I’ve been looking for a new carrier for my travel art supplies lately, and I think I’ve found everything I need wrapped up in one compact package. Allow me to introduce the…
Dr. Ion Super Mega Pencil Case
The case measures 8.5 x 5.3 x 3.2 inches and has two separate zippered sections which open book-style. It’s available through Amazon. (Please note: This case is sometimes not available. Kutsuwa now offers one called the Dr. Ion Multibox Large Size, which is available here. I haven’t seen it in person to know if it’s the same case, but it looks very similar to the Dr. Ion Super Mega Pencil Case, which is detailed in the following post.)
My Winsor and Newton Compact Watercolor Set fits in the large interior pocket with room to spare. While regular paint brushes won’t fit in this case, my DaVinci travel brushes do. I have two of them stashed in a small gusseted pocket in this section…
and the large size 10 fits in the loops that are designed to hold pens and pencils.
There are plenty of places to stash supplies. I haven’t even begun to test the maximum capacity of this kit. There’s a handy zippered mesh pocket and a slip-in pocket behind it to hold larger items like my favorite spatter screen.
My water brushes, a ruler, and an old toothbrush (for spattering) are held in place by an elastic band.
There’s more than enough room for all of my basic travel sketching supplies.
 |
| All of this fits easily in the Dr. Ion Super Mega Pencil Case with room to spare |
I always carry a backpack when I go out sketching, and this Dr. Ion case won’t take up much room in it, leaving plenty of space for my sketchbook, portable stool, jacket and purse.
If I want to take along any other art supplies, like a natural sponge or masking fluid, which I only use occasionally, I’ll stash them in one of the outside pockets of my pack. If I want the option of using regular paint brushes, rather than the travel brushes or water brushes, I can carry them in a tube brush carrier or in a folding case.
I’m looking forward to taking this kit along on my upcoming trip to Tuscany where I’ll be teaching a week-long workshop at Fattoria Bacio in Certaldo, just south of Florence. I’ll be using the sketching setup shown in this post, and I promise to report back after the trip to let you know how well everything worked in the field.
7 Comments
Great kit and I love seeing what others bring art wise along their travels. Just out of curiosity, how do you use the spatter screen?
Nice kit… can't wait to see the sketches from your trip.
This is the ideal bag for carrying my drawing tools and always have them with me. I have just ordered it at Amazon.
And I am also looking forward to seeing your next drawings
Marie-Ange from France
Thank you for your post.
I was looking for the perfect bag to carry my drawing tools and have them always with me. I've just ordered it on Amazon .
Thanks for this very interesting post. I carry a backpack when I go on sketch outings. It would be much easier to just pull this out and have everything in one case. I also liked the print fabric one you made a year or so ago. I can sew but it looks really complicated. I'd prefer not to buy from Amazon but it's $16 cheaper there!
Where can I find a small splatter screen, like yours?
The screen with the metal frame is from Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff, but you can also just use a piece of window screening.