This creative challenge began with the desire to travel carryon only, and still bring a decent amount of art supplies with me for working in my visual art journal.
On this trip to Mexico City, I knew I’d be doing a lot of walking, so also needed to keep my purse as light as possible. I even hauled this art supply kit around the Teotihuacan Pyramids, in the blazing sun (the actual walking in between pyramids is SO much longer that it looks!).
The secret to traveling light with art supplies is to limit liquid items, and instead pack water-soluble media like pencils or markers that can double as paints. The tubes of paint I bring go into my liquid clear bag for the airplane, and then go back into the art supply bag when I land.
In this video I show you what made the cut, and how I packed it all into a small zipper “envelope” pouch.
Following is a linked supply list to everything I use. (Shopping links to Amazon, where I get a little commission if you buy from my links. Thank you!) I don’t bring every single pencil, for example, out of the box of 72 or 48, just my favorites at the moment. The rest wait for me back in the studio.
Journal & Sketchbook
My own handmade sketchbook – I made this the same size, about 5 x 8 inches, as the Moleskine writing journal I use, below. This is my preferred travel size journal.
Moleskine Cahier Journal – these come in packs of three, either lined or unlined paper. Soft cover, great for travel, although I used them constantly for all-around note taking and writing. I am fond of unlined paper.
My Favorite Pencils for Drawing and Painting
Lyra Color Giants Pencils
Prismacolor Ebony Graphite Drawing Pencils, Black
My First Ticonderoga Primary Size #2 Beginner Pencils – these are simply large pencils, like the Lyra Color Giants, only in graphite. First found in the kid’s school supply aisle.
Water-Soluble Pencils – for Sketching and Painting
Black Water Soluble Stabilo Pencils
ArtGraf Water-Soluble Graphite Sticks
LYRA Water Soluble Graphite Sticks
Derwent Inktense Ink Pencils
Derwent Metallic Watercolor Pencils
Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils
Acrylic Paint Tubes
Liquitex Professional Heavy Body Acrylic Paint 2-oz tube, Mars Black
Liquitex Professional Soft Body Acrylic Paint 2-oz tube, Titanium White
Travel Watercolor Set
Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolor Pocket Box
Canvas Roll Pencil Holder – handmade by my friend Rachel. You can order on her Etsy shop, Bundle & Stow.
Sakura KOI Watercolor Brush Pens
2 Hole Pencil Sharpener
Travel Pack of Wet Wipes – Sensitive Skin
Travel Art Supply Kit Zipper Pouch
Everything fits inside these wonderful “envelope” zipper bags. Here are the exact bags I use:
Zipper Bag 3-Pack
They come in packs of three, and besides the cute black and white designs, there are other colors available.
Julianne is coloring in one of her nature-themed adult coloring books.
She brought along a box of colored pencils that her dad gave her when she was a little girl.
Aren’t they beautiful?
I knew Julianne has been into coloring lately, so I brought her one of Rachel’s canvas pencil rolls. It came in handy, as we found a lovely little (tiny!) art supply shop in downtown Mexico City that sold individual Derwent colored pencils, in metallics! So lovely!
I’m not a fan of Starbucks in general, but it was these couches and the big coffee table out on the patio that lured us in.
We enjoyed our art date here until all of the smokers came in and started smoking.
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