Postcards from Emily and Gloria
Heart of Belgium and Holland in 11 Days
Van Gogh I might not be, but as an artist, I'm very passionate about the supplies I use; everyone has their favorites, and I've tried a bunch of things over several trips. Now, I've narrowed down my kit to the things that I find I use consistently. I didn't feel comfortable including any links, so these are just suggestions of the things that I find work for me personally. I honestly wasn't sure if naming brands that I took on this trip with me would count as an ad, so I decided against specifically listing product names. If you need some more ideas on where to start with an art or journaling kit of your own, there are many wonderful videos on YouTube that can give you further recommendations. None of these supplies are necessities, and you certainly don't have to bring the amount I do, because admittedly I do go a little overboard!
My favorite palette I have found is this simple metal one that you can purchase in lots of different places. It fits a lot of colors (and I like to have choices!), and has two surfaces on the lid, so there's room for my swatch card while still leaving me a surface for mixing colors. Because the palette is metal, it's easy to put a magnetic sticker on the bottom of the watercolor pans so they stay put in the tin without any hassle.
Before a trip, I cut out a little rectangle of watercolor paper and make a swatch card of my colors, because they look incredibly different in the pans versus on the page. This helps me put the right colors in the right places. And when the trip is over, I pull the swatch card off of the inside lid of my palette, and tape it into my journal as another little free souvenir! These are the colors that I brought with me to Belgium and Holland this year.
Artist's Picks
1. Pencil case: any pencil case will work, but I found this one that is about 4x4x8 inches. That sounds big, but it fits in the bottom of my bag and can easily contain everything you see laid out here, plus a few more colored markers if I choose to bring them.
2. Watercolor palette: I prefer a metal tin about the size of a 3x5 index card that opens up like the image to the right. Brand doesn't really seem to matter, mine is a random off-brand.
3. TSA-Safe scissors: This pen-style set of scissors is easier on your hands than the kind that fold in on themselves, and is absolutely vital if you want to journal!
4. Adhesive: I started out using glue-sticks, but I've found that I much prefer adhesive tape. There are lots of brands out there to choose from and they all seem to work similarly.
5. Water containers: I found a little squeeze bottle with a fine applicator tip to fill my water brushes without making a mess, and the larger container is a leak-proof salad dressing container. Over multiple tours, I haven't had one single leak!
6. Watercolor postcards: I've tried a few kinds, but because the ones shown in the photo have a cardboard backing to the pad, it does double-duty as a hard surface to paint on. They're space efficient because they aren't in a tin, and they're durable little workhorses.
7. Something to wipe your brush on: I used to pack paper towels. Now I bring this little cotton wristband that I can put on my arm while I paint, and it absorbs the excess water and paint from my brushes without any waste. It does need to be left out to dry at night or it will stay damp, but I love it.
8. Plastic bookmark: This is a washi-tape sample holder, but I use it to draw straight lines or mark out angles when I'm sketching the designs for my postcards.
9. Washi-tape: I tape the edges of the postcards so that when I pull off the tape, the picture has a nice, clean edge that makes them look that much more professional. Washi tape or art tape is preferred, because it won't tear your paper; I prefer 1/4 inch width if I can find it.
10. Water brushes: When you don't have time or space for the real brushes, these are great. I like to bring two in a medium size because they can achieve very fine points if you need them to, and I like having a backup.
11. Water spritzer: This is meant to be a little pocket perfume atomizer that I use to give my paint palette a little spray of water to 'activate' the watercolors before I use them. Not strictly necessary, but makes it easier to use the paints without having to dig at them.
12. Brushes: I like to bring a selection of brushes, but the two shapes I stick to are dagger and round. Some of the brushes you see there are normal sized that I filed the handles down on to make them shorter, some are specifically manufactured as "travel brushes" that fit inside their own handles.
13. Clear crayon or masking fluid: Sometimes you need paint to stay off a part of your postcard. The clear wax of the crayon prevents the paint from sticking anywhere you place it, and is great for waves especially.
14. Watercolor pencil and mechanical pencil: Sometimes I sketch using the mechanical pencil, but lately I've been doing my sketches with watercolor pencil, so that when the wet paint touches it, the lines dissolve into the painting and disappear, making it look like there was never a sketch there at all!
15. Pens: You need a good black fine-liner in your life! As long as it's waterproof you'll be golden, but I like the two kinds pictured the best. I also recommend having a white gel pen, if you want to add highlights on your finished painting.
16. Metallic pens: I like gold. I like adding gold to my paintings, because it just adds something special. I also bring along a silver one, although it doesn't usually get as much of a workout as the gold one does.