packing list

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Here's the updated sketch of the packing list that I posted before my Siem Reap, Cambodia trip. It's just updated with labels.

I had forgotten to include the technical pencil but it turned out that I didn't use that during the trip. There wasn't any time to do any drafting before inking. Most of the sketches that you'll see in the next few days are just drawn with ink straightaway.

The Pilot V7 Tec-point was the most used pen. I refilled it before the trip and it was almost empty after drawing 37 spreads on the Grandluxe Etcetra sketchbook (not recommended).

My initial plan was to use the Hero pen but the ink flow is just not good enough. I only made one sketch with it and gave up.

I did not use much of the waterbrush. It's difficult to make flat even washes. I use it only when I have no other brushes. Many artists like it for the convenience.

The watercolours are the same palette used during my Spain trip. Daniel Smith watercolours. I'm really starting to like them, a lot. Maybe the fondness actually comes from the fact that it's easier to wet the tube colours as compared to the pan colours. Mine's a 10 colour palette.

One pen that got a lot of use is the Pentel pocket brush pen. It ran out of ink and I used it like a dip brush. Works great. I also found out after the trip that you can actually refill the disposable cartridge with those small Rotring ink bottles with tapered tips. The trick to refilling is not to put the bottle's whole tip in. I guess you can save a few dollars from buying the brush pen refills.

I like to keep it simple and light when it comes to packing drawing tools for overseas trip.

Another epic sketchwalk awaits in Bangkok, Thailand.

I'll be traveling overseas on Thursday to join more than a hundred like-minded people for this sketchwalk. The last count was 118 people. There will be sketchers from Thailand (of course), Taiwan, Singapore, Penang, KL, Indonesia and Australia.

I'm terribly excited to meet all my friends, especially those whom I met during the Penang sketchwalk last year.

If you have not watched the Penang sketchwalk video, you should.

Unlike the Penang sketchwalk, this time I'll not be bringing my iPad along, which means I'll not be blogging about the event daily. It was too much work so this time I shall just relax and post the photos and videos when I come back on Monday.

Here are the drawing materials I'm bringing:

• Winsor Newton heavyweight watercolor box
• Pilot Tecpoint V5 and V7 filled with Rotring ink
• Hero fountain pen
• Size 6 Da Vinci Maestro travel brush
• Technical pencil
• Eraser
• Daler Rowney Calli ink
• Daler Rowney The Langton watercolour paper
• Small hand-book sketchbook

The Pilot Tecpoints are amazing with Rotring ink. I've tried many type of ink in that pen and the Rotring ink is the best. The ink flow is smooth and it doesn't clog.

I'm not bring any waterbrush because they are just not easy to use for mixing colours. One size 6 Da Vinci Maestro travel brush should suffice.

All these will be squeeze into my Manhanttan Portage Europa bag, the perfect sketching bag for those who use 12 by 9 inch watercolour paper. I really need to review the bag soon because I Iove it.

Can't wait.