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Wild Wonder 2025 Shopping List

supplies-2

All the supplies from the conference all in one place

One of the hardest parts about the Wild Wonder Conference is knowing what supplies to get for the classes. I’m going to try to list them all here. I will do my best to keep adding to this page as we go through the conference and get more info. Keep checking back here to stay updated. (this page has some amazon affiliate links to make it easy for you to research supplies, I get a small commission if you use these links but please support small businesses if you can. Some products are not available on Amazon and I have linked the appropriate locations for them.)

Basic Kit for All the Classes

If you have these supplies you will be able to follow along with most classes. I will point out which classes are material specific. First is a basic list then is more info about each.

Writing and Drawing
Erasers and Whites
Sketchbooks
Color options (if you had ONE of the options below you could do all the classes)
Brush

Class by Class Supplies

As of Sept 5th I have supplies listed for all the classes that have clear supply needs! If new supply lists come out or are emailed to participants I will try to update here. I’m marathoning all the sessions this year and reporting on them at the end of each day so I will be busy!!! Make sure to see my nightly recaps of each day of the conference on my Youtube channel, every night around 9:30pm California time.

Birch Trees in Watercolor

This class with Sushma Hegde it will help some to have some of the specific brushes. At the very least you will want: several traditional watercolor brushes. She uses the “Silver” brand for everything. Pay attention to sizes and tip shapes.

She recommends something similar to this kit with three brushes Silver Black Velvet Set of size 2, 4, 8
and 12.

Also This fine tipped brush

She also recommends this Filbert Brush. This is the brush shape that allows you to paint some of her characteristic brush strokes for flowers which might not be as essential for this class on birch trees.

You can probably find cheaper version of these basic brushes.

She recommends this Hahnemuhle Watercolor Book A5
200gsm Portrait but you could use loose sheets of watercolor paper that is 200gsm or a cheaper pad.

Watercolor and Palette

She recommends that you use artist grade watercolors but any brand. She uses Daniel Smith in the colors below. One option is to buy the 5ml tubes of these paints to save money. You have to buy each of these tubes separately at a art store or online because they are not in a kit. Most kits are going to be primary colors and will be frustrating to use.

Her colors with link:

Lemon yellow
New Gamboge
Quinacridone Rose
Pyrrol Scarlet
Sap Green
Peryelene Green
Cerulean Blue
French Ultramarine
Quinacridone Gold
Yellow Ochre
Sepia

She mentioned two palettes on her supply list one is Mijello Airtight 18-Well Palette
The other is from

The palette she actually used in her class ended up being the Mr. Pen- Airtight Watercolor Palette with Lid, Blue, 18 Wells and 2 Mixing Areas.

For painting in the field she mentioned these supplies:

Summary: Based on my experience of her classes in the past, having the right materials will have a big impact on how happy you are with your result. If you are ok with improvising and not having something look like the teachers then use what you have. The basic kit I listed above would work. If you actually want to learn her technique at least get traditional brushes, some artist grade watercolor, and proper paper. Instead of getting her exact palette I would actually recommend getting John Muir Law’s custom watercolor palette that will have most of the same colors but you know they are all lightfast and the palette works well in the field. Here is a link to his palette which I have used for over ten years.

Poetry Comics

With Grant Snider

No special supplies needed. Grant used loose 8.5″ by 11″ sheets of 150gsm sketch paper and a brush pen and a pencil. We will be folding paper so if you are a fan of zines get your zine supplies ready.

Understanding Comics book is amazing and he mentioned it.

He also mentions the french artist Jean-Jacques Sempé. Looking to see if there are any publications of him.

Summary: This class is not focused on specific art supplies and the basic kit worked great. Grant was actually using the exact brush pen that I recommended in the basic kit.

Plant Families

Wendy Hollender is a renowned botanical artist that focuses mostly on colored pencils and watercolor pencils so be prepared for that. However, her class is not technique specific so you could do everything with watercolor if that is what you have like me 🙂

This is the geometric template she suggests, she used it a lot in the initial drawing of the flower.

If you fall in love with her style and want to be able to emulate here technique then consider the materials below. Otherwise, don’t worry about all of them.

