Practical little helpers for outdoor sketching – my favorite additional sketching tools

There are a few tools beside the usual sketching materials (brushes, paint, sketchbook) that I’ve come to really appreciate, because they make my sketching kit so much more practical.

Faber-Castell pencil sharpener cap

This is sold as a package with a (short) pencil with eraser, and a cap to protect the pencil tip, but the most spectacular feature of that cap is that it has an integrated pencil sharpener! I love multi-use tools like this, and you can put the cap on any standard pencil after you’ve used the one it comes with. You can use the cap as a pencil extender, too, although I don’t like the additional weight.

Faber-Castell grip eraser

This is a perfect companion for any pencil you might have lying around. I love pencils with integrated erasers, if only because I tend to lose my erasers everywhere. You can put this eraser cap over every kind of standard pencil. It will change the weight of the pencil a bit, so it can feel a bit weird to draw with the cap attached to the end – I sometimes like to take it off while I’m drawing. You can also use this as a cap to protect your pencil tip.

White crayon

A great addition for adding white areas when you don’t want to pull out the white gouache. It adds a lot of instant-texture.

Swiss army knife

I have this with me pretty much at all times, and it’s come in handy not only in art contexts. Works as a pencil sharpener, bottle opener, saw, mushroom collector, plier, screwdriver, paint mixer, mini tripod, and more. In case you’re wondering: Yes, I watched too much MacGyver back in the days.

Small camping mat

I carry a small piece of camping mat with me so that I can sit comfortably and dry everywhere. It’s light and foldable. Indispensable if you like to sit down while sketching.

Painting rag

Everybody already knows this, but old T-Shirts and bedsheets make for wonderful painting rags. No waste (as with paper towels), washable, and 100% water control.

Plastic support board

A lightweight plastic board to which I can fasten sketchbook and palette and water container. Not strictly necessary, but very practical if you don’t want to hold everything at the same time but just your supporting board. It’s like a handheld easel, but much lighter. The kind of plastic I use is called coroplast or corrugated plastic, it’s lightweight but stable. I got this idea when I researched alternatives for a sketch easel.

Clips + clamps

I bring a variety of clips with me to fasten: my palette to my sketchbook or board, my sketchbook to my easel or board, the painting rag to either of these, to keep sketchbook pages open. Bulldog clips or binder clips are good for smaller setups, and larger clamps can fasten anything.

Binoculars

Not strictly an art tool, but great for nature watching. I take these with me as often as I can – very useful for watching birds and other animals from a distance.

What are your practical little helpers for outdoor sketching?