Nowadays the kids are grown up and I often fly to the destination by plane and need to keep things very lightweight and simple. No more toolboxes, boards, 25 books for the family (Kindle?) and vast amounts of equipment into the car boot.
So this is some encouragement about just how simple it can be.
I found this plastic toiletries bag in Boots Pharmacy - a set of three - and they are light, strong and you can find things. I have home made portfolios and paper torn to size.
Reed table mats are fantastic for carrying brushes because the brushes don't end upside down in a container with their tips ruined. The mat won't bend in half, only roll. I threaded the elastic through it and attached a bit of embroidery thread to wind around it.
At home I only use ceramic or enamel palettes, but for travelling, the plastic ones are light and since mine has snapped in half, it has been even more useful because it now fits into the bag.
Paper:
I use at least 300gsm and I like Sanders Waterford NOT or Fabriano Artistico Fina (NOT).
I don't like the ready-stretched pads because I like to choose my own format and also often the under one goes a bit wobbly from the moisture. With 300gsm you can get away (just) without stretching if the format is not too large and you don't use too much water. At home I ALWAYS stretch my paper, for the beautiful finish!
NOT paper is not quite as rough as the "rough" or grossa" which is good for the lettering and detail, but it is still textured.
I decide in advance what format I will use - for Arran I chose extra long and narrow - 5 pieces per sheet, plus wasteage; and for the Kalahari Colours I tore the paper into 6 pieces exactly, each 18cm X 38cm. For Singapore, I knew that I wanted a squarer format as it was not going to be landscapes, 24.5cm X 28cms, so I divided the paper into 4 - 28.5 X 23.5, with wasteage (strips for trying colours).
Sometimes I use folios, especially when it is for a journal for a workshop and I can then bind it later. If this is the case I use cheaper and thinner paper. With watercolour, I find it better to attach pages afterwards to make folios, to plan the book more carefully.
Sometimes I use folios, especially when it is for a journal for a workshop and I can then bind it later. If this is the case I use cheaper and thinner paper. With watercolour, I find it better to attach pages afterwards to make folios, to plan the book more carefully.
Once I have 12 - 14 pieces of paper all torn to size, I then make a little folder out of cardboard. The corrugated card doesn't bend much especially if the corrugations go horizontally on one panel and vertically on the other panel. Its really important to make the folder just a little larger than the paper (say 1cm all round) to keep the paper snug. I stitch some ribbon on as its stronger than glueing and there is no knot to dent the paper. Each holiday has its own cardboard portfolio.
(Where do you get cardboard in big sheets? Well, like a bag lady, I snatch cardboard boxes off the green on garbage day before they get recycled. And if I really need huge ones, I go to cycle shops and ask for one)
The folder is also useful to press on while working.
The folder is also useful to press on while working.
I make a spine the width of the stack of paper, score, fold and use plastic parcel tape where necessary.
I often like to make strong-paper flaps inside to stop the watercolour paper from tipping out at the corners.
I score the flaps every cm or so so that they can fold over nicely regardless of how many sheets there are.
(difficult to see in the photo)
And that's it really. Although sometimes, you need some sort of stool or chair - I can't paint sitting cross-legged. In Singapore we took a little plastic IKEA bathroom stool with us to the botanical gardens. it looked odd, but worked!
Its always nice to be able to learn from a professional. This is so useful. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks. You'll see that I spend a lot more on good art materials than storage materials, whihc are all a bit home-madeish!
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