Here are the supplies that she says she will be using in the demo (you don’t need these apparently):

Colored Pencils

Summary: It’s a bit hard to prepare for this class honestly. There is some contradictory information and while she says students do not require many supplies she later has multiple lists with copious supplies and each list is different. I have done my best to summarize the information. My suggestion would be to not stress, attend the class with the “basic kit” and if you fall in love with her style start building a collection of the specialized colored pencils, papers, etc that she uses. Be sure to review her attachments before the class or have them ready on your computer to look at. It looks like a fun and in-depth activity that could be hard if you are not prepared.

Gesture Sketching with Brush Pens

This photo shows the Tombow Fudenosuke brush pen that I used as my main writing and drawing tool for all of the conference.

This class with Charlotte Belland doesn’t have a supply list (yet) but I would recommend two types of brush pens. I will be using these brush pens for most of my note taking and drawing during the conference. https://amzn.to/4nhTLpu They are japanese calligraphy pens but used by many nature journalers.And these ones like this that have actual bristles.

She ended up using these in her class:

“Match the pen size to the paper size” Super useful tip from her.

This is the kind with bristles

Summary: A very fun class. The basic kit pens I recommended would work but she suggested several that I have not tried yet. Several of them look very interesting but are also water soluble so not the best combo for watercolor.

Charting Curiosity: Data Visualization Tools

This class is not about supplies so you will probably only need your basic kit (see below). Nevertheless, Gargi is asking that everyone be familiar with the concept of INIWIRMO before the class and watching a video about it from Jack Laws. So do your homework.

“Dear Data” book that Gargi raved about.

Summary: This class is about thinking and organization strategies for your nature journal not specific art supplies. I recommend having the basic kit for sketchnoting and following along.

Keynote by Jennifer Jewell

was inspiring and she mentioned several books that inspired her.

“Local Color” this book is out of print apparently

“Seeing color in the garden” book.

She uses these moleskine journals for her garden journal.

Day Two Classes

Remember, in some cases instructors will post a supplies list last minute. I will try to keep this list updated.

In Merian’s Footsteps: Backyard Expeditions for the curious

This class with Verena Hillgärtner just had a supplies list and resources added to the Sched website. The basic kit covers most of it but I will try to list her supplies here when I get a chance. The only special supplies besides the basic kit are loose sheets of printer paper and a tool to aid with folding (such as bone folder). Plan to have you basic kit supplies mentioned below.

Sketchbook and paper:

Drawing

Other tools

Books she mentioned

Summary: The focus of Verena’s class is not about specific art tools but if you want to try the supplies she uses you have the list here. Her purple pencil and sketchbook in particular look cool as do the books.

After Verena’s class is the keynote. You might be interested in checking out the book written by the speakers before their talk. Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us

Panel on Nature Journaling Tools

This is a list of basically all the supplies mentioned in this 3 person discussion!

Style Buffet

With Kate Rutter

Kate will be using a lot of different supplies during the class but it is not necessary for you to get them all. Instead she suggests that this class can help you decide what supplies you might want to focus on. She offers a list of options that I will put here but not requirements.

Crisp

Delicate

Juicy

Spicy

  • Some crayons (peeled)
  • Ink pad
  • Glue stick
  • Scotch Tape
  • Small knife
  • Index cards (3″ x 5″, about 4-6) or scrap paper

Summary: You will get the most out of this class if you do have some art tools to represent each of the categories above.

Adventure Sketching

This class is with Maria Coryell-Martin the founder of Art Toolkit. Definitely check out her Art Toolkit Website These are the supplies she is recommending for the class.

Summary: You could do this class with the basic kit that I described for the whole conference. I will be using the John Muir Laws watercolor palette which contains most of her colors. If you want to try her specific palette or the fountain pen she recommends for fun go ahead but they don’t seem necessary to get the most from the class. Definitely check out the Art Toolkit Website to look at all her cool supplies. She also mentioned the Sketchnote Handbook Book by Mike Rohde

Nature Narratives: How to Create and Engaging Illustrated Essay

This class with Rosalie Haizlett is focused mostly on writing. There is no supply list (yet) so I would bring whatever is your most comfortable kit. If you are new then use the “basic kit” that I mentioned above. The brush pens that I use and microns work fine for writing.

