Combining a role of an illustrator with a role of a mom is challenging, no news here. I’ve been trying to make it work for 5 years now, with some successes here and there. I’ll talk about the actual balance of the every day life of an illustrator/parent a bit later; this time I just want to start listing some of the helpful tools and hacks that I’ve discovered so far.
Today I’ll talk about some of my favorite sketching and drawing tools that I take with me everywhere I go. The key factor for each is the ability to be handy anywhere (for the times when the opportunity to create presents itself, therefore they have to fit into the diaper bag or should be easily and quickly carried with me around the house), and not to be too messy (in case kids get their hands on them).
iPad Pro/Apple Pencil + Procreate combo is definitely the easiest way to do it. Its quick, versatile (there is a vast choice of brushes, colors, etc etc), leaves zero mess (important with little kids around), quiet (when you try to do something creative while the little one naps next to you); and you can take it with you almost anywhere (fits into the diaper bag/backpack). The downside, of course, the cost and the fact that it’s digital (the lively results of working with analog materials are not amenable to comparison)
Sakura Pigma Micron PN is perfect for quick sketches on the go. It has the durable plastic nib that lasts much longer than regular Micron pens, and works on rougher surfaces like watercolor paper.
Pentel Pocket Brush Pen - portable and durable, perfect for more expressive strokes.
Pentel Aquash Water Brushes - for ink washes and watercolor on the go. Also a tip: a little Altoids container makes a perfect travel watercolor kit.
Faber-Castell Pitt Monochrome Artists’ Pencil - not as messy as charcoal, oil base give a nice rich soft texture. It comes without the cap, so I use one from the ball point pen to keep the sharpness when using the pencil on the go (plus it provides some of childproofing, i.e. gives you few extra moments to get that pencil out of the toddler hands before it’s all over the walls)
Also, these little bags are my favorite to carry all the pens and pencils with me, they’re quite durable, and I really like that they’re transparent.
Still to come: more mom-tested analog and digital tools, as well as helpful tips to keeping your creative self afloat during the intensities of parenting.