / Travel Easel
If you want to make your own sketchbook board here’s how some other artists have made their version.
Doug Jackson and his portrait shaped board
Bill Booz and his Nurse’s Clipboard version