She usually uses a small traditional brush but she is trying to use a larger brush.

she used 9×12 300gsm rough arches watercolor block, even though she said she does not really like that paper

Here is one of Rosalie’s Books: Tiny Worlds of the Appalachian Mountains: An Artist’s Journey

Bee Colorful: The Diverse Beauty of Native Bees

This class with Dr Nina Sokolov is focused on learning how to identify native bee species through drawing the important part of their anatomy. There is not supply list so the basic kit would be good. Brush pens are good for drawing insect anatomy. You might also want to have graphite and eraser ready for this class. A precise eraser like the mono erase would be good. She also mentions color so have either your colored pencil or your watercolor options from the basic kit ready.

Day Three Classes

Sketching Birds in the Field

Instructor Joris de Raedt jorisderaedt.com

Paper

Watercolor

  • His main colors ( I would recommend getting the Daniel Smith versions of these listed elsewhere on this page: Cadmium Yellow Light Hue, Cadmium Yellow deep, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red Light, Alizarin Crimson, Burnt Umber, Ultramarine Blue, Brilliant
  • yellow dark, Transparent orange

Digiscoping: This is when you attach your phone to a scope to take photos or videos. Joris uses this for references for later painting. His scope is also an essential part of his kit but he said you shuld practice drawing birds from life closeup first because managing a scope and drawing through it has a whole learning curve. This stuff can also get VERY expensive.

  • This is the phone adapter Swarovski VPA 2 variable phone adapter set
  • SPotting scope Swarovski ATX85 scope. You’re going to want to do some serious research and take out a loan before you buy one of these.
  • Gitzo tripod GT3531
  • with Gitzo head SN/GZ127658
  • Binoculars Swarovski CL companion 8×30
  • Foldable chair
  • Optional: Camera

Drawing Live Owls

Linda Feltner recommends an inexpensive kit for this class, she doesn’t want you to get perfectionist. She suggests loose sheets of newsprint even but I would use the mixed media sketchbook from the basic kit so you have everything together in one spot. She recommends a mechanical pencil similar to the one I mention in the basic kit with 2B lead.

In addition to the basic supplies that are all you need for the class she also mentions these supplies that she used in some of her art work

Sketching/Drawing

  1. Pentel, Quicker Clicker mechanical pencil. 0.5mm, lead 2B.
  2. Micron Pen 0.3

She described a very interesting process in her class using tracing paper and transfer paper.

  1. She specifically recommends Canson Tracing Paper
  2. Saral (Wax Free) Transfer Paper. (this is how she transfers the same basic drawing onto various different paper to experiment with different media.)

Papers: She mentioned how she likes to experiment with the same drawing on lots of different paper

  1. Canson Universal Sketch. 9×12” (22.9×30.5cm). 65lb (96g).
  2. Strathmore Toned Tan sketch paper. 9×12” (22.9×30.5cm), 80lb (118gsm)
  3. Arches, hot press 90lb (185gsm)
  4. Fabriano Artistico Block, Traditional White, hot press, 140lb
    (300gsm)
  5. Strathmore Bristol Vellum 500 series, 2-ply.

Watercolor pencils

  1. Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer (Helio-blue reddish
  2. Derwent Inktense Pencil(deep indigo)
  3. Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer (magenta).

Linda mentioned this book that looks very cool called “The unfeathered bird” If you want to understand bird’s bodies underneath the confusing feathers.

Keynote on history of Naturalist’s Notebooks

I’m super excited for this keynote from Roland Allen and have already ordered the book by him so I can skim it in advance. The audio version is fine but you will miss the illustrations.

The Notebook: A history of thinking on paper

Paint Simple Landscapes with Watercolor and Pen

This class with Jane Maday just had supply list added but you could also do it with the basic kit I recommended. She also uses a grid paper watercolor journal which is pretty cool and a relatively new offering. Not required for the class but if you are a journal junkie, you like bullet journaling and watercolor, or if you want to do charts and graphics, or you just like the look of a dot paper then this is pretty cool! Dot paper watercolor journal! Her specific model is actually from www.archerandolive.com

  • Pencil and eraser
  • Waterproof fineliner pen, size either 1 or 2 Micron Pens

Daniel Smith watercolors:

Creative Book Arts for Journaling

This class by Roseann Hanson is one where YOU NEED THE SPECIFIC SUPPLIES.

