My “Go Bag” Sketch Kit

 

The sketch kit part of my go bag is fully packed and ready!

Back in June I talked about a friend who had broken a leg and ended up in rehab for what turned out to be three long months. The early part of his ordeal had prompted me to start thinking about putting together a “go bag” to make life a bit easier for myself, if I were to befall such a fate (and easier for someone else to gather my essentials for me, if it came to that). The concept is to put together a bag of essentials – a few clothes, meds, toiletries and, of course, art supplies. (Imagine three months in rehab without art supplies!)

The general essentials part of the bag is still in progress. I am temporarily using a large tote bag to collect clothing, toiletries and other personal supplies; whenever I think of something that should go in, I just toss it into the tote. (Eventually the actual go bag will probably be something sturdier like a gym bag.)

Caran d'Ache water-soluble colors in pencil and crayon form

It’s a bit like packing for travel, but more restrictive. For example, in rehab or some other facility, basic supplies like toothpaste would probably be easily available. However, friends who have had hospital stays say that the toothbrushes that are offered are very weird and unconventional. That says to me that I need to pack a toothbrush but I can skip the toothpaste. To avoid trying to pack everything I might need, I’m limiting my go bag only to supplies that I’m super picky about (a specialty floss) or that would be difficult for a friend to find at a single shopping trip to Target or Fred Meyer. That means the go bag should also include a list of supplies not in the bag.

More pencils and blending stumps

Except for prescription meds, I’m also avoiding a large stock of items that would expire. Acetaminophen and multi vitamins would be easy enough for that helpful friend to buy for me. I don’t want to have to worry about refreshing the bag regularly.

I’ve developed one easy way to pack clothing for the go bag. With my ongoing commitment to staying downsized, I go through my closet even more regularly than I used to. If I buy something new, I have to take something else out (and try to take out more than I bring in). If the something that I’m taking out is appropriate for the go bag – comfy (can I wear it easily while sitting in a wheelchair?) but not so shabby or stained that I’d be embarrassed – I throw it into the tote instead of into the Goodwill box. That’s working out well.

Eraser, sharpener, brush pens, markers, waterbrush and a few more colored pencils.

I haven’t yet figured out the best way to handle essential items that I use every day, so I can’t store them in the go bag – for example, my tablet and its charging cable. Maybe the best solution is to leave clear written instructions in the go bag for the helpful friend on where to find them (and then remembering never to move those items? Hmmm).

The general go bag still needs work. The sketch kit, however, is complete – and it was easier than expected! A few months ago I talked about how my previous “downstairs studio” portfolio had become the new “upstairs studio.” I realized that the portfolio is already a compact sketch kit containing a variety of materials, and it would be easy to grab. In fact, if I stored it in plain sight, it would be easy to ask that helpful friend to grab it for me. Instant go bag sketch kit!

The contents needed updating, however. For example, at the time that I had initially put the kit together, I was heavily into making portrait studies using the Zorn palette. It also contained many Bic ballpoints in various colors (another strong interest at the time).

I pared those down and replaced them with a full rainbow of Caran d’Ache Neocolor II crayons, more Museum Aquarelle pencils, a few Faber-Castell Polychromos, a few Prismacolors, a sharpener (which I didn’t need in the kit before because I always keep a desktop sharpener in every room), and an eraser. I also added an A5-size student-grade Hahnemühle sketchbook and a spare Uglybook.

An A5-size Hahnemuhle sketchbook and an Uglybook (not shown) are sandwiched between the portfolio's tri-folds. It still zips closed easily.

With the sketchbooks sandwiched in there, the one thing the portfolio doesn’t have space for is a small watercolor palette. Considering how little time I devote to watercolors now, though, I probably wouldn’t miss them in rehab.

Hopefully, I’ll never have to use the kit while in rehab or otherwise in dire circumstances. But now that it’s fully stocked, I’ve been thinking that if I ever have an opportunity to participate in an art retreat on short notice (the kind where I would have a chair and table to sit at, not urban sketching), the go bag portfolio would certainly be ready to grab! And in the meantime, I’m still using it for the occasional sketch of Her Majesty or the sunset from upstairs.

After assembling the Neocolor II crayons, I gave them a test run with a sketch of my takeout sushi dinner (the most colorful foods I ever eat).