Art Supplies

Sketchbooks + Paper

When looking for watercolor paper the most important factor is that it’s thick enough to handle layers of watercolor. Look for 140 lb or higher. Cold Press or Hot Press depends on your personal preference. Since most of my art involve ink sketches I look for paper that is less textured for smooth drawing.

  • Stillman and Birn Beta or Delta: These sketchbooks have impressively thick paper allowing you to create bleeds and other watercolor techniques that require a lot of water. The only difference between the Beta and Delta version is paper color.

  • Canson Watercolor Paper: Canson makes good lower priced watercolor papers in a variety of sizes. I use this spiral bound notebook during workshop demos. I love it because less expensive means it’s less precious and perfect for experimenting

  • Arches Watercolor Pad, Coldpress: This paper is not cheap. That could be because it’s French or perhaps it’s soaked in magic. It’s not as good for pen sketching (due to the textured surface) but it’s easy to work with watercolor and makes beautiful effects.

Paint Brushes

When I’m painting at home I have an assortment of brands and watercolor paintbrushes. Everything from squirrel hair mops to cheap starter pack brushes. However when I’m outside I need something that won’t get destroyed when I throw it into a dirty pack day after day. Collapsable travel brushes are perfect for this and I generally carry a DaVinci brand brush in size 8, 6, and 4.

You’ll see a wide price range for these brushes and that’s due to the bristle materials. Synthetics are cheaper but sable hair holds water better, lasts longer, and recovers it’s shape better. If you’re not certain how much you want to paint outside I recommend trying a synthetic first and upgrading later.

Pens

All of my ink sketches are done in waterproof ink so I can paint over them without the ink bleeding. The two pens I use most are:

  • Lamy Safari Fountain Pen: I love this refillable fountain pen because of it’s line variation and the fact it’s more eco friendly than single use pens. Although it’s a higher price initially you don’t have to worry about the tip getting dull and one bottle of ink lasts a very long time. I have an extra fine steel nib on mine and a cartridges converter that I fill with De Atramentis Document Ink. This ink doesn’t clog your pen, is a small enough bottle to take through airport security, and is waterproof once dry. Pro tip: Don’t put India ink in your fountain pen. It will permanently clog your pen and you will cry - trust me on this.

  • Sakura Micron PN: A friend recently introduced me to Micron PN pens which are my new go to for locations where I don’t want to bring my fountain pen and ink bottle. This is my favorite Micron pen tip due to the wide range of line variations - the more pressure you apply when drawing the thicker the line is.

Paint + Palette

I will forever swear by the Pocket Palette from ArtToolKit. It’s tiny, lightweight, and surprisingly resistant to scratches and dents. The refillable pans allow me to create a custom palette of my favorite paint pigments and top them off before starting a long trip. Pro tip: buy extra pans (I like the standard size) so you can rotate colors in and out depending on what you’re painting.

For watercolor paint, I use a mix of brands (primarily Daniel Smith or Winsor and Newton) and always buy artist/professional grade because the colors are richer. Some of my favorite pigments for Pacific Northwest scenery are:

  • Indanthrone Blue

  • Monte Amiata Natural Sienna

  • Quinacidrone Rose

  • French Ultramarine Blue

  • Cadmium Yellow

  • Pyrrol Scarlet

  • Sap Green

  • Van Dyke Brown

  • Burnt Sienna

  • Neutral Tint

If you’re new to watercolor you can get a kit like this one from Winsor and Newton (or this one which is higher price but artist / professional grade paint). It’s a great way to try watercolor and learn what colors you use most before buying more expensive paint tubes.

Outdoor Gear

Hydration

Whether its a one day or multi-day hike I always carry a water filter and electrolyte tablets with me. This Katadyn filter is great for refilling my backpack bladder or other people’s water bottles and doesn’t take up much space in my pack.

P.S. Katadyn, if you want to take our relationship to the next level please add a hole in the lid for a carabiner clip.

All the items included here are because I think they’re great, but just so you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases for products shown.