Summary: You might be able to improvise with the basic kit for the conference but of all the classes this year this is the one where you need special stuff if you want to follow along. If you want to take this class be sure to do your homework and get your supplies lined up. Have empathy for the teacher during the session and try not to ask a million questions during the live class about materials and things covered in the PDF that she has provided.

Butterfly Drawing

This class with Jack Laws does not have a supply list but the basic kit I have outlined should be perfect. You do want to print his butterfly template in advance on stiffer paper if you can. I like printing templates onto 100% cotton resume paper which goes through a printer easy but can take some wet media such as watercolor) Here are some of the supplies I think he will use (I will try to update this after the live class)

He mentioned how much he loves the close focus binoculars which are an essential part of many nature journalers kit. Great for bugs, birds, wildflowers. He also mentioned drawing on coquille board which apparently it provides a texture that helps to simulate the pattern on some butterflys. But seems like an obscure supply but can be found here.

Day Four Classes

Tips for Tiny Landscapes

With Leslie Stroz. This was a dangerous class if you like cute and curated art supplies that look expensive! I won’t be able to cover everything that she mentioned but here are some of the main ones.

tiny palette: go draw

blue star crafts: cute tiny carriers and cases

mini sendak canvas supplies roll: by peg and awl

She uses the large Pentel Aquash waterbrush even for her tiny paintings. It is her favorite waterbrush.

One really important tip was she always uses brown ink fineliner pens to draw hew tiny landscapes because it creates a more subtle effect with the watercolor that at that scale black ink lines would ruin.

review of tiny palettes on her youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wPYTlHvqbc

Summary: Good tips for color mixing from limited palette. Her tip about brown ink always for tiny landscapes was also very interesting. Leslie’s approach is very dependent on cute little supplies so if you like that you might want to buy or build your own little supplies. If you try getting the same effect in your normal journal it might not work.

10 Ways to Level up Your Sketching

Vitor Velez (aka the headless sketcher ) is an exceptional artist but also a great teacher that puts a lot thought into conceptualizing and sharing his process. His class is more of a lecture, a masterclass in fact, but not specifically designed to sketch a long. I of course did, and used my basic kit. The following supply list he shared as a reference after the class not as what you need for the class.

  • Fineliners
  • Micron Pigment Liners – my all-time favorites
    • 100% waterproof and smear-proof.
    • Excellent for linework, writing, and enhancing edges.
    • Sizes he uses:
    • 0.03, 0.1, 0.2 – for writing (choice depends on paper type and whether I want text to
      blend in or stand out).
    • 0.1 or 0.2 – for animal line drawings.
      Tip: I sometimes use “half-used” Microns with low ink to get a soft grey effect rather than stark black.

  • Colored Pencils
  • Faber-Castell Polychromos – my go-to set (oil-based, not wax-based)
  • Great for fur, feathers, shells, scales, and texture work.
  • Pigments hold up well under watercolor washes.
    His core color palette includes:
    • Whites & Greys:
      White (101)
      Cold Grey II (231)
      Cold Grey IV (233)
      Payne’s Grey (181)
      Warm Grey II (271)
      Warm Grey IV (273)
      Black (199)
    • Greens:
      Leaf Green (112)
      Juniper Green (165)
      Grass Green (166)
      Olive Green Yellowish (173)
      Dark Phthalo Green (264)
    • Blues:
      Phthalo Blue (110)
      Ultramarine (120)
      Sky Blue (146)
      Helioblue Reddish (151)
      Dark Indigo (157)
      Prussian Blue (246)
    • Yellows:
      Cream (102)
      Ivory (103) (this is favorite for blending as well)
      CadmiumYellow (107)
      Dark Chrome Yellow (109)
      Dark Naples Ochre (184)
    • Browns:
      Van Dyke Brown (176)
      Brown Ochre (182)
      Raw Umber (180)
      Burnt Umber (280)
      Burnt Siena (283)
    • Oranges:
      Orange Glaze (113)
      Terracotta (186)
      Burnt Ochre (187)
    • Reds:
      Salmon (130)
      Indian Red (192)
      Red Violet (194)
      Alizarin Crimson (226)
    • Purples:
      Violet (138)
      Manganese Violet (160)
  • Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer – watercolor pencils
  • Match Polychromos colors exactly.
  • Can be used dry, with water, or by wetting the pencil tip.
  • I now use them less frequently, but always keep a few:
    White (101)
    Black (199)
    Cold Grey V (234)
    Green Olive (167)
    Chromium Green Opaque (174)
    Deep Cobalt Green (158)

