What's in my Pencil Bag
Hello everyone, we hope this time at home is allowing everyone to be creative in unexpected ways. Now that we all have a little bit more time to sit at our desks or drafting tables, we became curious about what people have been using to create. We’ve all seen a plethora of ‘What’s in my Bag’ posts all over the web, so today I’d like to highlight an artist’s staple accessory, the much loved (or hated, depending who you ask) pencil bag. Whether it’s a minimalist pouch of essentials or a jam packed assortment of tools, the pencil bag is a unique way to showcase an artist’s style.
Before we dive in, allow me introduce myself: my name is Ari and I am the Exhibitions and Programs Manager at the Brea Gallery. I have a BFA in Illustration and like to draw as often as I can, which is why I keep a bag of my go-tos handy for jotting down ideas or sketches. Without further ado, here’s my bag!
My Bag
How I feel during this quarantine art block.
Exploding with flavor.
Though I have many bags, cases, pouches, and boxes filled of different tools and mediums, this particular bag is filled with my favorites and essentials.
The basics.
My pride and joy - the pencil and eraser. I like to use a mechanical pencil, in this case the Pentel Side FX 0.7. I’ve had this pencil for 10+ years and it continues to be my favorite mechanical pencil to draw with. For the eraser, I’m currently using a Pentel Clic.
These are waterproof.
Next are the tools that come in close second - brush ink pens for lining. These are Zebra Disposable Brush Pens, they can be found at most Daiso stores in the stationery section. They are inexpensive and last a long while. Here I have two different thicknesses, but they can both be used to create a variety of line weights.
Don’t paint your walls with these.
A white gel pen is essential to create highlights or details, this is a classic white Sakura Gelly Roll. Another tool I use frequently to block in large areas is a paint pen, POSCA or any other brand work well (this one is also from Daiso).
Can you tell I have a preference?
These fine line pens are unique in the fact that I found most of them on the floors of my old college classrooms. It’s an art student’s dream - endless forgotten pens. None of these are waterproof, but they are excellent for adding finishing details to a drawing or painting. My personal favorite is the 0.25 Pentel Slicci.
These have both a brush and fine point tip.
Last but not least, Tombow markers are some of my favorite markers to shade with, they can be layered to create more richness or depth. I have them in a couple neutral grey tones and a transparent blue for variety.
Thanks for taking a look a my pencil bag and exploring some of my favorite grab-and-go tools with me! We’d love to know what some of your favorites are! So please comment below to share what’s in your pencil bag!
