#artistonvacation -- My Travel Supplies

Artist on Vacation - supplies by EH Sherman

I've been receiving some great questions via Instagram (@ellen_the_lemon) about the travel art supplies I've been using as I explore and paint Chile.  In an effort to be helpful, I thought I would put together a post with some info on the items I tend to use the most.  

Everything in my Bag:

1.) Watercolor sketchbook (moleskine)

2.) Watercolor Marker (Winsor and Newton)

3.) White Gouache (Talens)

4.) Waterbrushes (Niji and Sakura)

5.) Ballpoint pen 

6.) Pen (Lamy)

7.) #2 mechanical pencils

8.) Watercolor palette (Sakura Koi)

Watercolor travel supplies

I use two waterbrushes for most of my travel work; a thin tip from Sakura and a fat, flat from Niji. Since I'm working in such a small format in the sketchbook, these two sizes generally have me covered. If I have a little extra room in my bag, I might pack one of my Hake brushes, but usually not for international trips.

Ellen Sherman's travel watercolor brushes

It's no secret - I'm in love with indigo pigments. So much so, that I bought a few watercolor markers in that color for my on-the-go indigo needs. The marker itself is vibrant and heavily saturated and stands alone as an inking tool excellently. Add a little water with the brushes, and it flows into a pool of pigment that I can push around however I see fit.

Ellen Sherman's travel watercolor supplies

My Sakura Koi travel palette has been a staple for my last 5-ish international trips. I love the compact size of the kit, pop-up palette, little sponges and vibrancy of the paints. It fits in my bag easily, and unfolds quickly for whenever the mood to paint strikes. Which is fairly often :)

Ellen Sherman's watercolor travel supplies

It took me quite a few trips to narrow down what I use and what I don't use, to eventually end up with a small bag that had me covered -- so keep in mind that building a travel art supply kit is exceptionally personal. It's all about what *you* want to grab first, what will allow *you* to make your work ... this is just what works best for me :)

I am always curious about what other people use to make their art on the go, so I put out the question to Instagram and got some very helpful responses. Head over to my instagram to check them out!

Gallery Block
This is an example. To display your Instagram posts, double-click here to add an account or select an existing connected account. Learn more

What about you? What are your staples in your travel kit?

PS. Travel Tip :: A lot of restaurants have paper menus. If kept clean, they make excellent protective barriers for painting in hotel rooms. The paper mats pictured here came from Bocanariz, a lovely little place in Santiago :)

Previous
Previous

Sign up for the email list!

Next
Next

#artistonvacation -- Chile!