When you have time to draw; be prepared.

An artist can't always anticipate when you will have time to draw, so stay prepared. 

I always carry in my purse a 3.5”x 5” or 5.5”x 8.5” sketch book and often a 3.5” x 5.5” moleskin or similar drawing book. I use a pencil, Pitt pens, and/or watercolor pencils. Recently I added an ink brush and a water brush.

 

 

The ink sketches above are from Treasure Island July 4th waiting for fireworks

KOA Campground in St Augustine, pencil drawing

Pastel sketch, Lowe's Parking Lot, Saint Petersburg, FL

Watercolor, Pass A Grille Beach

The sketches above were all done using a 3.5" x 5" Strathmore Sketchbook, 400 series.

I keep all my art sketch materials in separate zip lock bags to keep them clean and protect them from rain.

Pastel pencils, are quick and easy to use with Canson Mi-Teintes colored pastel paper, just cut it to size and clip it to a board or use a brown toned Cachet spiral bound book and if you don't want much added weight, tear out a few pages and add it to your clip board. X-Acto Buzz is a small battery operated pencil sharpener that can sharpen pastels and it's light and small enough to carry with you.

African Penguins, Florida Aquarium, Tampa Fl

 Cachet spiral bound sketchbook  5”x7” 

Carb Othello Chalk-pastel pencils by Stabilo

At a zoo or a theme park like Sea World, a watercolor travel set used with a small handheld easel, a moleskin watercolor sketchbook, watercolor paper pad, or watercolor blocks all fit into a small backpack. Now with the water brush, painting quick sketches, even standing up is a breeze.

Emperor Penguins at Sea World

Canson Watercolor spiral pad, cold press, 5.5" x 8.5"

 

 I love to paint in oils, so when I have about 2 or 3 hours I use my pochade box and oil paints with canvas on board. But keeping the sketch materials in my purse or a small backpack keeps me prepared all the time.