Art on the Road

The goal was simplicity, flexibility, quality, using little space and weight in the luggage. The kids and I planned to draw on the plane, at a cafe, in the hotel room, and on the train. I thought it would be a good experience to watercolor outdoors or at a cafe as well.

Here's what we brought to do art while in Europe for 3 weeks this summer.

Art supplies for me:

• 2 - superfine black pittpens
• 6 - .005 and .01 sakura microns in various colors
• 15 - sakura gellyrolls in various colors
• 1 - 5x8" sketch moleskine journal
• 1 - 5x8" watercolor moleskine journal
• 1 - set of travel watercolors
• 2 - small brushes {I'd planned to get a brush which contained water inside, but didnt' get to that}

Art supplies for two kids (7 & 9):

• 100 - sharpened colored pencils in a plastic box (combined 2 sets)
• 1 - kid scissors
• 1 - mini stapler
• 1 roll each - two-sided + regular tape
• 1/3 ream - white bristol paper
• 4 - lined 5x8" notebooks
• 2 - unlined wirebound travel journals (described in Travel Journals)
• 36 - papermate magic markers

Lessons Learned

Ultimately I didn't watercolor. It just didn't happen. The girls didn't use their tape or stapler, and for me one moleskine was enough, but extras are good to have. I was pleased with what we brought.

My younger daughter focused on drawing pen & ink sketches of fairy worlds in her lined notebooks. My older daughter spent most of her creative time (after finishing Harry Potter V) drawing mandalas in her travel journal with vivid papermate markers.

Documenting their travels by journaling each night? It didn't happen. We walked so much each day and didn't get back to the hotel until we were exhausted. Drawing and reading were just right, but writing seemed like work.

We collected ephemera... train tickets, ticket stubs, receipts, maps, product packages... journal fodder.

We simply documented everything via photography!

Comments

[Eveline]

Great review on art on the road! I'm going on a camping trip with my parents for the first time in yeaaaars, and am taking a small art journal. I've already done backgrounds on all pages, so I don't have to bother with that so much. So then it will just be a case of sticking in tickets, leaflets, maybe even pictures, and writing of course!