While getting to know some of my new Get Messy friends, I came across this post by Lauren. I liked seeing what she decided to bring in her Project Life travel kit. Since I’m in the process of moving, I thought I’d show you some of my documenting essentials.

Now since I am moving from Asia back to North America, I didn’t keep my heavy and extensive Project Life supplies. They are packed into our container and will get to Canada by sea. I am however working on a few projects and have been keeping supplies for all of them.

First set : my watercolor essentials. I love to watercolor and sketch when I’m on vacation. Especially in the car and on the beach. Below are my favorite tools. Top left, my Moleskine travel sketchbook. It has watercolor paper in it. At first I didn’t like the landscape orientation. But I’ve grown accustomed to it and am putting 2 or 3 small images per page instead of feeling I have to comply with the orientation. Next to it, some Neocolor II pencils. Love these, just draw and then run your waterbrush through to transform the colored pencils into vibrant watercolor tones.

In terms of pens, I keep two sharpie pens in my pouch on the bottom right. They are waterproof and thin enough for detailed images. As for the waterbrush, I use the one that came with my Koi Sakura travel watercolor set, that you see on the bottom left. This set is the bigger of the two available sizes and it suits me perfectly.

Next up : my everyday documenting essentials. The base for this is my Field Notes notebook. It’s small and practical. In it, I jot down what we did everyday so that I don’t get mixed up in the dates when I eventually get around to doing my Project Life album. I also have my small stapler, a glue stick, scissors and two of my washi pencil samplers. These are usually available in my Etsy shop, which is closed until we settle in Canada in August. And lastly, my wonderful Instax camera, which is so perfect for outside-because-it-summertime-vacation-pictures.

Finally for today : my pens! I have an undying love for the Uni-Ball Signo Broad line of pens. Those are the ones on the left. These pens will write on any surface including acrylic paint and not be transparent. I kept a red, dark blue, white and black pen. These are my go-to pens for art journaling. On the right side, from top to bottom : my black watercolor brush for brush script, two Zig metallic pens (gold and silver), a black Zig photo writer for writing on glossy surfaces like vellum and photos, a black Uni-Ball vision elite for everyday journaling, two Sakura pens (one Moonlight neon pink one and a Jelly Roll white one) and finally and Zebra brush pen.

So there you have it, my essential tools. Tomorrow I’ll share some of my paper supplies and art journals.

5 Comments

Lauren on July 7, 2014 at 4:19 am

I AM SOOO Sad that we have found eachother just as youre leaving!! I cant wait until your etsy store opens back up! And Im pretty sure I NEED that entire watercolor kit!
vanessa on July 7, 2014 at 9:41 am

I know Lauren. I hope you have crazy amazing adventures in Asia! Are you going anywhere else besides Korea?
Janine van Emden on July 7, 2014 at 10:06 am

I always love seeing other peoples "essential tools" I'll have to research those pens. I've been using Pigma Micron's but they are a. very hard to get here in Holland and b. do not write well on every surface.
And I will have to try those neocolor things!
vanessa on July 7, 2014 at 10:45 am

Interesting, because those pens are also hard to find in Hong Kong. But when I found the Signo (the broad ones) it was LOVE! Especially the white which is awesome. I'm still curious to try the Pigma, expecially if I find some in Canada.
andrea on July 8, 2014 at 4:23 pm

so interesting. Oh and I love love those Neocolors. They are just awesome.

Essential tools

5 Comments

Submit a Comment