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What to take

What to take

Part 1: Materials

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Steph Essam
Jun 10, 2025
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What to take
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Welcome to my sketchbook journey through the fleeting weathers and ephemeral landscapes of Scotland. In this series, I will share the challenges of drawing landscapes on location, unexpected obstacles and quiet triumphs gathered over years of untangling. Whether you're an artist yourself or just curious about the process, I hope my experiences inspire you and offer a few useful insights along the way.

I was in the first cohort of The Goodship Illustration course, which, like most courses, understands the value of drawing from life. Inspired by the beautiful drawings my course mates were completing on location, I ventured outside. It was Spring of 2020. The weather was warm and bright and the greenery on my doorstep had exploded. It was tentative, at first, reflected in my small and flimsy sketchbook and clutching a pencil or two. I would leave the house hoping that no one would speak to me, that no one would question what I was doing or comment that I was doing it wrong. I didn’t know what to take with me, but I knew I wanted the ordeal to be over very quickly. I thought a small sketchbook would draw less attention to myself, and that’s the sole reason I was using this size. It could be hastily packed away, should anyone approach. And I could definitely say something like ‘Oh, it’s just a scribble.’

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Sketchbook page, Scotland

That formed the basis of what I took with me: fear. If you’re nervous about drawing in public, unfortunately the best way to overcome this, is practice. Nowadays, things look a bit different for me. When people want to have a little nosey at what I’m drawing (and I don’t blame them, I love to be nosey too), they often don’t say much, maybe a little comment and then they’re on their way. I’ve learned not to mind.

The first thing I consider when packing materials is…

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