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#Drawingclub

Some time ago, I started meeting up with some friends and some sketchbooks, and it turned into many fun and lovely trips to remember. Most times we would go to a cafe and watch and paint people passing by. We call it our #Drawingclub.

We draw to liberate the hand and mind, and doing this with someone else is a great way to loosen up.

Sometimes we sit in a cafe and draw the birds and people inside or outside, and from time to time we go to the park or the forest or visit each other’s garden or balcony. We inspire each other, offer support, or get a new challenge. Magic happens when artists look in each other’s sketchbooks. New ideas arrive when chatting, drawing, and talking about art.

Artists like Picasso had Matisse often came together, they had a kind of dialog through their work which would provoke each other to respond with a new work. Together, they fueled each other’s explorations and growth.

Things to bring

A Friend: Sometimes we are 4 and 5, but honestly, with too many, there is a lot of talking and not so much drawing. So select your people carefully, LOL, or meet just one.

Pencils: I start every sketch with a pencil outline, with a hardness of 2 or 4 HB.

Eraser: My favorites are extra soft vinyl erasers.

Pens: I’ve experimented with several brands over the years, I like Pigma Micron and Love my Faber-Castell 120 Albrecht Dürer Watercolor Pencils

Fountain Pens: This one is great Lamy Safari Fountain Pen

Watercolors: My first field kit was from Winsor & Newton, but I’ve since upgraded to lots of fantastic brands and I fill antique cigarette boxes, for me it should be small, light, and easy to travel with. Since I started this blog I got so inspired to try everything so I have so many, I will make a blog post on it alone. photo over is the: Portable Travel Set Of 14 Sennelier L’Aquarelle French Honey Based Watercolor Paint, Half Pans With Brush – Are Beautiful Colors For Artists.

Brushes: When choosing the brushes, I wanted a variety of shapes and sizes. There are some main shapes for versatility, detail work, and wash work.

Winsor & Newton Pure squirrel, Pitit gris pur. Size 000 (Amazon.com)
Raphel Pure squirrel 803. Size 0 (Amazon.com)
Escoda Versatil sintetico. Size 4 and 6 (they have them for travel too, see link (Amazon.com)
Billy Showell Extra fine for watercolor. Size 6 and 2. (These are my absolute favorite brushes.)
Billy Showell Eradicator Brush

Flat brush – I have a good flat brush I got it for a very low price, it is good for laying down washes and for linear brushstrokes. (Amazon.com)
Water-brush (Amazon.com)

Sketchbook: Standard drawing paper is about 130 grams per square meter (gsm), but applying watercolors can cause the paper to buckle. A good weight for watercolor paper starts at 200-300 gsm, so keep an eye out for this when you’re sketchbook shopping. In terms of brands, I love the sketchbooks from Moleskine Watercolour (Amazon.com) and Khadi Paper (Amazon.com)

Water container: I carry a small plastic water container with me and a little plastic cup.

Bag: Lastly, I often have a prepacked bag where everything is sitting for an impulsive trip. Sketchbooks and water containers in a small canvas pouch, which is easy to keep in my backpack or bag.