tools & materials
Essentials
watercolors
by case for making
These are extremely pigmented and come in the most beautiful colors, from vibrant fluorescents to subtle earth tones. Expect some qualities of grittiness and color separation in certain paints, as each pan is handmade in-house and often from natural earth pigments.
stonehenge white
by Legion paper
I love this paper because it accepts all kinds of media, from watercolor to acrylic to pencil, but isn’t as expensive as your typical watercolor paper. The reasonable price point allows me to use it freely; I use it generously for sketching as well as for finished drawings. The wire binding allows you to work on each sheet flat, while keeping all your drawings together and allowing for easy tear-out.
pencils
✏
Anything goes, as long as it’s not mechanical and the lead is dark (ie. 6B or so, depending on the brand). Favorites include Tombow and Blackwing.
pencil sharpener
by kum
I like a long, lethal tip on my pencils, and this is the best sharpener for that. A good runner-up is the Blackwing Automatic Long Point, which comes with a cover to contain the sharpenings. Replacement blades available for both.
extras
porcelain palette
by Yasutomo
Besides being aesthetically-pleasing and evoking Murakami flowers once it’s filled with paint, this palette is economically priced, and the surface really grabs the pigment from your brush when you’re trying to deposit paint in them.
water cup
by jg cloutier
Any watertight vessel will work, but I love this one because it has divots to hold your brush in place (and looks different enough from my drinking cup so I don’t unappetizingly confuse the two!).
dimmable led wifi bulb
by wyze
When you’re working with color in a low-light environment, a daylight bulb can really help you see. This bulb fits in any standard lamp, and you can control the white color + brightness with your phone. I set it at a cool white when I’m using it for drawing and other tasks at night (like painting my nails) and change it to a dim, warm white when I need it for ambience. Any smart bulb will do, but this one is very reasonably priced.
eraser caps
by faber-castell
These eraser caps help protect the tips of your sharpened pencil from breaking off, and protect the inside of your bag from getting covered in lead markings. They work double duty as excellent erasers too!
water brush
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These are great for working on the go! Fill up the cartridge with water, and you can watercolor with a minimal setup on your travels, on the train, on the street, or wherever you’re struck with inspiration. These brushes are available in different brush tip sizes. I wouldn’t consider these a substitute for a regular brush though; I use these exclusively for impromptu sketches when I’m traveling.
headphones
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Listening to music through headphones that completely cover my ears really helps me to zone out and