  • Caran d’Ache Luminance – wax-based, used sparingly
  • Colors I rely on:
    Blanc White (001) This one he uses for blending other colors
    Silver Grey (002)
  • Perfect for bright highlights and reflections on top of Polychromos layers.

  • Caran d’Ache Pablo – for deep shadows.
  • I Keep only two:
    Ivory Black (496)
    Greyish Black (008).

  • Prismacolor – softer and waxier, less precise than Polychromos
  • I keep only two:
    Cadmium Orange (PC 118)
    Burnt Ochre (PC 943)
  • Great for boosting vibrancy in orange/brown fur (foxes, tigers).
  • As if that was not enough colored pencils he also specifically mentioned Derwent Watercolor pencils in these colors that he really likes
    • turquoise green
    • water green

  • Graphite Pencils

  • Faber-Castell Pitt Matt (2B, 6B, 12B)
  • Slight sheen makes them great companions to colored pencils.
  • Used for pushing contrast or enhancing depth.

  • Other Tools & Extras

  • Ceramic Pen Cutter (Slice brand)
    • To “carve out” details even after layering dark colors.
    • Essential for feather highlights, shell textures, micro details.
  • White & Black Gouache (Talens)
  • Black: for deepening tones.
  • White: for whiskers, fur highlights, reflections.
  • Paper

  • Paper is one of the most decisive materials in my process. It not only determines how pencils and
    pens behave but also sets the overall feel of the artwork. Over the years, I’ve experimented with a
    wide range of papers, and here are my main observations:
  • Hahnemühle 300gsm Hot-Pressed
    • My current favorite for colored pencil and mixed media work.
    • Very smooth, making it easier to blend and layer pigments without much effort.
    • Compared to Arches, I find it allows me to achieve contrast and volume faster
  • Arches 300gsm Hot-Pressed
  • A classic, and for many years my main choice.
  • The surface has a little more “resistance,” which means I need to blend more and work
    harder to achieve deep contrasts when using Polychromos.
  • Still excellent for building layered, refined textures once you adapt to its character, or if you
    use wax-based colored pencils.
  • Winsor & Newton / Fabriano Hot-Pressed
  • Slightly more grainy.
  • Because of that texture, I find they don’t respond as well to fine detail work with colored
    pencils.
  • Better suited if you prefer looser, sketchier marks that embrace paper texture.
  • Daler Rowney Hot-Pressed (non-cotton)
  • More affordable, beginner-friendly option.
  • While it doesn’t offer the same richness as 100% cotton papers, it’s surprisingly effective
    with both pen and colored pencil.
  • A good compromise between cost and performance.
    Pastelmat
  • Exceptionally smooth surface, ideal for blending colored pencils beautifully.
  • Very forgiving – mistakes can often be “erased” or layered over.
  • You can easily create bright reflections using a white pencil or a pen cutter.
  • However, it doesn’t take fineliners well, as ink tends to sit on the surface instead of bonding
    with the paper.
  • For that reason, I don’t use it at all, but I still recommend you trying it out as it’s a fantastic
    surface to work with.

Summary: This is a masterclass as are his previous classes, learn from his tens of thousands of hours of experience and focus. None of the materials above are needed because it is not designed as a hands on class so don’t buy all of these but use this as a resource to understand his chocies. There is so much detailed information and basically “trade secrets” of his craft that you could mine this class for gems with multiple watchings. Especially if you use colored pencils. For native English speakers especially those from the US this is a good opportunity for you to practice listening and learning from people who have different accents than you. Vitor speaks multiple languages and his English is correct and broad in vocabulary however there are some idiosyncracies about his pronounciation that you might need some time to get used to. The internet connection might have been less than ideal because the recorded version had some lag. Just be patient and pause and relisten if you need.

