The other day my friend @nicolakent asked a bunch of us what we would put in a Christmas stocking for illustrators. Inspired by that conversation I thought I’d put together 10 of my favourite things that I think would be perfect for Christmas wish lists.
1. Palomino Blackwing Pencils - My friend Charlotte recently gave me one of her Blackwing Pearls to try out and boy was it smooth! They’re not cheap but I think they are totally worth investing in. I’ve put the original black ones on my Christmas list.
2. Daniel Smith Dot Cards - If you use watercolour then you will love these little beauties! DS dot cards allow you to try out the different colours so you can choose which full sized tubes to invest in. I bought the full 238 colours but they come in smaller sets too if you don't want to splash out.
3. Faber-Castell Polychromos Coloured Pencils - The crème de la crème of coloured pencils, last year I got the tin of 60, which makes an excellent Christmas gift.
4. Acrylic Matt Medium - I recently discovered this stuff and I LOVE it! Mix it with acrylic or paint over other shiny surfaces. It dries transparent and makes the surface super matt- perfect for drawing on with pencils. It can also be used as an adhesive for collage. Mind blown!
5. Phone Mount for Instagram Timelapse Videos - Ever tried doing a progress video by holding your phone in one hand and drawing with the other? If you’re as into instagramming your doodles as I am, this is an essential.
6. Electric Pencil Sharpener - My pal Camille recommended one of these and I don’t know why I didn’t get one before. So much fun! I’ve also just put an electric eraser on my wish list for Christmas this year, let me know what they're like if you've used one!
7. Dr. Ph. Martin's Bombay Inks - The only coloured inks I've found that are genuinely waterproof when dry. I like the sepia one a lot.
8. Colla Coccoina - It’s basically fancy pritt stick but it smells delicious (no really, I kind of want to eat it…) and it comes with a cute little application brush in the middle of the pot. A perfect stocking filler.
9. Books Books Books - My favourite Christmas picture book this year is Pick a Pine Tree by Patty Toht with gorgeous illustrations by Jarvis. Also if you fancy nipping down to M&S you can pick up my Paddington book for only three English pounds! Sorry I couldn’t resist a bit of self promo…
10. Winsor and Newton Professional Watercolour Collection Set - For anyone thinking of trying out professional watercolours this little set is great. I was recently given one to try out by Ken Bromley Art Supplies. The colours in it are pretty limited but I’m excited to compare the different types of paint, especially the markers and the watercolour sticks. They are on sale on the Ken Bromley website at around half price at the moment (correct as of 6 Dec 2017).
I'd love to know what you'll be adding to your Christmas lists or giving to your favourite people this year so let me know on Instagram :)
Merry Christmas x
