Looking for an ideal carrying case for art supplies

December 29, 2020 6:25 AM

Got my son a bunch of new art supplies, neglected to get him something to hold them all in. What do y'all recommend? Some specifics within -->

My son is a hiker and so this case needs to balance being light enough to bring along on his trips, but strong enough to protect the contents from being packed, thrown around, etc.

• In terms of dimensions, it needs to be big enough to hold a couple of 9" x 12" sketchbooks. (23cm x 30cm)
• In addition, it should be able to hold at least 2 or 3 boxes of watercolor markers and assorted pens and whatnot.
• Like his father, (*cough*) organization is not his strong suit, so fancy bags with lots of individual interior pockets are probably going to go unused. Instead, a case made of material resistant to spills, stains and rough handling is probably ideal.

Any advice appreciated!

posted by jeremias to Media & Arts (5 answers total)

Does he hike with a daypack? Mine has a laptop sleeve and I'll stick notebooks in that, throw art supplies into a zippered mesh pouch or two - can get from Eagle Creek (REI or any other outdoors store) or a little plastic box -lots of sizes of those available at Michael's or JoAnn Fabric. One useful addition is a collapsible cup - purchased at REI as a drinking cup but I use for paint water.
posted by leslies at 6:40 AM on December 29, 2020

Best answer: I use bigger sketchbooks, and I don't put them in anything. That way I can use separate smaller art supply things. This may be more convenient if your son is hiking long trips.

For general sketching, I have one of these. In it I can cram several markers, several pens and pencils, a small pan of water colors, some water brushes, some paper towels, and little erasers and a pencil sharpener in the pockets.

For carrying a large batch of colored pencils or markers, I have a few of these. Dump in your pencils/markers, zip the top shut. When sketching, unzip it and slide the top down, it's a stand-up cup.

The thing I use most is a small canvas Derwent case with two pockets, which folds closed and which has a strap to attach to a sketchbook. Sadly it seems to be discontinued.

As accessories, I second the collapsible cup and also want to really push waterbrushes.
posted by Hypatia at 7:00 AM on December 29, 2020 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Does he hike with a daypack? Mine has a laptop sleeve and I'll stick notebooks in that, throw art supplies into a zippered mesh

He does use a daypack, however, a dedicated case may still be the best option, due to his limited space at home.

Having a single carrying case for home and "on the trail" is preferable from an organizational angle, methinks.
posted by jeremias at 8:41 AM on December 29, 2020 [1 favorite]

I never use a case for a sketchbook because which ones I carry changes all the time and is unneccesary for the way I work. Cases for materials are handy though.
posted by leslies at 9:11 AM on December 29, 2020 [1 favorite]

I say a different color daypack, maybe a stowaway type (one that can be folded into a pocket-sized lump), plus two zippered bags for the markers and other pens and such should suffice.
posted by kschang at 10:48 PM on December 30, 2020