In preparation for my drawing workshops I spend some time thinking carefully about which materials to introduce my students to, which will work best for their level of learning, which will be exciting and fun to use, which will suit the location and tone of the day. I also like to make people feel like they have their own individual materials for the duration of the workshop, so I use small metal tins for the fragile stuff and bag it all up so everyone has the same selection.
Students also love to know what all the materials are, especially if there’s something they’re really taken by and want to buy for themselves afterwards.
So, here’s a list of what I offer on my Woodland Drawing workshops…
In the tin:
- willow charcoal stick
- compressed charcoal
- graphite stick (watersoluble ones work brilliantly in the rain!)
- conté crayon in white, sanguine (red) and sepia (brown)
- kneadable eraser (also known as putty rubber)
Also in the bag:
- charcoal pencil (combines well with charcoal stick)
- pierre noir pencil (combines well with conté crayon but is lovely on its own too)
- a wooden viewfinder
My favourite paper for drawing is Canson C a grain cartridge – it has different degrees of texture on each side and excellent holding capacity for dusty media like charcoal and conté. I also bring artist’s fixative to prevent student’s drawing from smudging. Hairspray will do the job cheaply while you’re practicing but it yellows over time, so if you want to keep your work, proper fixative is best.
Any good local art shop is likely to stock most of these materials or, if you prefer to shop online for them then Jackson’s have an excellent range and speedy delivery.
It’s nearly the end of November now and getting a bit chilly for outdoor workshops but I’ll be running more in the spring – if you fancy joining me, subscribe to my Studio Newsletter to get information on what I’ll be offering next year.