Gardens and People

with Nishant Jain (aka the sneaky artist)

He mentioned this very cool pen called the Little Fat Man !!! He used brown ink inside it. He uses the one with the bent nib so you can get more line variation with it. I am definitely going to have to try this one.

Supplies he used

Other supplies mentioned

Summary: He is a minimalist. He tries to only take two or three drawing tools. He does not try to match colors with real life.

Feather Groups

With Jane Kim of @inkdwell She likes Pentel brand in general

  • She was using this metal mechanical pencil by Pentel: graphgear with .9 lead
  • kneaded eraser she didnt’ have this but kept wishing she did during workshop
  • This is the eraser she used during the demo by pentel clickit adjustable eraser similar to this one another option in the mono zero one that many people at the conference recommended.
  • She loves the various waterbrushes by Pentel here is a kit with all the types. She even used them for her big mural!!

Field Guide to Bird Feathers

The Feather Atlas

Garden Journaling

With Bethan Burton from Journaling with Nature

She specifically said to just work with whatever supplies you have on hand.

Here is the link to her really cool garden weather chart!! See below

Garden weather Diagram by Bethan Burton

She also mentioned the book local color which seems like it might be out of print. Might want to look at Ebay, Local library.

Sketchbook: If you are curious, she uses the stillman and birn delta series sketchbook in A4.

Other books she mentioned

  • A Wilder Way, How Gardens grow us Poppy Okotcha,
  • To stand and stare: how to garden while doing next to nothing
  • Why women grow stories of soil, sisterhood and survival Alice Vincent
  • Grow your Groceries Simon Akeroyd

Animal Joints and Locomotion

With Chloe Peters has no supply list because she intended it just as a lecture but I found that it is possible and worthwhile to sketch along using graphite and ink.

She mentioned this book: Force: Animal Drawing: Animal Locomotion and Design Concepts for Animators

Nature Journal a River

With Alex Boon. There is no supply list the night before the class but he mentions graphite, fineliner and he usually works with colored pencils.

Summary: The focus of this class is not specific materials. I will be following along with the class but just using my usual sketching supplies and watercolor. You can find his book by the same name and a bunch more on his website: https://alexboonart.com/books/

Journey into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

With Michael Boardman. You could use the basic kit for this class but here are the supplies he uses and mentions.

Here are some of the supplies

  • sketching pencil or 2 he likes blackwing
  • good eraser he uses a pentel click eraser in the video
  • Watercolor kit from Winsor and Newton
  • burnt sienna,
  • ultramarine blue
  • manganese blue hue
  • a warm yellow,
  • perhaps neutral tint.
  • He also brings gray toned paper and draws with white for his mountain drawing
Here is a screenshot of his field kit.

Summary: This class is more of an adventure log with lots of information about doing artist’s residencies. But there are some live sketching parts where you can follow along.

Nature Journaling Botanicals with a 3 Step Approach

With Laura Watson. There is now a list for this class but it is inside the reference guide of the PDF. If you didnt’ have time to see this last minute then you should be able to follow along with the basic watercolor kit I mentioned for the whole conference.

This class goes a bit fast with the demo so if you want to follow along get the materials ready and print the reference in advance You can use these materials

  • sketchbook with mixed media or watercolor paper she uses hot press paper
  • fine liner permanent such as micron .05, .2, .8
  • kneaded eraser
  • Basic watercolor palette
  • Greens and pinks
  • Small brushes, she mentions these cheap watercolor brushes from Meeden
  • You could also use a waterbrush like Pentel
  • She prefers rubbing graphite on the back. graphitelike this rubbed on the back or transfer paper like this is another option but she says it is more permanent.

Here are all the colors she used in the demo. She seemed very particular about which brand you use for each paint but I just used Quinacridone Magenta, Winsor Violet and other colors from the John Muir Laws Custom palette.

  • Holbein
    • Quinacridone Magenta
    • Light Red
    • Manganese Blue Nova
    • Neutral tint
  • Daniel Smith
    • French Ultramarine
    • Quinacridone Rose
    • Sap Green

You can also check out her amazon shop where she lists a bunch more supplies here.

