How To Enjoy Sketching In Oil - Tools

Welcome to the course. Why do we need to sketch? To enjoy ourselves and our expression, to still our mind and be in the flow, to explore our world, to improve our painting skills and develop our style. I am a self-taught artist who has established a personal routine of sketching. I have tried many materials and setups and come up with an easy, compact and organised way of enjoying my sketching. Please take whatever ideas that appeal to you and get yourself organised. Matisse and Van Gogh had their favourite materials, favourite ways of sketching. They felt inspired and compelled to sketch and paint. You can do that too!

My compact setup to paint at home, in your car, on a park bench or anywhere you feel comfortable.

My painting box/easel. I chose to by one from the site of guerrillapainterdotcom. Mine is a 9x12" box that takes many different sizes of canvases and boards. It can be used as a table top easel, it can sit comfortably on your lap, or be attached to a sturdy tripod if you wish to paint while standing. By all means there are many other products out there, and you should search for what is most convenient for you. (I do not have any financial benefit to show this product)

I have ready to go a number of painting surfaces, and choose what I wish to sketch on based on what I what I am ready for at the time. Variety of materials helps with imagination and inspiration. And they all fit into my box!

This box can take a larger size than 9x12". Watch me attaching it. You may get away with it very well indoors. Outdoors - mind the wind.

You need a few brushes, a few different sizes, a few different shapes, even a few of the same shape. It helps to have a fresh clean brush for every different paint colour to keep collars clean, to avoid wasting time cleaning brushes, and instead focusing on the fun itself - painting.

I have observed different artists as to what they have handy when they paint and sketch. I have used a few different things myself. Here is the very minimum I use - compact and handy.

This is my favourite type of easel. It is a very compact and light-weight sketching easel which can take a large sized canvas or a very small sized one. It can be used indoors, on the balcony and outdoors. It folds into a very compact size and shape, easily transportable by car and easily stored anywhere.

What else can be useful and helpful to sketch quickly? Here some tips of mine. Take what you like and need.

How to keep everything neat, ready and in one place? A perfect solution can be found in a hardware store - a tradesman toolbox. They come in all shapes and sizes and even with wheels and a retractable handle like a suitcase. Look at the numbers/sizes of your art materials, what do you wish to store/carry around? Choose a size that suits you best. And most importantly, have fun!

Follow me on my sketching and painting journey, what what I have been doing this year.