Materials

Sketchbook

Ian uses the Fabriano Spiral Bound A3 Sketchbook 140lb HP (Classic 5)

You can use either cold press or hot press depending on what look you want to achieve. Cold press will have a slightly rougher paper texture and hot press has a smoother finish when using fineliners.

Here are just a few suggestions:

Brush Pens

Brush Pens are a great way to add extra tone and depth to your sketch. Try to use water based brush pens instead of alcohol based brush pens.

Ian uses Tombow brush pens, especially black and a range of greys, particularly the lighter greys – N15, N75, N79, N60, N89, N95.

Pen & Ink

Fineliners

Ian mostly uses fineliners during our courses, so try to have a range of fine liners in your kit that vary in tip size. We would suggest anywhere from 0.05 – 0.8 in thickness and also having a few extra 0.1s in your urban sketching kit.

Rollerball Pens

Rollerball pens can be fun to use because you can achieve a different thickness and shading depending on the angle and pressure used.

Many brands sell good quality fineliners and rollerball pens such as Staedtler, Pilot, Uniball, Stabilo and Derwent.

Fountain Pens

Some of our students also like to use fountain pens, as they achieve a loose and fluid look, although it’s important to remember to consider using waterproof ink. Lamy Safari is a popular choice for urban sketchers.

Watercolours

Watercolour Pan Sets

Watercolour pans come in all different shapes and sizes but Full Pans and Half Pans are the most common.

Ian uses the Winsor and Newton brand, with a combination of full and half pans.

The colours listed below are the ones Ian typically has in his palette, although he may swap them around depending on the subject and mood.

Watercolour Tubes

It’s also useful to have a tube of Titanium White watercolour in your kit. This is a great way to cover up any colour mistakes and add final detail. A 5ml tube is a good size for starting with.

Paint Brushes

Paintbrushes vary in many shapes and sizes, but to start with, we would recommend having the below watercolour brushes in your urban sketching kit:

2 x Rigger Brushes – Small and Medium

2 x Round Head Brushes – Small and Medium

2 x Flat Brushes – Small and Medium

Ian uses the Pro Arte brand, but other brands such as Da Vinci, Winsor & Newton, Escoda and Rosemary & Co are great options too. 

Storage

It’s important to look after your kit when on the go, so you may want to invest in some useful storage.

Compact canvas wraps are great for storing your pencils, pens and brushes. Ian uses the Derwent Canvas Pencil Wrap but you can also use another type of storage container such as a bag. You could also look at using a statchel for transporting your kit when on location.

Here are just a few ideas:

Outdoor Accessories

If you’re planning to work on location or joining an outdoor workshop, you might also want to consider using a few useful accessories that will bring you comfort:

Seating 

You could use a collapsible chair, soft mat or stool depending on your needs. We’ve added a few ideas below but you could also try looking at local groups such as Facebook Marketplace to find a bargain.

Weather Appropriate Accessories

Depending on location and time of year, remember to consider things like sunhats, sunglasses, suncream and gloves.

Flip Cards