Summary: This class is not entirely focused on supplies but her method is easier to follow if you have traditional brushes, similar watercolors to hers, and a mixing area.

Monarch Metamorphoses

With Rebekah Lowell has this supply list posted of what she is using but you could do this class with the basic kit I described earlier.

Summary: That was the last class of the conference! If you made it this far with the basic kit then you are doing great.

Books

Because there are many authors this year! (be patient as I add these 😉

Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us This book is by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross who are the keynote speakers on day 2. You can learn more about the book on the website here: https://www.yourbrainonart.com/ I’m planning on listening to the audiobook version

The Notebook: A history of thinking on paper Roland Allen will be giving the keynote on day 3 and his book looks amazing! I recommend the print version for this and not the audiobook because it will have lots of images hopefully.

The Joy of Botanical Drawing: A Step-by-Step Guide to Drawing and Painting Flowers, Leaves, Fruit, and More Wendy Hollender has several books on botanical illustration and she will be teaching on day one. Her books look amazing. If you want to develop a very detailed and realistic technique using colored pencils and watercolor pencils these are for you. Or maybe you just want to ogle over the pages, that is fine too.

The Backyard Bird Chronicles Amy Tan is famous for her novels of course but she has published her nature journaling work as well.

Make (Sneaky) Art is a new book by Nishant that is coming out in a week!

John Muir Laws Books including the “bible of nature journaling” :The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling

Rosalie Haizlett: Tiny Worlds of the Appalachian Mountains: An Artist’s Journey

Alex Boon How to Draw a River and How to Draw a Tree

Christian Cooper  Better Living Through Birding,

Linda Feltner Drawing Nature: The Creative Process of an Artist, Illustrator, and Naturalist
Princeton University Press, 2024. Linda M. Feltner
https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691255385/drawing-nature
Also available on Barnes & Noble, Thrift Books, local bookstores, and Amazon.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

In general I think a sketchbook is better to keep everything together in one place. However, it might be good to have some loose sheets on hand for specific paper types for some classes. For example heavier watercolor paper for Sushma’s class on the first day. You don’t need a whole sketchbook of heavy watercolor paper.

I would make sure I had a mixed media sketchbook like this or whatever you usually journal with. With 150 gsm weight paper you can do watercolor and you can also take notes comfortable. This type of paper will probably be ideal for most of the classes this year. For many years the Stillman and Birn Alpha series with 150gsm 9X12″ wirebound sketchbook was my go-to but they have been having some inconsistencies lately that I am upset about.

If you want to also have some watercolor specific you could get something small with nice paper like this or go to your local art store and buy some sheets of Arches watercolor paper. This type of paper will probably be helpful for a few of the classes this year.

Having some toned paper options might be fun as well. I will have something like this on hand for sure. This sketchbook has 3 colors of toned paper. John Muir Laws, Michael Boardman, and Joris de Raedt, and Gargi Chugh all use toned paper and it could show up in some of their classes. Toned paper would also be helpful for the owls drawing class and the feathers drawing class. Nothing like drawing a white subject on white paper to make you wish you had toned paper! (just make sure you have some white drawing tools as well)

I like graph paper, especially isometric graph paper and I will definitely use some for Gargi’s Data Visualization class. I also use this paper for drawing my art supplies in perspective.

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Marley Peifer

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8 Responses

  1. Marley, this is very helpful for me in choosing which classes will be my priority during the conference, since I certainly won’t be able to sit all day!! Many thanks.

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  3. Hi Marley,
    Just as you always do…you covered this!! I will spend days going over this. You did a great job pulling this together. Now that the conference is over I will have time to check materials out, and read all your comments. Thanks so much for what you give back!

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    1. Hi Rhonda, thanks for the comment and the accolades. I’m glad I can help in some way. Let me know what you learn from any of the supplies you try or what your experiences are.

      Reply

    1. Thanks Barbara! Glad it was helpful. It seems like the Wild Wonder Foundation has also realized this is a challenge for people at the conference and did a better job this year of trying to get information out about all the supplies.

      Reply

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