My minimal-enough-for-me sketch kit

Tina from USK Seattle just began her minimal sketch kit challenge, so I thought I can write a post about my sketch kit.

I only just started urban sketching in August 2014. At the time I sketched people on the train as I commuted to work by train everyday. My sketch kit contained only a Uni-ball pen and a small Moleskine Art Plus Sketchbook. Then James bought me a WN Cotman Sketcher's Pocket Box set and a watercolor paint brush for Christmas. Boom, I fell in love with watercolours!

Fast forward. Now this is what I have in my sketch kit:

From right to left:

Raphael Softaqua brush Round #6

da Vinci 498 Casaneo Round Quill #4

Roymac 3/4" flat

Platinum Carbon Black desk pen

Pentel white gel pen

Duke 209 Bent Nib fountain pen (Great value for its performance!)

Pentel brush pen with Platinum Carbon Black Ink

A mechanical pencil

A mini spray bottle

Pentel waterbrush flat and round

Sketch bag with a rug

Oh, and underneath the pens and brushes is my Portable Painter Palette.

I found this bag at a stationary store in Japantown, San Francisco. 

You can purchase a belt to go with it and turn it into a shoulder bag. I just put it in my backpack.

I probably could have invested in some travel brushes but I've got a handy husband, who made me some caps with beer cans!

I'm quite happy with my sketch kit and the set up has been about the same for 15 months now. It traveled with me on road trips in the US, to Mexico and Colombia so it's fair to say that it works well. As for my sketchbook, well, I stopped purchasing sketchbooks because I prefer using Fabriano paper and there is no sketchbook made with it. Now I just use an A4 folder with plastic sleeves to carry my paper.

Will I modify the sketch kit and paper set up again? Probably. After all, buying and trying new tools/ideas is part of the fun of urban sketching.