About me...I am an architect with a passion for travel sketching with watercolours. My wife, Lindy, and I (with our three dogs) live in Tucson and on Mount Lemmon in Southern Arizona.
Watercolours for Causes
Occasionally I get asked if my sketches are for sale. It's a great honor to be asked, but most of my sketches are in bound sketchbooks that I would like to keep intact. However if anyone wants a copy of my sketches, I will make them a high-resolution copy in exchange for their gift to a charitable cause of their choice. I'm also willing to make a special watercolour for anyone in exchange for a donation to a cause. Donations include watercolours for the following causes: - Andra Heart Foundation - Patronato Mission San Xavier del Bac - Tucson's January 8th Memorial - Mt Lemmon Community Center - Mount Lemmon Fire District - Grand Canyon Trust - Cranston Rhode Island Animal Shelter - Tucson Cold Wet Noses - Paige Memorial Library, Hardwick, Mass. - Madison Highland Prep, Phoenix - Central Arizona Animal Rescue - Humane Society of Manatee County - PAWS New England - Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter - Branford, Connecticut - Handsome Dan's Rescue - Providence, Rhode Island - The Humane Society of Southern ArizonaArizona Humane Society of Southern Arizona - Underdog Rescue of Florida - 2nd Chance Dog Rescue in Phoenix |
Contact informationTo request more information or to request a Watercolour for your Cause, email:
info@stephenbrigham.net Comments, suggestions and recommendations are always welcome and appreciated. Latest...
Holiday Kitchen/Tea Towel
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My sketching essentials
My tools
I've tried many different watercolor kits, brushes, papers and paints. Many artists will advocate for paint in tubes to get richer colors, but for what I like to do, I find quick convenience to be a high priority. Here is what I currently carry in my kit:
I've tried many different watercolor kits, brushes, papers and paints. Many artists will advocate for paint in tubes to get richer colors, but for what I like to do, I find quick convenience to be a high priority. Here is what I currently carry in my kit:
- Sketch book: I compromise on watercolour paper for the sake of convenience and speed. I use several types including Bee Paper Company’s “Super Deluxe Sketch Books” which has a reasonably heavy 93# double sided paper that takes well to pen sketching and watercolour. I usually bring two and sometimes three sizes: 4 x 6 for really really quick sketches; 6 x 9 for really quick sketches; and 6 x 12 for quick sketches. Recently I have been enjoying Pentallic Aqua Journal which is a 140 lb. watercolour paper and bound with six signatures that allow the paper to lay flat when open. I like the 5x8 inch size for my purposes. The paper is also heavy enough so you can use both sides if you want the most out of a single book.
- Pen: I have a box full of dried up fountain pens and keep returning to the ease of a fiber-tip pen. My latest favorite quick sketch pen is the dual headed IDenti pen by Sakura. It has a large tip on one end and a fine tip on the other – the ink is waterproof which allows me to throw the wet paint on right away. I rarely use a pencil. There’s usually not enough time to get fussy and I like to get the ink down fast and just celebrate my mistakes.
- Paint: The KOI Watercolor Paint Pocket Field Sketch Sets are durable and have nice colors. If I have space, I take the 18 color set, but my recent trip to Japan required that I pare down to the 12 color set which worked fine with a bit more mixing. The 12 colors gave me enough variety for what I do. The kit is also perfect for using the water brushes since it has two cleaning sponges on either side of the colors. It’s a great kit that folds up small and opens large. With its durable thumb ring on the base, I can also hang onto the kit in just about any wind.
- Brush: I like the flat tip water brush by Kuretake and manage to get a lot of stroke variety. I also like the Japanese Pentel brush with it's simple small brush and large water reservoir.
My kit
Traveling is about packing light and simple - and my watercolour travel pack is just that. My essential kit includes:
Traveling is about packing light and simple - and my watercolour travel pack is just that. My essential kit includes:
- Pack: I'll use whatever I can find in my closet and the choice depends on where I'm going. I love my old leather knapsack that I’ve had for years. However it’s not very waterproof, so recently I have been using an inexpensive red canvas shoulder pack from IKEA (FÖRENKLA Backpack).
- Other stuff: I usually have a rag with me to more thoroughly wipe paint out of the brushes - it's better than using my pants. I have a clever fold-up stool, but don't often take it to keep my gear to a minimum. The red hat is optional.