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For my birthday, I bought myself an M-51 engineers field bag. At first, I was both overwhelm and undecided about what to put in it. After a few days, I discovered that I was adding more art supplies than anything else. So, I decided to turn it into an artist’s go bag for long trips where I typically wouldn’t be able to do much art.

For simplicity, I focused mainly on both drawing/sketching and watercolor painting. Simplicity. Yeah, right!

I started with the basic materials. Then, I started anticipating different scenarios; the bag got heavy. I had to do an audit to get the weight down and to make room for the essentials. Then, I could start adding in fluff. Here’s what I’ve got so far:

• 9 x 12 Canson Drawing Pad
• 9 x 12 Tracing Paper
  • I use tracing paper as a light-weight, protective cover sheet for artwork that smears or rubs off easily.
• 6 x 9 Strathmore Watercolor Paper
  • I originally had a 9 x 12 pad, but it added a lot of weight and bulk to the bag. The smaller size is perfect for quick, on-the-go paintings.
• Synthetic Leather Roll-Up Pencil Case
  • For fun, the case looks like a pirate map.
• Palomino Blackwing 602 Pencils
• Palomino Pearl Pencils
• Palomino Blackwing Pencils
• Palomino Long-Point Pencil Sharpener
  • My new favorite sharpener! It gets drawing pencils extra long and extra sharp.
• Windex (in tiny spray bottle)
  • There will be times when I include electronics, which will need to have clean screens. Plus, Windex can clean a great deal of different surfaces.
• Microfiber Clothes
  • Again, for the electronics.
• “The Masters” Travel-Size Brush Cleaner
  • The best for cleaning, conditioning, and keeping brushes in shape.
• “The Masters” Travel-Size Artist’s Hand Soap
  • Removes paint, ink, dyes, and grease from hands.
• Kiss-Off Stain Remover
  • Helps remove various stains.
• First-Aid Kit
  • Paper cuts are bad. Watercolor paper cuts are worse. X-Acto knife cuts can be serious! Plus, you never know what life will through at you on the go.
• Black Sharpie Ultra-Fine Permanent Marker
• Black Gel Pen
• Red Ball-Point Pen
• Prismacolor Watercolor Pencils
  • Travel-size watercolors with less mess.
• Derwent Water Brushes
  • Watercolor brushes with built-in water reservoirs.
• Dish Sponge
  • Replaces paper towels or rags for absorbing excess water from brushes.
• Water Bottle
• X-Acto Knife
• X-Acto Knife Blades
• Large Rubberbands
  • These come in handy! They can bind items, keep paper attached to a clipboard on breezy days, and keep drawing pads closed.
• Small Binder Clips
• Flashlight
• 12-inch Ruler
• 5-inch Diameter Collapsible Silicone Bowl
  • This was sold as a dog dish! Perfect for holding water.
• Resealable Plastic Bags (assorted sizes)
  • These have been so useful.
• Empty Spray Bottle
  • For spraying water or chemicals for painting effects.
• Scissors
• Standard No. 2 Pencils
  • For writing or letting kids draw. Kids tend to be rough on pencils.
• Kneaded Eraser
• Gum Eraser
• Prismacolor Premier Pencil Sharpener
  • For sharpening watercolor pencils. The large shaving storage means less mess and emptying.
• Elmer’s White Glue
  • It comes in handy more often than not.
• Clipboard
• White Printer Paper
  • For letting kids draw. They go through paper like it was water!
• Painting Stencils
  • Self-made stencils for drawing a quick border to paint/draw in along with a half-inch border. Sizes are 5 x 7 and 4 x 6.
• Clip-On OttLite LED Mini Flip Light
  • For drawing in low-light situations. OttLites show true colors while reducing eye strain.

Now I just need to test it in the field.