MATERIALS
The artist of today has never been so fortunate with
regard to drawing equipment. Modern waterproof felt-tip
pens, clutch pencils and a wide range of drawing papers
mean that every situation, type of subject and sketching
style is catered for. The decision nowadays tends to be
what to leave behind, since the range of materials is so
wide and their reliability so good.
When choosing sketchbook paper, you should have
already decided upon your sketching medium. Generally
speaking, smooth cartridge sketchbooks (of the Daler
type) are best for line work in pen; coarser paper for line
work in pencil; and strong watercolour paper for paints or
colour markers. Ideally, of course, you will have prepared
for working in different materials and have corresponding
sketchbooks to suit.
I prefer to use modern felt-tip pens (such as a
waterproof Pilot or Staedtler) with smooth, fairly thin
paper (such as a Daler 3404 sketchbook). Drawing pens
with Indian ink tend to clog up or flow too slowly for my
style of drawing. Alternatively, you can use a steel-nibbed
pen (such as a post office nib) which is simply pushed into
a pen holder and dipped as required into a pot of ink. The
great advantage of old-fashioned steel nibs is that the
thickness of line varies with the pressure exerted, so that
sketches have a lot more character and points of
emphasis. The architect and town planner Raymond
Unwin used various thicknesses of line from a single nib
to good effect in his sketches. The disadvantage of the
open steel nibs is the length of time it takes for the ink to
dry and their tendency to cast ink blots in all directions.
However, with patience, good sunlight and a box of
tissues, the problems can be overcome, and should you
make an ink blot, this can either be worked into the
drawing, or left to dry and scraped away with a sharp
blade and ink rubber.
I try to encourage my students not to become
weighed down with too many drawing materials – it is
best to travel light and learn to improvise. It is no good for
the artist to become like a photographer impeded by an
assortment of lenses and light meters. All you really need
is an A4 or A5 sketchbook, one or two pens or pencils
and a good rubber.
The size of sketchbook depends upon the type of
drawing you intend to do, and the medium you are
working with. Large-format sketchbooks (A3–A2 in size)
suit pastel drawing or watercolours rather than line
drawing. As a rule, the finer the line, the smaller the
sketchbook required. If you wish to mix line with paint
then the effect is rather more of a painting than
of a drawing, and consequently a large format is
generally preferred.
I tend not to use sketching stools these days, partly
because pavements are so busy, and partly because
stools are rather cumbersome. You can, however, buy
sketching stools with pockets for carrying pens, etc., and
with a large flap for holding an A4 sketchbook, but I still
prefer to find a café to sit outside. Often the places you
wish to draw are the very spots where people want to sit
and enjoy the view, and hence seats will have been
provided by a friendly town council. In old towns there are
generally lots of steps and walls to sit on, and inside
cathedrals you will find comfortable pews or quiet
cloisters with stone benches in which to enjoy a couple of
hours of sketching. The one advantage of the sketching
stool, however, is that you can choose the exact
viewpoint for the drawing, and this can be important for
certain subjects.
If you are drawing in pencil make sure you have a
range of pencils of varying softness (6B–B), a soft rubber,
fixative and a sharpener. Some people prefer clutch
pencils, but many others prefer the weight and feel of the
traditional pencil for field work. Pencil is a good startingWhy draw? 25