Travel Sketching in Mixed Media with Marc Taro Holmes

SUPPLIES & MATERIALS

SKETCHBOOKS
The Travelogue Watercolor Journal by Hand Book (10.5" x 8.5" Grand
Portrait size) is Marcs all-around favorite sketchbook. Marc likes the
weight of these slim books (not too heavy to hold and draw) and the
paper is reasonable for any kind of drawing or watercolor painting.
Stillman & Birn Epsilon (5.5" x 8.5"). This is an excellent sketchbook
for ink and wash and the smooth surface is wonderful for detail
in pen. You can go larger, but its heavier in your drawing hand:
Stillman & Birn Epsilon Series (8.5" x 11"). If you like a slightly toothyer surface, for pencil perhaps, try out the Stillman & Birn Alpha series
(9" x 6" and 8.5" x 11").
Moleskine Art Plus Sketchbook (5" x 8.25"). This heavy, waxy paper
is great for pen and ink, and will take light washes with only mild
buckling. Its not a true watercolor paper however.
Moleskine Folio Watercolor Album (11.75" x 8.25"). This is a largersized book, big enough to do multiple sketches on a page spread, or
make an ultra-wide panorama. These books are also available in more
convenient sizes: Notebook (5" x 8.25") and Pocket Album (3.5" x 5.5").
Moleskine Cahier Journal (3" x 5"). These pocket-sized books are ideal for
everyday carry. Paper is cheap and best for doodles.
PENCILS & ERASERS

Mechanical pencil, 0.7 mm lead (for small notebooks, Marc

recommends 0.3 mm lead)
Pencil, HB lead
Kneaded rubber eraser (The grey rubbery kind you can squish into
points for small erasures, or blot and roll for overall lightening.)

PENS

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Fountain pen. Marc recommends Lamy Safari (extra fine) for

beginners.
Platinum carbon fountain pen, super fine (with waterproof refills:
Platinum carbon ink cartridge, black).
Calligraphy nibs, such as an 1.1 mm or 1.9 mm chisel. Marc often
carries spare pens in different colored ink other than black. He is
currently trying out a Noodlers Ahab Pen (flex nib).
Waterproof ink. Marc recommends Platinum carbon black (in
the bottle) plus small plastic suction device called a Lamy Safari
Converter Z24.
Water-soluble ink in a bottle, or Lamy Black T10 Ink Cartridges (other
brands include Higgins and Winsor and Newton Calligraphy Ink).
Note: Look for the label "Washable" or "Non-Waterproof."

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Travel Sketching in Mixed Media with Marc Taro Holmes

SUPPLIES & MATERIALS

BRUSH PENS

Nylon disposable pens (Marc recommends Pitt Pen from Faber Castel)
Pentel Arts Pocket Brush Pen (plus spare cartridges)
Kuretake Sumi Brush Pen (Marc highly recommends this pen.
Note: The ink cartridge is water-soluble and replacement nibs are available.
Refillable suction ink holder, such as Platinum Ink Converter

WATERCOLOR TRAVEL KITS

Marc recommend artist-quality watercolor half-pans. These will come in a tin (or plastic) box with around
12 colors. Marc uses Winsor & Newton.
You can purchase individual pans to replace colors or buy tube colors and refill the pans yourself. Recently Marc
has been supplementing with Daniel Smith and Holbein colors, but the colors the kits come with are fine to start.
Paint colors (Marcs "everyday carry" sketch box is a "split primary" palette)
Alizarin crimson/cadmium red light
Ultramarine blue/cerulean blue
Yellow ocher/cadmium yellow light
Expanded with secondaries
Cadmium orange
Winsor (dioxazine) violet
Sap green
Holbein cobalt violet light
Darks
Burnt sienna
Daniel Smith perylene green
Prussian blue
Lamp black

BRUSHES

Pointed round brushes: Any synthetic brand of pointed rounds will do. The points do wear out in a few
months. Marc uses Nos. 2, 4, 10 and 14.
Sable brushes: If you want to try real sable, Marc suggests brands such as Escoda, da Vinci, and Winsor &
Newton Artists Watercolor Sable. Never let your brushes stand in water. It ruins the points and cracks the
handle. Marc particularly likes the W&N artists line in the longer-hair version that is halfway to a rigger.
Brush case: A nylon zippered wallet to carry brushes safely.
Travel brushes (optional): A brush with a hollow handle that reverses to enclose the brush when its tossed
into your bag. Marc recommends the Da Vinci Series 1573 Cosmotop (synthetic fiber) or the Da Vinci
Maestro Series 1503 (sable).
Unusual brushes (optional): Consider a rigger (a long, needle-pointed brush), a dagger brush (with a steak
knife sort of shape) and possibly a fan. Odd shapes are tricky to control but can be fun to draw with.

MISCELLANEOUS SUPPLIES

Backing boards: Coroplast plastic boards cut to a size slightly larger than your sketchbook or cut sheets.
Marc often stacks two for a little more rigidity. Coroplast is light and reasonably rigid. Beats a wooden
board hands-down.
Large bulldog clips or binder clips: Keep 6-8 handy for holding the book open in the wind, or while drying.
Also used for clipping on the paint box to the backing board and clamping damp books open overnight.
Water containers: Marc suggests a few 2 ounce HDPE plastic bottles from Nalgene. Carry more than one,
so when the water gets dirty you can replace with a clean one.
Paper towels
Tiny atomizer spray bottle, for misting your watercolors to prime the pigments

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